Detective Kitty O'Day

I just finished watching this movie on a compilation DVD distributed by Retromedia Entertainment - available for rental on Netflix. Quite entertaining with a nice performance by the handsome Peter Cookson, but the true bright spot was the performance by Jean Parker. The film was marred by some silly slapstick and weak humor - but still worth watching.

The copy of the film was in fairly good condition overall, but had some breaks in continuity. I look forward to seeing more films starring Miss Parker.

This sort of film is of interest to film history buffs as a typical product of one the lesser known Hollywood studios - Monogram Pictures.

I mostly know Jean Parker from movies of the early 1930s (LITTLE WOMEN springs to mind) and I mostly associate her with teary-eyed victims of tragedy or sweet young romantic interests. Bland supporting roles in mostly dramatic pictures. The sweet daughter, the poor sister, the hometown sweetheart. DETECTIVE KITTY O'DAY (1944) showcases Parker as a comedienne. She goes for broke in the name of comedy and I was impressed. Jean Parker is the whole show.

Made for B-level Monogram Pictures, DETECTIVE KITTY O'DAY is an inconsequential hour-long comedy-mystery programmer. There are no big names in the cast. The most recognizable actor after Parker is Edward Gargan, in the dumb police sidekick role he'd played countless times at the major studios. Veda Ann Borg lends sex appeal to the supporting cast.

Kitty O'Day (Jean Parker) is a secretary who drags her boyfriend Johnny (Peter Cookson) around as she tries to solve her boss's murder. Every time the police run into the amateur sleuths a dead body turns up.

Parker, pretty as always, handles the comedy with aplomb. Kitty O'Day is plucky and bright, in her own silly screwball way. She delivers zingers with a smile, uses accents and props, faints, crawls on the ground, and even wears a disguise. With Johnny along for the ride, the investigation is full of slip-ups, goofs, and misunderstandings, but Kitty somehow seems to land on the right track.

For the sake of comedy the script allows for some lapses in logic, but they are easily overlooked. The film is enjoyable silliness from start to finish. Strictly a low-budget, small-time affair, but Jean Parker is fun to watch at the center of it all. It's neat seeing a different side to the actress a decade after the 1930s roles I know best.

This silly Monogram quickie directed by Wm. Beaudine and co-written by Tim Ryan who plays the chief detective is worth watching for Ryan's expert comic performance as well as the charming work of the underrated Jean Parker. Ryan resembled Bill Demarest but never achieved the same success. He had been married to Irene Ryan, Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. They started in vaudeville doing a Dumb Dora act which was said to have influenced Burns and Allen.

After her boss is murdered, secretary and aspiring detective Kitty O'Day sees a chance to put her skills to the test to the annoyance of the investigating police officer Inspector Clancy. When Clancy won't properly investigate the dead man's widow, O'Day takes it upon herself to unmask the killer - with the reluctant assistance of her boyfriend Johnny Jones.

An entertaining zany comedy mystery with an emphasis on comedy. There's plenty of wisecracks and funny one liners. It's nothing new, yet it's brimming with energy, thanks to the actors, especially the inquisitive Jean Parker. It's good fun. And short and sweet.

The other reviews I've read are too harsh. There are far worse movies rated way higher.

This movie succeeds in being light, funny, and entertaining with a dash of mystery. If you were expecting a gritty film noir or a complex mystery from a B-movie titled "Detective Kitty O'Day" then you watched the wrong movie. That's on you.

It's purposefully slapstick and goofy. The cops are completely useless. The boyfriend keeps threatening to walk out until Kitty ropes him back into her antics again. It's great.

I can't think of many other films of the era with a female detective headliner, so in that way it is ahead of its time. The film also reflects the sexism of the time, as they all treat her as hysterical, which makes sense as it was made in the 1940s. That said, there is a nice moment where Kitty's boyfriend sticks up for her.

It was a fun hour spent for me and I didn't feel like my time was wasted.