Columbia Noir #6: The Whistler (1944-1948) (Blu-ray) (UK Import)

Columbia Noir #6 - The Whistler Limited Edition

THE WHISTLER (William Castle, 1944)
THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER (William Castle, 1944)
THE POWER OF THE WHISTLER (Lew Landers, 1945)
VOICE OF THE WHISTLER (William Castle, 1945)
MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER (William Castle, 1946)
THE SECRET OF THE WHISTLER (George Sherman, 1946)
THE THIRTEENTH HOUR (William Clemens, 1947)
THE RETURN OF THE WHISTLER (D Ross Lederman, 1948)

Our sixth journey into Columbia Pictures’ film noir output walks a different path, taking a detour into the mysterious world of the Whistler, as we present all eight films in the popular series.

Adapted from a hit radio series, each episode has the Whistler emerge from the shadows to introduce a nightmarish, twisting tale in his own sardonic manner, with the first seven films starring Richard Dix (It Happened in Hollywood). In The Whistler, a guilt-stricken man hires a contract killer to end his life… but finds he cannot pull out of the deal. The Mark of the Whistler sees a homeless man claim the money in an abandoned bank account, only to find the rightful owners on his tail. In The Power of the Whistler, an amnesiac must reconstruct his dark past using only the items in his pockets. Voice of the Whistler finds a poor nurse marry her wealthy, terminally ill patient, only for him to defy the odds and recover. In Mysterious Intruder, a private eye becomes embroiled in a murderous race to track down a missing girl and a lost fortune. The Secret of the Whistler sees a young bride suspect that her new husband may have murdered his first wife. In Dix’s final film, The Thirteenth Hour, the owner of a trucking company is framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Finally, in The Return of the Whistler, Michael Duane takes the lead as a man whose fiancée is abducted on the eve of their wedding.

This essential four-disc collection marks the UK Blu-ray premiere of all eight films, and features an array of fascinating contextualising extras, including newly recorded commentaries, critical appreciations, rare archival short films, and a 120-page book. Strictly limited to 6, 000 individually numbered units.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION 4 x BLU-RAY BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

High Definition presentations of The Whistler, The Power of the Whistler, Voice of the Whistler, Mysterious Intruder, The Secret of the Whistler, The Thirteenth Hour, and The Return of the Whistler
Standard Definition presentation of The Mark of the Whistler
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with film historian Josh Nelson on The Whistler (2024)
Audio commentary with professor and film scholar Jason A Ney on The Power of the Whistler (2024)
Audio commentary with film historian Lee Gambin on Voice of the Whistler (2024)
Audio commentary with film historian Jeremy Arnold on Mysterious Intruder (2024)
Audio commentary with academic and curator Eloise Ross on The Thirteenth Hour (2024)
Kim Newman on ‘The Whistler’ (2024): in-depth exploration of the film series by the critic and author
Kim Newman on William Castle (2024): overview of the cult filmmaker’s early career as a studio-contracted director, prior to his successes as an independent showman best known for his macabre genre movies
Stuart Holmes Oral History (1958): rare archival audio recording of the prolific character actor in conversation with historian George Pratt
It’s Murder (1944): dramatised documentary, produced by Columbia Pictures for the war effort and featuring a number of cast and crew members from The Whistler film series
It’s Your America (c. 1945): dramatised documentary focusing on soldiers returning from World War II, directed by John Ford and featuring J Carroll Naish, the antagonist in The Whistler
Image galleries: promotional and publicity materials
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive 120-page book with a new essay by Tim Lucas, archival interviews with actor Richard Dix, an extract from director William Castle’s autobiography, an archival article on the popularity of the radio show, new writing on the short films, and film credits