The Inner Circle (1946)

★★★★★ · The History Of Johnny Strange... · Jonnie King · 2010-09-14

I've been a specialist in Golden Age Radio for almost 4 Decades, so I was very interested in "The Inner Circle". If you read the intro credits, you'll see that this story was taken from a Radio Script. Here's the story on that: In 1944 Lloyd Nolan & Claire Trevor starred in a too-short lived series on the Mutual Network entitled "Results, Inc.". Nolan was "Johnny Strange", and Claire his new Secretary "Terry Travers". (Nolan's description in his "Help Wanted" Ad for a secretary was used VERBATIM in "The Inner Circle".) Don't know why they changed the name to "Action, Inc." for the film, but…

★★★★ · Don't let "Low Budget" in the description scare you off · kareneliot · 2010-08-31

This is a very well-done and enjoyable little film. I kind of knew the whole time whodunit, but I wasn't 100% sure until the last few minutes....I mean it's always the butler, isn't it? And it was fun to see William Frawley as someone else besides Fred Mertz! It was an entertaining, fast-paced story told by really likable characters that kept me guessing and left me smiling. Note: This is another film that I came "that close" to giving 5 stars.

★★★★ · Philip Marlowe Lite · billbarstad · 2010-08-31

Johnny Strange (Warren Douglas) a fresh-faced young detective, gets set up, framed for murder, and alibied by a smart blonde (Adele Mara). Detective Lt. Webb (William Frawley) thinks it smells, and sticks close to confused Johnny. Johnny is then outmaneuvered by another blonde (Virginia Christine) which gets him "taken for a ride" by her boss, a shady nightclub owner (Ricardo Cortez). Johnny finally catches on, which leads nicely to the silly third act where all the suspects are gathered together in a radio studio to reenact, on the air, plot points from the movie, and the crime is solved.…