Murder in the Blue Room

Murder in the Blue Room was a personal favorite of it's star, Anne Gwynne. Anne told me herself that she thought the picture 'was snappy' and 'really moved along'. I couldn't agree more! Yes, kind of odd that a Universal Pictures mystery-thriller would be laced with Boogie Woogie tunes, but, surprisingly, the numbers tie in well with the plot and are not overdrawn. Probably the best tune is the novelty number "Boogie Woogie Boogie Man", sung by the girl group to captive butler Ian Wolfe! Anne's song, "One Starry Night," dubbed by vocalist Martha Tilton, is also a very good tune. Without giving away the plot, there is an interesting twist, all wrapped up in a seaside ghost-mansion setting. Very atmospheric scenes include the interrupted party scene wherein the ghost makes an appearance at the piano, the appearance of ghoulish-costumed Larry Dearden at the costume party, and the climactic gun play in the caves underneath the mansion. Made by any other studio with other actors,this film would not have been half as good, and unfortunately the movie is rarely seen today. A great example of classic '40's Universal.