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Rating:  - Best Errol Flynn movie ever!
This is a delightful presentation of the charming Errol Flynn. He's his normal carefree self with the twist of a author/mystery solving (on the side)character. It's nice seeing him in a current up to date movie. I love the relationship between all the people in the movie. Brenda Marshall is wonderful as his wife who is clueless as to what he's up to. I could watch this movie over and over again. I feel like we are seeing the real Errol Flynn, I'm not sure why but he's very believable in this role.
Rating:  - Not the Usual Errol Flynn Film
This is an uncommon and absolutely charming Errol Flynn film. Errol Flynn gives the viewer a change of pace in this lighthearted outing. Errol Flynn usually possessed a light approach with an underlying sense of seriousness to most of his roles but here he ventures into the genre of slapstick comedy. His character combines writing with being an amateur sleuth and things predictably get complicated. Flynn's character makes this film seem like a forerunner to HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE. Errol Flynn demonstrates a great range of histrionics and versatility and some unrealized qualities not associated with his usual craft and screen presence. This is not a bad film and should be interesting for most Errol Flynn enthusiasts.
Rating:  - A Shot In The Dark
Errol Flynn is known mostly for swashbucklers as "The Adventures of Robin Hood". He mostly played in action films and of course was always the hero. But here with "Footsteps in the Dark" with get something completely different from Flynn, a light comedy/mystery. In fact Flynn only appeared in a small handful of comedies, I believe no more than 4.
In "Footsteps in the Dark" Flynn plays Franics Warren an investment counselor who also writes mystery books under an alias to protect his high profile wife, Rita (Brenda Marshall). When a jewel importer is found dead the police think the man's heart gave up after high amounts of alcohol were found in his body, but Francis supects murder. He then bets the police that he can solve the case before them. But in movies such as these the hero usually finds himself somehow involved and is soon thought to be a suspect himself. And the same thing happens in this movie when another suspect, Blondie White (Lee Patrick) is found dead. And not only are the police looking for Francis but his wife thinks he has been having an affair with the woman.
"Footsteps in the Dark" follows in the tradition of films such as "The Thin Man" series, "The Ex-Mrs. Bradford", "It's A Wonderful World", and "Rear Window" were innocent people turn themselves into amateur sleuths. But "Footsteps in the Dark" is no "Rear Window" but its not a dud. It's a worthwhile film that has some funny moments but is not very suspenseful. It follows the same formula mystery movies even of today follow. As we read the credits we notice that a big star in named in the credits but doesn't appear until late in the movie. Just by that you know he's gonna to have to have a larger role in the film. But I will not reveal who it is.
The movie was directed by Lloyd Bacon, who I guess we can think of as a studio director. I'm not sure how much controll he had other his movies but even so, I'm sure many of you have seen some of his other films. They include "42nd Street", "Wonder Bar" and two Joe E. Brown movies; "You Said A Mouthful" (Ginger Rogers co-stars) and "Son of A Sailor".
I said before Flynn only appeared in 4 comedies. I haven't seen all of them but I have seen "Four's A Crowd", which is not available on Amazon. So I would just like to mention if anyone has the chance to see that movie do so as well. I think that movie might be a little better than this one.
Bottom-line: Enjoyable if predictable comedy\mystery starring Errol Flynn in one of his few comedies. Worthwhile for fans of black&white movies and Flynn fans.
Rating: - A Pleasant Surprise
FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK is a movie about an investment banker who writes mystery novels as a sideline. While doing research for his books he becomes involved with real crime as an amateur sleuth.
Errol Flynn plays the light-hearted detective. Brenda Marshall is his loving wife and the rest of the cast includes Ralph Bellamy, William Frawley, Lee Patrick and Grant Mitchell.
FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK is a pleasant surprise for a low budget movie. The director is Lloyd Bacon who directed MOBY DICK starring John Barrymore in 1930. He also directed the musical 42ND STREET with the assistance of Busby Berkeley in 1933.
Rating:  - Errol In A Suit
Errol Flynn stars as a successful business man with a secret. Although the world thinks he's just an investment counselor, he is also a controversial best selling writer of mysteries using a pen name. His interest in mysteries as he tries to solve a jewel robbery/murder case threatens to expose his double life. It's kind of odd to see Flynn in suits and modern clothing after years of watching him in period action pieces. He does an acceptable job in the role, although the Texan accent he assumes in some scenes is really poor. But the script never allows him or the rest of the cast to develop their characters - they're cut-outs going through the motions. Flynn has little chemistry with Brenda Marshall as his wife, and Lee Patrick is badly miscast as a burlesque queen. Even reliable Allen Jenkins, one of my favourite character actors, hardly makes an impression. The film tries to be a comedy mystery, but the comedy is barely evident and the mystery hardly engrossing. The set up of the film holds lots of promise. But neither the director or the writers deliver on that promise.
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