IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.1K
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A depressed man hires an assassin to kill him when he least expects it, but when his life takes an upward turn, he finds he now wishes to live.A depressed man hires an assassin to kill him when he least expects it, but when his life takes an upward turn, he finds he now wishes to live.A depressed man hires an assassin to kill him when he least expects it, but when his life takes an upward turn, he finds he now wishes to live.
Trevor Bardette
- The Bum in the Next Bed
- (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict
- The Deafmute
- (uncredited)
Willie Bloom
- Bum
- (uncredited)
Roy Brent
- Detective in Alley
- (uncredited)
Charles Coleman
- Jennings the Butler
- (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper
- Telephone Repairman
- (uncredited)
Don Costello
- Lefty Vigran aka Gorss
- (uncredited)
Russell Custer
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn
- Cop at Car Accident
- (uncredited)
Otto Forrest
- The Whistler
- (uncredited)
Byron Foulger
- Flophouse Desk Clerk
- (uncredited)
John George
- Bum
- (uncredited)
Dick Gordon
- Tomley's Assistant
- (uncredited)
Robert Homans
- Dock Watchman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe signature whistling at the beginning of all The Whistler movies was provided by Dorothy Roberts, backed by the theme's composer Wilbur Hatch and his orchestra.
- GoofsWhile the killer is lying on the bed perusing his book on Fear of Death, a cigarette suddenly appears in his mouth.
- Quotes
The Bum in the Next Bed: Rats in this place as big as beavers. They won't hurt ya... but you're liable to trip over them in the dark.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)
Featured review
quintessential "b"
Before he became a producer and conjured up all those publicity gimmicks for his cheesy horror pictures, William Castle churned out a series of nifty little pictures as a director for Harry Cohn's B unit -- including the immortal "When Strangers Marry". "The Whistler" is a clever noir that tackles the old premise of a despondent man hiring a contract killer to murder him, only to change his mind later. Castle provides a higher standard of mise-en-scene than in most pictures of this ilk, with nice camera movement and grungy, realistic sets. The absurd plot twists and lapses of logic stretch credulity to the utmost -- but that's one of the "beatitudes of the B's" (as Andrew Sarris would say). It's surprising that Cornell Woolrich was not the original author, so close is the atmosphere to his oeuvre. Dix is a bit of a cipher, but Naish is as compelling as always in another offbeat role as the philosophical hit man who suffers from fear of death; plus there are plenty of familiar faces in minor roles. The mysterious omniscient Whistler narrator is effective, if somewhat underused here. Castle went on to direct two even better entries in the series.
helpful•332
- goblinhairedguy
- Jan 16, 2004
Details
- Runtime59 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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