One Mysterious Night

At an exhibition of art and jewelry for the purpose of raising money for war funds, the most valuable of all pieces, a huge diamond, is mysteriously stolen - so what does Inspector Faraday tell the reporters to print? That Boston Blackie did the 'job'! But why? To get him to help the police solve the case!!

Now that's a new one, Blackie with a police badge in his pocket - but the rest is more or less familiar: the most hilarious chases, the most daring escapes - and two dumb flatfoots playing cards for an hour right next to the two thieves who are posing as dummies in a store!

Good, solid, and clever entertainment as always by Blackie with the thousand faces (this time Chester Morris impersonates an elderly professor, for instance, with the greatest credibility!), his friend the Runt, and the whole bunch of stupid policemen; and not a dull moment!

The entry is mainly for fans of the Blackie series. I dropped in because of cult actress Janis Carter and cult director Buddy Boetticher. However, not much of classic Boetticher shows in the pacing or proceedings, but Carter does show her brand of spunk as an ace newspaper reporter. The plot revolves around a stolen diamond that may or may not be a fake.

But the real appeal, such as it is, is with the characters. Lane does his bit as a fast-talking Inspector Farraday, while Morris tries on a few colorful impersonations in pursuit of the culprits. Still, I wish we saw more in a bit part of the gorgeous Dorothy Malone, who's clearly on her way up the Hollywood ladder. Then too, more of Carter would have added more spice to a plot pretty much lacking in suspense. As things stand, the movie is an occasionally humorous programmer but nothing more.

The Chester Morris Boston Blackie films are always good for a laugh, and although this one is a little shorter than usual it sure ate up the 58 minutes (UK TV running time). Time was never wasted with these potboilers and the action and repartee was necessarily relentless, so making a drink might be fatal - for someone!

Blackie is accused by the police of stealing a diamond simply to get him to show up and find the real robbers for them... He seems to nose out the real culprit and his method in seconds, but as might be expected complications arise when the baddies pulling the strings don't like it. He promised to protect Dorothy Malone's brother from harm, 30 seconds later was stepping over his corpse - what poor old Dot thought of Blackie after that we'll never know. I think this was her first film, and to look at she's the real gem in this picture!

Some wonderful moments - Blackie and Runt tied upside down to a cupboard bed; some brain-dead moments - the 2 crooks hiding a yard away in plain view from 4 or 5 cops in Jumbo Madigan's small shop as tailors dummy's. They weren't Hope and Crosby, they'd just shot Jumbo and were already murderers on the lam!

This was no 7 in the 14 film series, all well worth watching - more or less!

The famous Blue Star diamond is on display at a war fund benefit. Cops are everywhere to prevent any funny business, but—what's this? A sudden row in the gallery, a bunch of noise and commotion, and…the diamond is gone! (It looked pretty easy to me, actually.)

Of course, Inspector Farraday jumps immediately to the conclusion that the only man who could have stolen the diamond is Boston Blackie. But just a moment; it is soon revealed that his loud accusation is nothing other than Farraday's way of "sending for" Blackie. Sure enough, Blackie soon arrives at Farraday's desk and—in a nice new twist to the series—Farraday explains to Blackie that he needs his help: "Now you can call me anything you like, but I'm deputizing you as my assistant on this case, and I'm not taking no for an answer!" The Runt is doubtful, but Blackie readily agrees, is handed a badge, and gets right to work on a disguise or two.

The plot revolving around the stolen gem involves a young man mixed up with a gang of crooks, and the worried sister who lives with and tries to guide him. The sister is played by a very young Dorothy Malone, who has a small role but puts in a fine bit of actual dramatic acting in the scene in which she chews out her brother for falling in with the bad guys.

Chester Morris and Richard Lane are, as always, fun to watch as Blackie and Farraday, and seeing them as a "team" (with the exception of a brief spell where Farraday revives his habitual old suspicions) adds a bit of new life to this episode. George E. Stone as the Runt is faithful but worried as the loyal assistant.

We never do find out, however, just how blond reporter Janis Carter is able to see through Blackie's disguise so quickly. But she sure seems to enjoy chasing him around for the whole movie!

Boston Blackie and the Runt finally get recognition of a sort in One Mysterious Night. This time when a jewel robbery is perpetrated instead of immediately suspecting them, Richard Lane as Inspector Farraday seeks their assistance in apprehending the real crooks. Chester Morris and George E. Stone even get badges.

Of course they give Lane a few anxious moments as he has second thoughts that they might really have been the thieves who stole the Star of the Nile diamond from an exhibition for war relief. And as usual the cops are more of a hindrance than help in Blackie's mission.

Sultry and sexy Janis Carter plays a sob sister reporter looking to become Lois Lane and who has more on the ball than the cops. Morris gives her more than a passing glance.

Future Oscar winner Dorothy Malone is in this as well as the sister of the guy who was the inside man in the robbery. Her brother is killed by his accomplices making this a homicide as well as a robbery.

Breezy entry in the Boston Blackie series, I think viewers will like it.