When I saw this the first time, years ago, I was struck by the performances of Howard Da Silva and Peter Whitney, whose work I knew from their later films.And I was struck. Howard Da Silva is one of those actors I think can do no wrong. What a talent.Peter Whitney is called "fearsome" in his mini-bio here at IMDb, but in "Nine Lives Are Not Enough" he is anything but. This is a difficult, very non-PC role, and it's hard to believe Whitney was just beginning his acting career.Ronald Reagan's forte was not slapstick, and he seems a bit awkward in some of the knockabout scenes, but other times, as the slightly bashful guy, he is very good.Again, since this is a Warner Brothers product, the cast is just great, again with so many superb talents who don't get credit, such as John Hamilton, who must have made 500 movies with no credit.Hamilton's most famous role was as Perry White, editor at the Metropolis Daily Planet, and his most famous line was probably "Don't call me 'chief'!" Reagan's reporter, Matt Sawyer, continually calls Howard Da Silva's editor "chiefie," which is even funnier in the context of Hamilton's presence."Nine Lives" might not be great cinema, but it is great fun.

Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941)** 1/2 (out of 4) Warner "B" mystery has a millionaire being found dead but it's unclear whether it's suicide or murder. A news reporter (Ronald Reagan) feels it's murder with a local crook behind it but his editor doesn't believe it but the victim's daughter (Joan Perry) does. Soon the two are working together to try and bring justice to her father. This is a fairly entertaining film that mixes the mysteries with the laughs very well, although in the end the story just isn't strong enough to fill the short 63-minute running time. The first forty-minutes are pretty fast paced and we get quite a few laughs with Reagan turning in a fine performance. It's nothing great or ground breaking but it suits the film just fine. Most of the comic relief comes from Peter Whitney who is wonderful in the role of Roy, a dimwitted fool who constantly gets himself in the middle of things. His comic timing is very good as is his way of playing the slow and stupid character. The rest of the cast are decent enough to help the film but none of them really stick out. I grew a little tired during the final act, which really isn't a good thing considering how short the movie is. Fans of "B" movies will want to check this out but others might want to avoid.

This is a B-movie that Ronald Reagan made for Warner Brothers near the beginning of his career. Unlike many of his previous films, here he plays lead and he seemed very adept to this sort of film. Plus it sure helped that he had excellent support in the form of several adept character actors--including Eddie Brophy, James Gleason and Howard de Silva.Reagan plays a crime reporter who seems to drive his boss crazy. Several times, Reagan's stories turned out to be seriously mistaken and instead of firing him, the editor gives him a dead-end assignment--going out on patrol with a couple idiot cops (Brophy and Gleason). However, instead of punishment, it turns out that there really is a story, as a missing millionaire is unexpectedly found dead in a local rooming house. So, it's up to Reagan and his police friends to uncover the mystery in a film that is highly reminiscent of a Falcon or Saint series film. Despite being a very likable and competent film, the series never clicked and this is the only one of the series.

Investigative reporter Ronald Reagan (as Matt Sawyer) is at odds with his editor, and may lose his job permanently if he's wrong about a big story with dangerous gangster connections. Mr. Reagan thinks a millionaire was murdered, but officials say suicide. The dead man's daughter, pretty Joan Perry (as Jane Abbott), comes to agree with Reagan; and, the two are mutually attracted. He is finally fired, for getting the story wrong, but more murders may prove Reagan right, after all… Reagan, who doesn't always dominate the films he is advertised as the "star" of, really lives up to his top billing, this time around. A. Edward Sutherland's "Nine Lives Are Not Enough" is an intermittently bright and funny comic murder mystery, with Reagan showing promise as a light comic; he is the movie's main asset, maintaining interest throughout an unfortunately fair feature. After this appearance, Ms. Perry took herself out of cinema circulation, for marriage with Harry Cohn.**** Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941) A. Edward Sutherland ~ Ronald Reagan, Joan Perry, James Gleason