Michael Shayne e l'enigma della maschera

Dressed to Kill (1941)

There are several movies by this name, and this is one of the lesser of them, a comic detective yarn with an improbable murder and some fun settings. Key to its success--because it isn't half bad--is the leading man, Lloyd Nolan, who has an ease and likability that makes his scenes fun to watch. And he's in every minute of the movie.

This is one of a series of Michael Shayne movies (that's the detective's name), and the first seven of the thirteen movie versions star Nolan. It says something that I'd be willing to see another, for sure. But I think this is a television level drama (before t.v., but that kind of budget and level of intensity). These aren't like the great detective movies of the 30s and 40s, and not a bit like the noirs of the 40s and 50s, just to be clear.

One of the surprising high points is the script--very witty, and unrelentingly clever. Nice

Expect very good production values, a decent supporting cast, and a kind of over-convoluted Agatha Christie kind of plot with lots of characters that are really hard to get to know in just over an hour. In the big picture these are a little like the Sherlock Holmes or the Mr. Wong movies with Boris Karloff. Fun, but no great shakes.

"Dressed To Kill" was an excellent murder mystery and the third entry in the Michael Shayne detective series of the 40's. It is the first one I've seen and I enjoyed the way Lloyd Nolan fit the title character like an old shoe. It had a great supporting cast and a story to match, unlike many B murder mysteries of this era which are often formulaic and predictable.

This one took considerable thought, and both the denouement and deus ex machina are pretty clever. Shane/Nolan has to solve a double murder in which the victims are killed at a dinner table with two different guns, and along the way we get to meet some very interesting characters, played by some very interesting character actors. We also find out that he knows nearly everybody within shouting distance, which is a formidable number of people as this is New York City. It creates a cheerfully amiable atmosphere, despite the grumpy Chief Inspector, played by William Demarest in his customary bombastic style. Also on hand is Henry Daniell as a theatrical snob, and Mary Beth Hughes, maybe the prettiest B picture girl who never made the jump to more important pictures.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think I will buy the Shayne collection selling on Amazon. Always appreciate good, solid movie-making and "Dressed To Kill" is a sterling example. It played on FMC the other morning.

Lloyd Nolan's Michael Shayne is a refreshingly human private detective, jumping to wrong conclusions and once not even being able to say his own name correctly (you'll see why). The two policemen assigned to the case are delightfully dense.

Shayne is within hours of being married when he and his bride-to-be hear a scream that he investigates. He has to spend the rest of the movie not only attempting to solve the crime but placating and putting off his impatient fiancée. Secret passageways and trapdoors, people who have changed their identities, magicians' sleight of hand, and a hilarious singing-telegram scene add to the tasty mix.

I really enjoyed this and found the humor a welcome addition to the murder investigation.

Despite some notable features, this programmer fails to rise above standard detective shows of the time. Nonetheless, the opening scene is a hoot, as a double-breasted Shayne (Nolan) gets harassed by an aggressive clothing salesman. In fact, Nolan's the best thing about the film. His fast-talking brash personality holds a center of attention. I'm just sorry we don't see more of Mary Beth Hughes whose brassy personality is a perfect foil for her meandering fiancée, Shayne. Then there're two exotics from the period—creepy Milton Parsons (Max) in a beard no less, plus snooty Henry Daniell (Julian) getting sympathetic treatment for a change.

That initial murder scene remains a grabber. The dog's head plopped onto one of the corpses is like nothing I've seen and shows real imagination. The trouble, for me at least, is that the whodunit part never really gels, despite clever touches with the murder weapon. At the same time, the pacing is uneven, better suited at times to character study than to plot. There's also the standard dumb cop humor, plus Mantan Moreland doing his familiar bug-eyed comedic bit.

All in all, it's an unexceptional entry, mainly for fans of Nolan, myself included.

The third Michael Shayne film Lloyd Nolan made for Fox. This one has hard-boiled detective Shayne (Lloyd Nolan) set to marry his sweetheart (Mary Beth Hughes) but a double homicide in a theatre draws his attention away. Nolan is great in this role. He was made for delivering the snappy dialogue that was the best part of the Michael Shayne films. Mary Beth Hughes is very cute but doesn't get much to do here. She appeared in two other Shayne movies, playing a different character in each one. Nice supporting cast includes William Demarest, Henry Daniell, and pretty Sheila Ryan. Demarest is especially fun. Mantan Moreland and Ben Carter also provide some comic relief. It's a good B detective picture helped by healthy doses of comedy. I also liked the moments of weirdness such as when Shayne first discovers the murder victims in their bizarre costumes. It's a good way to pass the time if you like detective stories.