Trapped by Boston Blackie

Fun stuff, easy on the mind after working all day. Chester Morris fits Blackie to a tea! Blackie and Runt do a great Ma and Pa disguise. They are just as I remembered them. I look forward to watching more of Boston Blackie.

Blackie and the Runt fill in as party security as a favor to the widow of their recently killed friend. Not surprisingly, a valuable necklace is stolen; it's not the first time that helping a friend has gotten them into trouble. Also not surprisingly, Inspector Farraday is on the case—and pins the job on Blackie the moment he sees through the Runt's swami disguise. (They were doing the job undercover and in costume.)

From there on, Trapped by Boston Blackie is unpredictable if not surprising—the plot involves a ballet instructor, his student, a secretary, the necklace's owner, and said owner's niece and husband. Lots of characters to keep straight! Indeed, it takes Blackie (with Farraday in pursuit, naturally) the length of the picture to sort them all out, restore order along with the necklace, and once again prove his own innocence to the inspector.

Sidekicks Runt and Sergeant Matthews are along as always; neither is quite so dumb as usual in this entry, although Farraday is driven to deliver his trademark exasperated shout ("Matthews!") more than once.

Plenty of disguises for Blackie and the Runt in this one—their turn as an elderly couple has to be one of their best ever, with the Runt quite hilariously convincing as "Mother." (Blackie even teases "her" about walking past the police wearing a borrowed wrap: "You think the boys are gonna notice an old hag like you? Now get your bonnet." To which the Runt snaps, "Well, I like that!" in perfect insulted-mature-lady style.)

The plot here is thicker than some films in the Boston Blackie series; the humor is (mostly) less physical and lower key. –That said, however, it's still a Blackie picture: light and enjoyable, a fast-moving 67 minutes that will relax and amuse more than confuse or confound. Blackie fans will want to catch it at least once.

Penultimate Boston Blackie movie starring Chester Morris. This time Blackie is accused of stealing a pearl necklace at a costume party. Inspector Farraday is as big a jerk as ever about it. He does have the movie's funniest line, though: "In the dull, blank expanse of your face I can read the dismal promise of the years to come."

This isn't one of the better films in this series. There are the usual "Blackie in disguise" gags, including one with his sidekick Runt in drag. I'm not a big fan of these costume gags. They're rarely funny to me and seem like an example of a type of comedy that isn't timeless. Anyway, this is fine I guess for a B picture of its type. The cast is solid but neither the mystery nor the comedy is much to get excited about. Check out the scene with that huge dog and the Runt. Poor George E. Stone looked like he was scared for his life!

Much as I like Chester Morris and the Boston Blackie series, when you see these films in close proximity to one another, the formula becomes a little bit of a bore.

Blackie (Morris) and The Runt (George E. Stone) are given the assignment of guarding a woman who is wearing her very expensive pearls at a party. Guess what. They're stolen and Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) and company blame Blackie. So he has to clear himself by finding them.

There were some cute scenes in this film, the best when Blackie with a mustache goes to a dance school to take lessons. He's hilarious, talking about from the time he was so high - no, this high, he's wanted to dance. "I'm a bird in a cage," he says. "Dancing will release me." June Vincent is a beautiful blonde who gives the film some real class - she really should have had a better career in films. She never moved up from the Bs. She moved into television in the '50s and did very well.

I never understand how Farraday can't see right through all those disguises, but I guess you have to go along with the illusion of film.

Morris gives the film a light, relaxed touch, and thank goodness because he keeps these movies going. This particular film is okay, worth seeing for Blackie trying to infiltrate his way into the dance studio and for seeing them pose as husband and wife - a riot.

This was George E. Stone's last appearance as The Runt.

Trapped by Boston Blackie (1948)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Thirteenth film in the Columbia series has Boston (Chester Morris) and the Runt (George E. Stone) accused of stealing some jewels so they must try and clear themselves as well as save another innocent woman. This film starts off pretty slow and routine but once Morris gets going the film takes off, although it's still not one of the better films of the series. Richard Lane is back as the dimwitted Farraday and he and Morris mix it up like old time. The highlight is a scene where the Runt has to dress in drag to get by some police waiting for him at a hotel.