Back in September 2012 (my word, was it really so long ago?!), I started posting reviews of RKO’s series of films starring the Falcon, a sort of gentlemen detective character that the studio had licensed as a cheaper replacement for The Saint.

The first three instalments were headlined by the then star of the Saint films, “Russian-born English film and television actor, singer-songwriter, music composer, and author” (and, later, voice of Shere Khan in Disney’s Jungle Book), George Sanders. You can read my thoughts on his Falcon films here.

When Sanders decided he wanted to step down from the series, RKO decided to replace the Falcon character with his brother, who fortunately adopted the same avian moniker. Who better to play Sanders’ screen brother than his real-life sibling, Tom Conway? After the brothers shared the screen for Conway’s debut appearance, the latter went on to lead nine further Falcon films. My opinion of his first few can be read here.

This is the first of two review compendiums that will complete my coverage of the series.