The Whistler (1944)

This week’s NOTW is The Whistler. The film, the first in the series of eight, stars Richard Dix. Dix, who was the lead in all but the last Whistler movie, had great success as a silent film star in the 20s. The large, chiseled-faced actor’s most successful film was actually a sound film, the great western Cimarron (1931). Dix continued to act for years after that award-winning film, but never reached the success of his silent days. Dix knocked out a bunch of B-movies through the 30s and 40s until his death in 1949. Most of the films during the end of his career were unmemorable except for the highly entertaining Whistler films, based on the radio series.

In addition to featuring Dix, the film was directed by Hollywood icon, William Castle years before becoming the schlock film producer he’s known as today. Castle was considered a promising film director at the time. After his first directorial effort (1943’s The Chance of a Lifetime - a Boston Blackie mystery) failed at the box office due in part to horrible reviews, Castle was shocked to find out that he was handed another film to direct. In order to show his critics wrong, Castle pulled out all the stops directing The Whistler. With a “huge” budget of $75,000, Castle was desperate to make the movie a success.

In Castle’s autobiography he writes "I tried every effect I could dream up to create a mood of terror". He utilized everything, including "low-key lighting, wide-angle lenses to give an eerie feeling and a hand-held camera in many of the important scenes to give a sense of reality to the horror."

In addition to that, Castle had to work with Richard Dix. He insisted the actor go on a diet and quit smoking during filming. Dix, usually very stiff, ended up pulling off an excellent performance possibly due to the director’s orders. Dix looks totally unhinged throughout the entire film. "(Dix) was constantly off-center, restless, fidgety, and nervous as a cat. When I finally used him in a scene, I’d make him do it over and over again until he was ready to explode. It achieved the desired effect - that of a man haunted by fear and trying to keep from being murdered."

The film draws you in right from the beginning. Check out the opening scene. The uncredited "Whistler" narrator from the 40s radio show begins it with his usual creepy opening dialog over shadowy street scene until the camera finally settles on Dix in a diner waiting for a man. Dix then hires the man to kill someone. Later we find out that Dix wants to kill himself and that he has hired a professional to do it for him. Despondent over the death of his wife a few years before, the man finally has lost his mind and wants to die.

Without giving away too much of the story (wait until you find out what happened to his wife!), I can tell you Dix eventually decides that he doesn’t want to die and goes on the run trying to avoid hitman J. Carrol Naish.

The film is high unusual. The narrator actually saves Dix from being killed a couple of times by whistling. Although the film doesn’t have the usual twist ending that makes the Whistler radio series so memorable, it is faithful to it. This is a B-movie all the way, and it only runs 59 minutes. However, it’s an original and highly entertaining hour.

Castle went on to direct an even better Whistler, The Mark of the Whistler released later that year co-starring Janis Carter. In addition to the Whistler films, he also turned out two other excellent noir – When Strangers Marry and Johnny Stool Pigeon.

Dix, meanwhile, alternated playing villain or victim in seven of the Whistler films.

(I should mention that I got some if this information from a great review of this film at the TCM website. I also reference The New Biographical Dictionary of Filmand Death on the Cheap: The Lost B Movies of Film Noir)


Written by Steve-O