Der Gentleman-Killer

The category for this movie might be 'mystery', the plot however certainly isn't. Within the first five minutes of the film you found out that Jerry is corrupt and you meet McKay, the man who'll certainly solve the crime. This makes you wonder why the movie would be interesting.

Still, like most of Hitchcock's features, it's not what the movie is about, it's what you do with the plot that makes the movie. Zinneman's first is quite good for a debut: the film is sober but effective. The relation between McKay and his female assistant Mitchell is more interesting than 95% of the working relations you normally get to see. McKay's forensic quest is quite interesting too.

Bear in mind that it's a debut and watch a very nice film.

Voters elect to "clean up crime" by electing Samuel S. Hinds (as Richard Daniels) mayor of a small city. Gangsters strike back immediately by murdering his district attorney. The homicide is investigated by forensics expert Van Heflin (as Gordon McKay) and his attractive assistant Marsha Hunt (as Jane Mitchell). She provides Mr. Heflin with most of his cigarettes. A likely couple, they say "match me" instead of "got a light?" Special prosecutor and crime-busting radio show host Lee Bowman (as Gerald "Jerry" Ladimer) is also on the hunt. In a "love triangle" subplot that adds tension later on, both men are attracted to Ms. Hunt...

As a car-hop, young Ava Gardner asks if anyone wants desert. Things heat up when the mayor is also murdered. In a "best supporting actor" role, sweating restaurant owner Eddie Quillan (as Eddie Wright) is accused. We know who the real killer is and who could be the next victim. This was a good feature length debut for director Fred Zinnemann. Before the car bomb, one of the characters says, "Wouldn't it Be Nice" which has no connection to The Beach Boys' song. However, the phrases "Don't Worry Baby" and "I Get Around" fairly quickly follow. God only knows if Brian Wilson was jotting down song titles while watching.

****** Kid Glove Killer (4/17/42) Fred Zinnemann ~ Van Heflin, Marsha Hunt, Lee Bowman, Eddie Quillan

Everything about KID GLOVE KILLER is extremely dated. And yet it's fun to watch VAN HEFLIN and MARSHA HUNT go about solving a crime using old techniques and spouting a lot of artificial dialog, 1940s style.

Both of them also smoke frequently. "Match me," becomes a standard line. A cast of standard MGM B-players keeps things going nicely as Heflin and Marsh investigate the murder of a politician, when all the time we know who the killer is--LEE BOWMAN. Bowman is one of those actors who never quite made it to big time stardom, but he's completely at home here in the role of a ruthless heel.

All of the suspense in a story of this kind lies in wondering how the killer will be caught--since he's very manipulative and very cunning. His charm makes his criminal nature very deceptive to both Bowman and Hunt.

Favorite line: "Just bury me with one of your swell hamburgers on my chest." Reply: "With onions?"

If you watch carefully, you can spot BOBBY BLAKE as a youngster listening to a car radio and AVA GARDNER as a car-hop waitress.

This one, and GRAND CENTRAL MURDER made the same year, are well worth watching and nicely directed by Fred Zinnemann who later went on to A-film assignments.

In Zinneman's directorial debut, as in most of his films, the emphasis is on the interaction among human minds, souls, emotions, words, and actions. Forensic pathologist Heflin tries to clear accused killer Quillan from being railroaded by radio cop Lee Bowman. Marsha Hunt is marvelous as the lady caught in the triangle. John Litel is memorable in supporting role.

Van Heflin is a forensics man trying to solve a couple of murders in "Kid Glove Killer," a 1942 MGM film also starring Marsha Hunt and Lee Bowman. As in "The Grand Central Murder," it's Heflin's performance that puts this film across, though this time he is aided by the lovely Marsha Hunt as his assistant, whom he calls "Mitchell." Lee Bowman plays a crooked politician pretending to be a good guy, and as a result, he's eager to see an innocent man put away for murder. He also is after the aforementioned Mitchell, who is waiting around for Heflin to make a move. Hunt's role is somewhat dated (or maybe not) - she's on her way to becoming a good forensics person, but says that the job is not for a woman and she wants to get married. Evidently that will put an end to her career.

Heflin was an interesting actor who could do character roles and leads. This film was made around the time of his breakthrough role in "Johnny Eager," after which he hung up his B movie mantle and moved on to bigger things. He always brought wry humor and subtle characterizations to his roles as well as excellent timing. Lee Bowman was a mustached actor who looked like he came from the Warren William era. He's solid but not terribly exciting. Hunt brings warmth and sparkle to her role.

There was, in my opinion, a major problem with the plot having to do with Heflin testing to find particles in the hair of various suspects some time after the crime - wouldn't the particles have come out when they washed their hair? You really end up thinking no one ever took a shower.

Nice beginning for Zinnemann, who would go on to direct some big features such as "High Noon."