Alias Boston Blackie

A nice entry in the series (3/14) set at Christmas time, with a frenetic and tortuously multi-layered chase sequence in the middle.

Again, Blackie is implicated in a crime even though innocent, ultimately resulting in Farraday assuming his guilt. Framed Larry Parks as con has broken out on a murderous revenge mission, dragging his demure sister (Adele Mara) plus Blackie, Runt and of course cops Farraday and Matthews all into the vortex. Some witty lines and situations later we have a dead body in a hotel room to mull over - a corpse that is rather recklessly treated throughout! The dreamy looking sister proves of use to Blackie, crime-solving-wise, and is more than wallpaper in here. The character Jumbo Madigan makes his first lugubrious appearance as the know-it-all fence.

As with a lot of the Morris Blackies, I sometimes wish they could have been even only 5 minutes longer, it's all taken at such a breakneck speed that it can leave you as bit puzzled at times working it all out. But I love it!

Its just entertainment and was meant to be just that. I give it a solid "7" vote because is accomplishes what it sets out to do- it entertains you and will hold your attention. No lofty pretensions, no Oscar awards were expected here.

Sit back and watch, be entertained, its fast and cute in a well-edited, quick sort of way.

The cops are always hard-working, but a step behind Blackie. Richard Lane is good in the Insp. Farraday role, and Walter Sande is great as a thick-headed cop who is easy to outwit.

It should be noted that this film is very well edited, very professionally acted by an ensemble cast, and is a pro piece of work all around. Yet it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Therefore, it couldn't possibly put off anyone, and anyone can enjoy this film for what it is- light entertainment.

Chester Morris was very talented at delivering a strong, energetic lead actor presence while maintaining a sort of good-natured wink in his eye. Fine actor who you could watch all day, yet you would never really tire of his act.

Well, it's Christmas time and Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) celebrates the only way he knows how -- by proving himself innocent of a crime he didn't commit! This time it starts with a magic show Blackie puts on for convicts, only to have one of them escape. Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) is present for the jailbreak and convinced Blackie helped with the escape. So, along with his sidekick Runt (George E. Stone), Blackie sets out to find the escaped prisoner and winds up trying to prove the man's innocence.

The third in Columbia's great Boston Blackie series of B detective flicks is a solidly entertaining entry. In addition to the primary trio of Blackie, Runt, and Farrady, this one has recurring characters Arthur (Lloyd Corrigan), Sgt. Matthews (Walter Sande), and Jumbo Madigan (Cy Kendall). The Boston Blackie series had a great bunch of regulars. This one also has fine support from Larry Parks, Paul Fix, and pretty Adele Mara. Lloyd Bridges has a bit part as a bus driver. Another fun and fast-paced Boston Blackie movie.

Chester Morris really found a home in his role as Boston Blackie, the former jewel thief who has turned over a new leaf but still has Inspector Faraday always believing him to be the perpetrator of every crime Blackie is within ten square miles of.

Usually, the first film in a series is the best and then it is often downhill from there. I didn't care a great deal for the plot of the first Boston Blackie film, but by this third one the series had really hit its stride. This time Boston Blackie is taking a theatrical troupe to entertain the convicts on Christmas Eve. One of the girls in the troupe is the sister of a wrongly convicted man (Larry Parks) who wants nothing more than to escape and wreak revenge on the two thieves that set him up for a fifteen year stretch in the big house. Of course, when the man escapes, Faraday believes Blackie is behind it all.

There's good action, a pretty good mystery, interesting characters, and of course Chester Morris at his dapper witty best as Boston Blackie along with his faithful sidekick The Runt (George E. Stone).

The one mystery that is never solved - and maybe I just missed it - is how Boston Blackie now makes a living. He seems to have plenty of money, dresses well, and lives in a well-furnished spacious apartment, yet no mention is ever made of his current occupation. No wonder Faraday is suspicious. But I digress. Great entertainment for lovers of the fast-paced crime films of the 40's.

Boston Blackie movies are fun to watch. Even as a kid, I enjoyed them because of the action, coupled with intelligent stories and good acting. Chester Morris IS Boston Blackie, and in this one he has to track down an escaped prisoner... always leading from one situation to the next. Good stuff! An 8.