Sleepers West (1941)

Interesting facts

Sleepers West is a 1941 American mystery drama film directed by Eugene Forde and starring Lloyd Nolan, Lynn Bari and Mary Beth Hughes. This second entry in 20th Century-Fox's Michael Shayne series was a remake of the 1934 Fox romantic drama Sleepers East from the novel Sleepers East (1933) by Frederick Nebel. The film Michael Shayne - Private Detective (1940) was the first in a series of 12 films. Lloyd Nolan starred as Shayne until the series was dropped by Twentieth Century-Fox and picked up by PRC. In the PRC series, Hugh Beaumont played Shayne.

Production

The film was based on the novel Sleepers East which was published in 1933. The New York Times said "though lacking credibility as to plot, the story has full measure of action, suspense and emotional conflict." Film rights were bought by Fox and turned into a 1934 movie.

In October 1940 it was announced that the novel had been bought by Fox as a vehicle for Lynn Bari and would possibly co-star Dean Jagger. Lou Breslow would adapt the script, with filming to start in December. Eugene Ford was to direct.

Fox then announced that the film would be called Sleepers West instead of Sleepers East, and that it would star Bari and Lloyd Nolan instead of Jagger. It was the third time Nolan and Bari co-starred.

In November it was announced the film was being reconfigured as a Michael Shayne movie. It would be the second in the series, following Michael Shayne, Private Detective. Filming started 18 November 1940.

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