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Michael Shayne Mysteries Vol. 1 (Michael Shayne: Private Detective / The Man Who Wouldn't Die / Sleepers West / Blue, White, and Perfect)
20th Century Fox Product Details |
Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 03/20/2007 Run time: 278 minutes
Amazon.com
This very welcome box set turns up the heat on one of detective films' cold cases. Created by Brett Halliday, Michael Shayne appeared in 31 books between the 1940s and '70s. He is not as popularly known as other screen shamuses, but he's good company. As portrayed by Lloyd Nolan (best known as curmudgeonly Dr. Chegley on the groundbreaking sitcom Julia), Shayne is not as hard-boiled as Sam Spade or as sage as Charlie Chan. But, as one shady character observes to someone whom Shayne has just pasted, "You know better than to mix with Shayne." He's a working-class mug ("His office is in his hat, his home is in his car," he remarks), usually "down on his luck" and short on cash. As Michael Shayne, Private Detective (1940) opens, the furniture from his office is being repossessed. Still, Shayne has ethics enough to turn down $5,000 for a suspicious-sounding case. ("$5,000 will buy a lot of ethics," he's told). He's got some odd habits, from twirling his keychain to singing the odd Irish ditty. In each film, Shayne manages to get himself into some "screwy scrapes." In Private Detective, a "gag" backfires when an attempt to scare a gambling heiress straight results in a murder with Shayne's gun at the scene of the crime. In The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942), Shayne pretends to be a wealthy woman's husband to get the lowdown on a body that won't stay buried. In Sleepers West (1941), he's on the right track when he accompanies a murder witness by train to San Francisco. Blue, White and Perfect (1942) is a real gem that finds Shayne embroiled in wartime espionage, smuggled diamonds and dodging his jealous, matrimonial-minded girlfriend. These lively B-films each clock in at less than 80 minutes. What they lack in budget they more than make up for in shadow-drenched, dark, and stormy atmosphere, Shayne's moxie and inestimable support from some great character actors, such as Clarence Kolb (the crooked mayor in His Girl Friday) and Douglass Dumbrille (the nasty racetrack owner in A Day at the Races), who appear in Private Detective. For a collection of obscure films, this box set has all the trimmings, with three original featurettes that provide efficient primers on Halliday, Shayne, and Robert McGinnis, the artist who created luscious and lurid covers for the Shayne paperbacks. There is also an interactive trivia guide that makes the six-degrees connections between cast members and the film-noir world. This is volume 1, to which we can only say, "Come back, Shayne." --Donald Liebenson
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Michael Shayne Mysteries Vol. 1 (Michael Shayne: Private Detective / The Man Who Wouldn't Die / Sleepers West / Blue, White, and Perfect)
Avg. Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Nice B-movie set 2008-11-23
Comment: As far as fictional detectives go, Michael Shayne is not really well-known nowadays; in fact, most of the books featuring him are out-of-print. The Michael Shayne movies are also almost forgotten, and Lloyd Nolan, Shayne's portrayer on screen, is not one of the most remembered names of 1940s cinema. However, as shown in the Michael Shayne Mysteries collection, these little B-movies are enjoyable little gems.
This two-disc boxed set has four movies, and though titled Volume 1, there is (as yet) no second volume with the remaining movies. Shayne is a private eye with a quick, light wit and the hard luck to always need some money. He is introduced in Michael Shayne, Private Detective, in which he is retained as a babysitter for a young woman with a gambling habit. Shayne's plot to break her of the habit involves faking a murder, but this goes haywire when the faked murder turns out to be a real one.
In The Man Who Wouldn't Die, Shayne is hired by a rich young woman who suspects there is a ghost in her house. He poses as her husband and ferrets out the non-supernatural culprit. Sleepers West, filmed a decade or so before the more well-known Narrow Margin, has a similar plot: Shayne needs to escort a reluctant witness on a train, where there are various other goings on going on. Finally, Blue, White and Perfect has Shayne on a cruise ship out to stop the smuggling of stolen industrial diamonds by an enemy government; this last film also has a pre-Superman George Reeves.
All these movies are short (the longest is 77 minutes), and filled with a humor that moves the story right along. I had never been all that impressed with Nolan in other movies I'd seen him, but here he is just great and he carries all the films. In addition, each film has its own little extra featurette (or in one case, an interactive trivia guide); my favorite is a short documentary on Robert McGinnis who illustrated many of the original Shayne paperbacks and serves as a reminder that book cover illustrations are not nearly as interesting as they used to be. Yes, none of this quartet of movies are Oscar contenders, but this set will be a lot of fun for its viewers.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lloyd Nolan as SHAYNE---No further releases a 'SHAME' 2008-11-20
Comment: Over the past 18 months, I've watched each of the four films included in this set twice---because I obviously enjoy them. They are not the best written or best produced films ever made by a long shot, but they are some of the best 'pre-Noir' detective/mystery films ever made.
Lloyd Nolan was perfect as Mike Shayne, a combination of hard-boiled (when he needed to be) and thoroughly human (though his humor and wit).
At the low price for four films, I would heartily recommend this set.
My only 'problem' is that I have waited over a year now for 'VOLUME 2'. Granted, another Shayne, DRESSED TO KILL, has been released separately and will probably not be included in a future set, but there is NO indication at all that more 'Shaynes' will be forthcoming.
Is the difficulty in packaging only the remaining two Lloyd Nolan Shaynes in a set? Is it that there are two studios involved and sets cannot be made that include both Nolan's and the later Hugh Beaumont films? Is it that Volume 1 did not sell sufficiently to generate a second and even a third set???
There are two more Lloyd Nolan films and five Hugh Beaumont vehicles. A couple of the Beaumonts are as good as the Nolan efforts, and while the remaining three are weaker and a bit uneven, why not release them to bring the series to completion???
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Film Noir 2008-10-31
Comment: I am a real fan of Mysteries which I consider "Film Noir".
And this was a good example. Also the acting by Lloyd Nolan was very good. I have watched this series of shows several times, since I got it.
And enjoyed it very much each time!
Also I am enjoying collecting OTR shows on Mp3 CD'S. I especially love any of the "Old Time Radio" mystery shows.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hardboiled Gumshoe with quick wit and a heart of gold. 2008-09-03
Comment: Michael Shayne is a funny guy full of ideas that don't pan out in the detecting business. Barbed witicisms fly and he'll get his man in the end. The comedic value is great too, there are times when he cracks wise that makes me think of the old Bugs Bunny at his best, strong but subtle.
Grab you best pin striped double breasted suit, pop on that 1940's fedora and watch out for dames with guns!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: 4 great Michael Shayne Mysteries in one nice collector's set!!! What's there not to like!!! 2008-08-24
Comment: Great job Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment!!! This great collector's set includes 4 classic Michael Shayne mysteries on 2 double sided DVD's!!! And they are restored beautifully,for old films they look incredible!!! Some great featurettes are included for good measure!!! A great deal at a great price!!! Classic stuff indeed!!! Recommended!!! A+
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