Blind Adventure

People who ran the B picture and poverty row studios long realized that fog could mask a low budget on a film. And when you set a film in London it's a requirement.

Newly arrived American Robert Armstrong is itching for a bit of night life so he goes out on a foggy night in London town and hears some screams coming from a house. Finding the door open he walks in and finds a dead body. But when he summons the police they find no dead body and people thinking Armstrong is a bit balmy.

But he does make a friend in Helen Mack who decides the American stranger is one she can trust. Of course the whole thing is resolved by the end.

The whole thing is shot from Armstrong's point of view as he meets a lot of varying characters and tries to figure out who he can trust. Turns out he can't trust too many.

Although the leads are fine and would work together in Son Of Kong, the film is stolen by Roland Young who with cockney accent plays his own lower class version of the amateur cracksman replete with some really droll dialog.

Fans of Roland Young should not miss this one.

This little item was recently shown on TCM. It is not well known despite a strong cast and pedigree creative credits. Blind Adventure (like Most Dangerous Game) involves talent that derives from the King Kong franchise.

Blind Adventure is what some would call a "shaggy dog story." It involves characters in odd and often incomprehensible situations that defy logic. It really doesn't pay to over-analyse such movies. The better way to enjoy them is to sit back and just let them unfold. At a later time, you will recall such films for their fun value long after the baffling details fade from your memory. One of the best examples of this genre is the Humphrey Bogart classic Beat the Devil. Who remembers what that was all about? But we certainly remember the wacky principals and their mystifying and often humorous goings on and interactions.

In a little over one hour, we have seen a story in Blind Adventure so convoluted and dense that it defies explanation as to exactly what it was all about. Certainly I will not attempt to clarify it. If The Big Sleep has a large following despite the fact that the narrative remains somewhat unfathomable, perhaps Blind Adventure is another classic-in-waiting yet to be discovered.

Because the Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack and Roland Young characters are so charming and delightful as they wander through the meandering plot of Blind Adventure--we should forgive whatever shortcomings it may otherwise pose for us.

Enjoy!

If you like old mystery/comedies then this tasty morsel is for you. You'll be watching action and comedy with equal doses of each. The story line is pretty original and unique which is rather surprising. The cast has a bunch of eccentric English folk as well as an American guy and a good looking Canadian chick.

It is set in foggy London. It's that kind of fog that you can't see ten feet in front of you. There's bad guys, a burglar, a general, a very eccentric English dowager, a murder, a party full of typical upper crust English odd balls, and, well by now you get the idea. I strongly recommend it. It's excellent.

In London, businessman Richard Bruce (Robert Armstrong) is a stranger to the city. He gets lost in the London fog and stumbles into the wrong house where he discovers a dead body. A man runs out and disappears into the fog. Richard gives chase and bumps into a seemingly different person. They go back together to the house but the body is gone and the people there are incensed.

The situation is convoluted but a little fun in the way of a manufactured mystery. I think the fog really helps. It's a big part of the plot and gives a nice spooky tone to the movie. Running around the chimney is just silly. It's a mystery with its tongue fully in cheek. Every once in awhile, there is a silly line that comes out of nowhere. I do wonder if the dead man should stay dead. By being alive, the dead man just adds more to the complications.

Never quite imagined Robert Armstrong as the romantic male lead -- he's best as Carl Denham in KING KONG. This is from KONG's director, Ernest Schoesdack, but is not nearly as memorable. Some rather talky scenes seem static and dull. Some of the 'cute' bits have dated very badly. But there's one good plot twist in it. And it's always good to see Ralph Bellamy at work. The cast works hard and makes it passable. So I'd say it's a minor work but worth seeing for the cast. Schoesdack has done better. On a smaller palette, he doesn't quite know what to do. The foggy exteriors of "London" (all a backlot) look pretty good. But the villains are overcome rather tamely.