The Case of the Baby Sitter

Fans of 1940s B-movies would want to see ANY film starring Tom Neal as a detective, so here's one that won't take you long to watch, although you may have a vaguely unsatisfied feeling when it's over. This is the second of two "streamlined" features (films longer than shorts but shorter than even a 55 minute b-programmer) made in 1947 with the same cast and crew, starring Tom Neal as detective Russ Ashton, and running 40 minutes. They were intended to share a double-bill. The good news is that this film has a great b-movie supporting cast (Allen Jenkins as the comedic assistant detective, Pamela Blake as Neal's girlfriend/secretary, Tom Kennedy as a bumbling police officer, etc.), a hard-boiled feel yet a number of funny sequences, and the great Tom Neal as the private detective, cigarette dangling from his lip. The bad news is that the premise on which the plot is based is not that interesting and, in order to fit the whole thing into 40 minutes AND leave time for comedy sequences, the "crime"(which really happens BEFORE the film starts!)and sleuthing and resolution don't have much tension or drama attached. Also, I didn't have a stopwatch handy, but I'd bet that Allen Jenkins is in the film more than "star" Neal. When the phony duke and duchess hire Neal's detective agency to guard their baby and their valuables, Neal sends Jenkins and Neal stays at the office to do some paperwork! Only later when circumstances force him to be involved does he appear on the scene. Perhaps the earlier film THE HAT BOX MYSTERY spends some time establishing the character of Russ Ashton, but here he really isn't developed at all and isn't given any quirks or distinctive detection techniques that make him stand out. While many b-detective fans complain about Hugh Beaumont's depiction of Michael Shayne, where HB is throwing peanuts on the floor, at least those scripts gave Shayne some unique features. The film is not bad and the experience of watching it is a positive one. Also, it DOES have the authentic flavor of a poverty-row 1940s detective movie, so if you like the genre and have some time to kill, it's probably worth watching, but based on this feature, I'd have to judge the forty-minute "streamline" detective feature film experiment to be a mild failure. There's not really enough time to develop much tension.

Tom Neal was an attractive man with a nice presence; unfortunately, his personal life far outshone his professional. Here he stars in "The Case of the Baby Sitter" from 1947, right out of poverty row. The cast consists of Allen Jenkins, Pamela Blake, and Tom Kennedy.

A Duke and Duchess hire the Ace Detective Agency to babysit their infant while thy go out. Russ Ashton (Neal) wangles an assistant, Harvard (Jenkins) to take over the job.

Unfortunately, this duke and duchess are not royalty, except in the world of jewel thieves. They have the recently-stolen La Paz diamond, and the baby nephew of the "Duchess" (Lola Andre) is a front for what they're really up to. The poor kid's mother thinks he's vacationing in a warm resort climate.

Another group is after the diamond and steal it after doping poor Harvard.

This is a short film, and while it's a pleasant watch, there's hardly enough plot even for 47 minutes. Its appeal is mainly in the fact that it stars bad-boy Neal, who after putting Franchot Tone in the hospital, eventually went to prison for manslaughter after his wife was shot in the head. Eight months after his release, he died.

It's a shame - Neal had Broadway experience and a law degree from Harvard. Hard to believe.

The Case of the Baby Sitter (1947)

Wow, a 41 minute film noir? Not really. Yes, it's 41 minutes, thankfully. A cardboard movie with a weirdly complicated plot. It had potential. John Huston could have made it a gem, no pun intended, but B-movie director Lambert Hillyer keeps it silly and fast. The main problem is an intention from scene one to be entertaining, so there are goofy jokes and bad guys who aren't really very scary.

So, why watch this film? For Lona Andre and her famously pretty face? Or for Tom Neal and his cutely handsome face, and in a very reduced role for him? (Both actors had roles in many other films like this, including together in the parallel Hat Box Mystery, some not as bad as this one.) Or maybe watch for character actor Allen Jenkins, who had some good side roles in larger films? Sure, for those really into the period. It's not horrible.

But to just watch this straight on, get on your elliptical and let it happen. As short as it is, it gets a little confusing, with many of the characters taking on roles within their roles--the jewel thieves are pretending to be a rich couple incognito, the club owner is an ex-con, and even the babysitter (Jenkins) is dressed up, fairly incidentally, in someone else's clothes. If you can watch closely, the plot and its intentional twists have potential. The movie has the flavor of the times, made lighthearted, which is always enjoyable for us fans of noir. But there is little else. Except a smile at the end.

The story is about a gang that are looking to kidnap a baby. Fortunately, the police are vigilant and the criminals aren't particularly talented.

"The Case of the Baby Sitter" is an odd short. This is because it really isn't exactly a B-movie (they usually ran from 55-70 minutes) but it's much longer than a typical short at 41 minutes. I have no idea why they chose to make a film of this length, but it offered a few problems---most notably some actors talking VERY fast or talking over other actors...presumably to make the film end sooner. A few of the actors come off better, such as Allen Jenkins playing a dopey detective. Overall, not bad but certainly not good either. Worth seeing mostly if you adore classic films...otherwise you could do better.

A month and a half after the release of THE HAT BOX MYSTERY came this movie. Lambert Hillyer once again directed the broke-but-game detective agency of Tom Neal, Pamela Blake, and Allen Jenkins, with Virginia Sale slinging hash and hot for Jenkins. This time, they're asked to babysit a baby, who, they are told, is a Duke. Actually he's a front for a gang of jewel thieves, although why they need a detective agency to do so is beyond me. Complications pile on in what is supposed to be a funny way, and almost soon enough, it's over.

It's a very early released from the Lipperts, who were expanding from a theater chain into production, taking advantage of the connections of Hillyer, who dated back to the teens when he directed William S. Hart in some of his better features. As in their previous movies, the line readings depend more on the abilities of the actors, but here the opening visuals are attractively edited together.