The Falcon Strikes Back (1943)

An amateur sleuth (Tom Conway) is approached by a mysterious woman (Rita Corday) to help her find her missing brother. When he accompanies her to a cocktail bar known to be a hangout of her brother, he is knocked unconscious and the mysterious sister has disappeared. This is only the beginning to a mystery that will end in a couple of murders before it is solved. Directed by Edward Dmytryk (THE CAINE MUTINY), the fifth film in The Falcon franchise is one of the better ones. It balances humor with an intriguing murder mystery that includes a puppet show. There are a variety of suspects to keep you guessing and director Dmytryk keeps pushing ahead at a galloping pace (the running time is an hour and 6 minutes). The able supporting cast includes Harriet Hilliard (who would become a TV staple in the 1950s with OZZIE AND HARRIET), Jane Randolph, Richard Loo, Frank Faylen, Edgar Kennedy, Jean Brooks and Wynne Gibson.