Dangerous Blondes

Crime writer Allyn Joslyn (Barry) and his wife Evelyn Keyes (Jane) set out to solve the murder of Mary Forbes (Isabel Fleming) at a photographer's studio. The police are also trying to figure things out led by Frank Craven (Inspector Clinton). It's a comedy detective film that also stars William Demarest (Detective Gatlin), so be warned.

Shame it's a comedy. The film's title lends itself to a film-noir storyline. Anyway, whilst there are some funny moments, this is offset by annoying comedy characters that fail to generate any laughs – Demarest being one, and housekeeper Minerva Urecal (Mrs Swanson) being another. The story is slightly complicated and it's all pretty meaningless but Evelyn Keyes stands out and is fun to watch. And the luminous paint is cool.

If you see William Demarest on a cast list, it's a dead cert that the film is one to avoid. He's his usual unfunny self here with exaggerated expressions, unrealistic reactions, obvious and badly executed pratfalls and way too much screen time. This film was doomed.

Greatly enjoyed this mystery, comedy classic from 1943 starring Allyn Joslyn,(Barry Craig),"I Wake Up Screaming" and Evelyn Keyes,(Jane Craig),"Gone With the Wind". These two actors team up as a husband and wife detectives who try to solve a murder and seem to go around in complete circles through out the entire picture. This is really a comedy with plenty of 1943 jokes and laughter; there is an elevator operator who takes a year and a day to reach each floor and tells his complete life's history before you even reach the main lobby. Evelyn Keys was very young at the age of 27 and had not too long ago completed her appearance in "Gone With The Wind" 1939, where is gave an outstanding performance. Allyn Joslyn gave a great performance as a hen pecked detective who had a wife follow him every where he decided to go. Nice Classic Film and very entertaining.

A classic and pleasantly produced film. The principle character's on screen rapport is spot on and the atmospheric sets of the various scenes throughout the movie will keep you entertained. Even with the comic relief which this film largely generates, the sense of mystery and intrigue is never too far behind. As an added touch of class. seeing Dwight Frye playing one of the hoods was great yet also bitter-sweet. Although uttering a gruff "shut up" to Ms. Keyes, in a very funny and frantic scene, he offers no dialogue, but his facial expressions in the precious rare scenes he's on screen is PRICELESS. Notably, there is an eerie and ironic side note to Frye's tie in to this movie. "Dangerous Blondes" would be his last film. He tragically died of a fatal heart attack shortly after this movie wrapped and get this, the title of the book for which this film was based was called, "If The Shroud Fits,". Also, actor Emmett Vogan who played a medical officer in this film, was a stock player in his and Dwights's early days in theater. He acted along side Frye in Denver and Spokane. Such a sobering distinction for Vogan to appear with the ill-fated Mr. Frye at not only the beginning of Dwight's career in acting, but also his final work as well.

Dangerous Blondes is one of the choice nuggets that sits in the Columbia archives waiting for rediscovery. It appeared briefly on television in the fifties and sixties but is not in the current package available to television stations. Pity because it is chock full of wonderful performances, nice musical arrangements, excellent direction and a fun story. It is a comedy murder mystery that tries to prove that a writer of detective novels can be as smart as a real police detective. Evelyn Keyes never looked more beautiful than here as she helps her husband in trying to solve a recent rash of murders.

The comedy in this 81 minute lost classic is as quick and witty as you are likely to see in a film of the period and the joy in finding this treasure again will be music to the ears and eyes of film lovers everywhere.

A lively cast and kinetic pacing keep this otherwise routine little mystery worth watching. It's one of those amateur sleuth films with bumbling cops that were popular at the time, and which the later TV cop series Dragnet (1951-1959) did so much to try to correct. Still, the comedic undertone of the movie is pretty effective, thanks mainly to Demarest, Joslyn, and especially the perky Keyes. The mystery itself is not very involving since the suspects get little screen time or character development. It's just sort of a hat rack to hang the various hijinks on.

The world's slowest elevator is a funny little touch along with its Spanish-American War operator. And for old movie buffs there's a brief appearance by cult figure Ann Savage (Erika), known mainly for her savage role in the cheapo classic Detour (1945). For wartime audiences, I'll bet the movie was a great bit of escape, and for digital era viewers, it still holds a measure of fun if you're not expecting too much.