Columbia Noir 6 (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray]
Our sixth journey into Columbia Pictures’ film noir output walks a different path, taking a detour into the mysterious world of the Whistler, as we present all eight films in the popular series.
Adapted from a hit radio series, each episode has the Whistler emerge from the shadows to introduce a nightmarish, twisting tale in his own sardonic manner, with the first seven films starring Richard Dix (It Happened in Hollywood). In The Whistler, a guilt-stricken man hires a contract killer to end his life… but finds he cannot pull out of the deal. The Mark of the Whistler sees a homeless man claim the money in an abandoned bank account, only to find the rightful owners on his tail. In The Power of the Whistler, an amnesiac must reconstruct his dark past using only the items in his pockets. Voice of the Whistler finds a poor nurse marry her wealthy, terminally ill patient, only for him to defy the odds and recover. In Mysterious Intruder, a private eye becomes embroiled in a murderous race to track down a missing girl and a lost fortune. The Secret of the Whistler sees a young bride suspect that her new husband may have murdered his first wife. In Dix’s final film, The Thirteenth Hour, the owner of a trucking company is framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Finally, in The Return of the Whistler, Michael Duane takes the lead as a man whose fiancée is abducted on the eve of their wedding.
This essential four-disc collection marks the UK Blu-ray premiere of all eight films, and features an array of fascinating contextualising extras, including newly recorded commentaries, critical appreciations, rare archival short films, and a 120-page book. Strictly limited to 6,000 individually numbered units.
THE WHISTLER (William Castle, 1944)
THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER (William Castle, 1944)
THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER (Lew Landers, 1945)
VOICE OF THE WHISTLER (William Castle, 1945)
MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER (William Castle, 1946)
THE SECRET OF THE WHISTLER (George Sherman, 1946)
THE THIRTEENTH HOUR (William Clemens, 1947)
THE RETURN OF THE WHISTLER (D Ross Lederman, 1948)
