A few years ago, a boxed set of "Michael Shayne" films with Lloyd Nolan was released and it included "Sleepers West" (1941) which was a remake of the Preston Foster film "Sleepers East" that was made in 1934. The set included bonus features about the Michael Shayne character and the series of paperback novels, but it seemed like 20th Century Fox was taking no chances with this series of "B" programmers. Rather than following the hard boiled books, Fox went for a lighter and more comedic Michael Shayne. "Dressed to Kill," which was not included in the boxed set, is movie that would give the "Film Noir Foundation" favorite "Fly By Night" a run for its money. Another deviation was revising Raymond Chandler's "The High Window" as a Michael Shayne feature "Time to Kill."

Once 20th Century Fox dropped the series, the Michael Shayne character was revived by Producers Releasing Corporation as a vehicle for Hugh Beaumont. This incarnation lasted for five entries. The Shayne character was later the subject of a television series with Richard Denning in the lead role.