“A” performances in “B” films

Lloyd Nolan as Martin Kane, Private Eye, c. 1951

Lloyd Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985).

Lloyd Benedict Nolan was an American film and television actor. He was generally credited with “A” performances in a decade-long series of “B” films. He became so good that he permitted himself the luxury of turning down work, a privilege that ordinarily falls to far better-known stars. Among his many roles, Nolan is remembered for originating the role of private investigator Michael Shayne in a series of 1940s B movies.

Nolan appears with Donna Reed in the movie Apache Trail (1942).