Behind Green Lights

Other than guessing the murderer the minute I saw him, I thought "Behind Green Lights" from 1946 was pretty good.

The first thing we see is a young woman (Carole Landis) entering an apartment and telling the man inside that she hasn't raised enough money. Then she pulls a gun on him.

Later, a body is dumped in front of a police precinct. It turns out to be that of a detective turned blackmailer, and we learn that none other than a mayoral candidate's daughter had visited him before he died. She is brought in for questioning.

The editor of a newspaper doesn't want that candidate to win and pressures Lt. Carson (Gargan) to formally arrest the mayor's daughter, at least until after the election. Not happening.

At first it appears that the blackmailer was shot to death; he was shot, but the cause of death was poisoning. The coroner is actually taking orders from the editor, and he's told to get the body out of the police station before anyone realizes that the man was poisoned.

Some nice bits concerning the body, an escaped prisoner, and a closet.

Okay film, with nice performances by Gargan, Richard Crane, John Ireland, Mary Anderson, and Charles Russell. This is down a few notches for the beautiful Landis, whose career sadly declined after Darryl Zanuck dumped her. She committed suicide two years later at the age of 29. A very sad life.

I think it's worth seeing even if it is an uneven mix of noir and comedy - I liked some of the characters.

This noir B thriller from 20th Century Fox shows the temptations that the police are under. William Gargan stars and plays a doggedly honest cop who has a homicide literally dropped on his doorstep at the precinct headquarters. It's almost like someone was taunting the cops to solve this one.

The victim in Behind Green Lights was a seedy private detective who had a nice sideline in blackmail and no one really is going to mourn his passing. But the case is loaded with political implications because Carole Landis, daughter of the reform candidate for mayor was seen leaving the victim's apartment.

The largest newspaper in town is supporting the current administration and Roy Roberts says that the easiest thing in the world for Gargan to do to advance his career is pick up Landis and book her. At least until the election is over which will be in a few days. Something about Roberts sticks in Gargan's craw. He could easily justify holding Landis and helping his career, but he won't do it.

There's a nice array of suspects and by definition performances. There are two keys here, a very sleazy medical examiner played by Don Beddoe and a bag lady played by Mabel Paige. Between the two of them the real story comes out.

Behind Green Lights bears no small resemblance to Detective Story in structure. Most of the action takes place in the police station. This film is nicely paced with a few good comic touches. I can't mention them because they are within the plot structure and not just added on. This noir film is a good one to check out.

William Gargan is police lieutenant Sam Carson. He admits he would like to be chief but he's not about to compromise his principles. He makes that fact pretty clear to tabloid magnate Max Calvert (Roy Roberts), who is looking to stir up the approaching election by pushing a murder story possibly involving a politician's daughter.

Carole Landis is dignified and tight-lipped as Janet Bradley, that daughter. Yes, she visited the victim, a sleazy private detective, earlier that evening. No, she does not care to explain her business with him.

Besides these main characters, a shady police doctor (Don Beddoe) sneaks information to reporters and generally delights in scandal. Mabel Paige has a key role as a flower lady who just wants her six bits. John Ireland is quite convincing in a too small role as a police detective. A roomful of news reporters crack wise and rush to their phones, a la The Front Page.

A couple of nice plot twists, especially one involving an escapee from his jail cell, keep the viewing interesting. Gargan and Landis are strong as the leads—a couple of realists holding out for a breakthrough that may or may not come.

Well done—a very entertaining if modest production.

The version i watched on "Moonlight Movies" channel was a TERRIBLE editing job... all chopped to hell. Directed by Otto Brower, who only directed one more after this, and that one was uncredited! A private eye is murdered, and dumped on the steps of the police station. and of course, the mayor's daughter (or something) is involved. Carole Landis is "Janet", who admits to being at the scene, but says she didn't kill him. William Gargan is the police lieutenant, as usual. All kinds of shenanigans, and corruption, since there is an upcoming election. Both sides are trying to influence the election results by altering the facts, and they keep saying it's bad news for "the administration"... without naming anyone specific. It's very okay. a 64 minute short from 20th Century Fox. John Ireland is in here as "Oppenheimer"... this was almost the first role he had in hollywood. he went on to be a real bigshot. Mabel Paige (Flossie the Flowergirl) has a part.. she was in silents from 1912 -- 1918, disappeared for twenty years, then came back and acted in talkies for another 15 years ! That story would be more interesting than this film. (and what are the green lights in the title ?? this is a black and white film)

A solid, unsung noir murder mystery that unfolds over the course of one long night. After the bullet-ridden body of a detective rolls up to the steps of a police precinct in a car, the cops inside scramble to unravel the mystery of their stiff colleague. It's not long before local newsboys get a whiff of the action and buzz on down to the station frothing at the mouth for an exclusive on the story. A dead detective, a politician's daughter, and a savage media frenzy are the foundation of this quick-paced, engaging whodunnit.

Noir lovers won't be disappointed; it's got murder, betrayal, dames with questionable motives, and moody b&w photography that evokes late night atmosphere. There's no shortage of fast-talking characters, smoky rooms, shadowy night scenes, scheming reporters, and a few halfhearted attempts at humor.

Overall it's an entertaining little mystery, with lots of moving parts, that takes a critical look at the shady relationships between the law, politics, and the media. For being confined to a 64 minute run time, a few locations, and one night, it's a testament to the skill of the writers and director that the film gets its thematic points across so effectively. Writers Scott Darling and Charles Booth cleverly conceal the killer's identify until the dramatic reveal, and toss in some comedic plot points like a corpse stashed in a storage closet and a kooky old lady with a tray of baked goods who holds the key to the mystery. This lean, low budget slice of Golden Era noir clocks in at just over an hour and is efficiently directed by Otto Brower. This would be the director's final film; he died January 15, 1946, twenty days before this film's release.