Blonde for a Day

Unremarkable Mike Shayne programmer, the sort of assembly line product that kept post-war audiences entertained (1946). Mike (Beaumont) is trying to find who shot his reporter buddy Rourke (Bryar), leading him through a thicket of blondes, a brunette, and an ornery editor (Ferguson). Unfortunately, the handsome Shayne lacks an edge to go along with his impish charm that too often bleeds into a wise-guy manner. As an actor, Beaumont's much better as Beaver Cleaver's dad. Not much suspense builds as the story progresses, nor does the visual style add mood. Rather, the focus is more on personalities than plot. And in that regard, the hefty Kendall's chief inspector appears too dense to be either amusing or convincing. Nonetheless, the two statuesque brunettes, Adams and Hoshelle, are real eye-catchers, at the same time Adams swings a really mean right-cross that's perhaps the movie's high point. Anyway, if you don't require much from amateur detective flicks, it's an easy though forgettable 68-minutes.

Poverty Row PRC studios took over the Michael Shayne franchise from 20th Century Fox and instead of Lloyd Nolan as Shayne, PRC cast Hugh Beaumont. The future dad of Beaver Cleaver had the same wise guy attitude as Nolan did, but without half the ability to put the character over.

The lack of production values shows in this one really shows as against Nolan's 20th Century Fox Shayne's which were from their B picture unit. Beaumont goes to San Francisco to investigate the shooting and beating of his friend, investigative reporter Paul Bryar by some gangsters who have a nice illegal gambling racket going on in the city by the bay.

But there's another possibility too. Bryar's editor Frank Ferguson is worried that his wife might be stepping out on him with Bryar and he might be the responsible party. It's up to Beaumont to sort out the culpability.

The players do their best, but it's PRC shoddy at its best.

Hugh Beaumont is Mike Shayne. His real-life wife, Kathryn Adams, is his secretary. When his old friend, Paul Bryar, is beaten to a pulp, the PI and his girl Friday fly to a Manhattan that looks surprisingly like Glendale in this blah entry in the Monogram series.

THe story is appropriately convoluted, but it's abbreviated by a series of women who say "I shouldn't tell you, but....", including nurses, legal secretaries and so forth. It's the only way that screenwriter Fred Myton seems to be able to figure out how to advance the plot. He had a long and thoroughly undistinguished career in Hollywood in B westerns and cheap melodramas, from 1916 until 1952, ratcheting out scenarios and screenplays for almost 170 shorts and features. He died in 1955, a few months shy of his 70th birthday.

This rare Sam Newfield's film brings nothing to a movie buff's knowledge. Every moviegoer can live without it, but for those who have nothing else to do, those who want to waste time, why not? It is an amusing and not so boring gumshoe plot...If you like Hugh Beaumont, maybe you'll bear it. The copy I purchased was rather good and that helps a lot to appreciate, let's be fair. The directing is also Ok, but Sam Newfield was a prolific director and that means he was a professional, despite the low budgets he had at his disposal. So, I won't say any real harm about this little detective film. It's not too long, anyway.

PRC (Producer Releasing Corp.) Infamously Invited "Nicknames" like..."Pretty Rotten Crap", etc. Because of the Studios Notoriously Low Budgets with "Cut-Corners" Evident Everywhere.

But they Provided Much Needed Work for a Lot of People on Their Way Up or Down the Hollywood-Ladder.

It's the 3rd Time Out for Hugh Beaumont, as Michael Shayne Taking Over the Role from Lloyd Nolan when FOX Produced.

Beaumont would Later become Immortalized in one of the Most Popular TV Sitcoms of the 50's. Playing "Dad Cleaver" in "Leave it to Beaver" (1957- 63).

It's also Worth Noting that He Co-Starred, Along-Side a "BLONDE" Barbara Stanwyck in what is Considered One of the Best Film-Noir..."Double Indemnity" (1944).

It's a Busy, Fast-Moving "Mystery" with an Occasional Norish Look. Most of the Action is Fisticuffs with One-Punch a Surprising "Knock-Out" from an Unconventional Source.

A Good Time-Passer as these Things Go.

Worth a Watch.