Adventures of Kitty O'Day

Nonsensical movie with Jean Parker very funny as a daffy dame intent on solving murders, in this case the one of her employer at a hotel.

Nothing in this movie is especially surprising. The cops are gruff and annoyed, the suspects are blandly generic and the boyfriend, who is continually forced to help out in the investigation, is genially frustrated. Bodies appear and disappear, everyone acts suspicious, hotel employees have jealousy issues, Parker keeps doing dumb things that somehow pan out and there's a lot of running around the hotel. In other words, this is a better than usual example of the comedy mystery movie, mainly due to some solid performances.

I have no idea whether the mystery makes sense. I watched this on streaming netflix but then got distracted and forgot I was watching it. I wound up seeing the first and second half of the movie several months apart, and the review is more aimed at the second half since I don't even remember the first half in any detail. So let's say it's fun but very unmemorable.

Jean Parker and Peter Cookson return to make another Monogram feature as secretary Kitty O'Day and her boyfriend Johnny an older and sillier edition of Nancy Drew and her boyfriend Ted. But as teens Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas were a whole lot more entertaining and believable than these two. I'm trying to figure out how Parker ever held down a job as scatterbrained as she is.

She's losing this one because it's her boss who winds up dead. Parker works as a secretary for a hotel owner who gets himself killed. Problem is that every time she and Cookson decide to report the crime, the body disappears. She's driving homicide cop Tim Ryan to total distraction.

Not that Ryan's not busy because a few other murders happen along the way all connected to this one.

Sam Katzman over at Monogram was obviously looking for another movie series like Cisco Kid and the Bowery Boys. But two films and Kitty O'Day went to the dustbin of cinema history.

I had a lot a fun watching both Kitty ODay films, they didn't take themselves seriously so why should we? The leads had wonderful chemistry which went a long way in enjoying the seemingly endless body count that they both had the bad luck to run into! It was unfortunate that the running length was so short. Had it been a bit longer, it may have helped add some depth to the mystery and some additional characters so there were more suspects to choose from. Kitty Oday walked a fine line on being loud and annoying but her boyfriend Johnny was able to reel her in from time to time. He was a great character, thrown into this strange situation and wanting to get out while Kitty jumps in deeper without learning how to swim first! I had never heard of these films until I saw them on Turner Classic Movies and I wish they would have made more.

Watched this film on TV and found this film one big COMEDY with also murder, steam rooms, message parlors, dead bodies appearing in almost every room of a hotel. Jean Parker,(Kitty O'Day)," Dead Man's Eyes" ran around and sounded like Lucille Ball and always had a hat on her head no matter where she was; in elevators where a man was electrocuted. Kitty also ran around in circles with Peter Cookson,( Johnny Jones),"Detective Kitty O'Day", who was trying to keep Kitty safe and out of his way so he could solve a crime and at the same time try to keep her safe. This film was so way out in left field, I could hardly believe that anyone would find this film entertaining. I love old time films from way back when, but this particular film I really could have avoided watching.

Kitty O'Day, the telephone operator at the Townley Hotel loved her detective stories, popular at one time in America. She was also a snoop who loved spying on conversations from the guests at the hotel. She could spot danger anywhere, but because of her meddling character, she got into hot water all the time. When she overhears one day the shooting of Mr. Williams, the owner of the Townley, she goes to Johnny Jones, the travel desk colleague, and love interest, into coming with her to investigate. Kitty and Johnny don't stop until they solve the crime and attracting the police attention who think the either one of them is really the assassin.

This Monogram Pictures comedy is mildly amusing. It never hides the fact it is a B picture because of the humble production values. Directed by William Beaudine, it featured Jean Parker, an actress who worked a lot in the Hollywood of the 30s and 40s. She never made it big the movie industry. Peter Cookson, seen as Johnny, also did not have much success with important pictures.

Watch it as a curiosity if it shows on cable.