coltras35
Joined May 2009
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coltras35's rating
When demobbed serviceman Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) comes home to Hollywood from the war, he discovers his wife Helen (Doris Dowling) has been having an affair with local nightclub owner Eddie Harwood (Howard Da Silva). After also learning his young son has been killed in a car accident caused by Helen's drink driving, Johnny pulls a gun on his wife before storming out.
The next morning, upon hearing that Helen has been murdered and that he is the prime suspect, Johnny recruits Eddie's wife Joyce (Veronica Lake) and two old army buddies to help him find the real killer and clear his name.
The Blue Dahlia is a well thought out thriller that moves along nicely with intelligent dialogue and interesting characters, though the male characters can be unlikeable such as the blackmailing house keeper. Cynicism reigns supreme amongst the characters, then it was written by Raymond Chandler who likes to keep things boiling in the hard boiled. There's a bleak tone to the proceedings.
Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd team up together for the third time and their chemistry is on fire as expected - there's great performances all round, especially by Howard DaSilva, a man with a shady past. Bendix plays a guy with psychological issues due to the war, and frankly, I found him quite annoying. His constant rude behaviour and constantly yelling "monkey music" gave me a headache. I liked Lake's character the most as she seemed to be the less miserable one. The plot is loaded with twists, though it can drag a little, meandering, and there are some neat conveniences, however that's the nature of the beast with mystery thrillers.
The next morning, upon hearing that Helen has been murdered and that he is the prime suspect, Johnny recruits Eddie's wife Joyce (Veronica Lake) and two old army buddies to help him find the real killer and clear his name.
The Blue Dahlia is a well thought out thriller that moves along nicely with intelligent dialogue and interesting characters, though the male characters can be unlikeable such as the blackmailing house keeper. Cynicism reigns supreme amongst the characters, then it was written by Raymond Chandler who likes to keep things boiling in the hard boiled. There's a bleak tone to the proceedings.
Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd team up together for the third time and their chemistry is on fire as expected - there's great performances all round, especially by Howard DaSilva, a man with a shady past. Bendix plays a guy with psychological issues due to the war, and frankly, I found him quite annoying. His constant rude behaviour and constantly yelling "monkey music" gave me a headache. I liked Lake's character the most as she seemed to be the less miserable one. The plot is loaded with twists, though it can drag a little, meandering, and there are some neat conveniences, however that's the nature of the beast with mystery thrillers.
A hit man, called Raven (Alan Ladd), is double-crossed by nightclub owner Willard Gates (Laird Cregar) who acts as a middleman for a traitorous industrialist Alvin Brewster (Tully Marshall). Traveling to Los Angeles to kill his way to the top of his betrayers, Raven meets up with Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake) a nightclub magician and singer.
Graham's been enlisted by a senator to use Gates to find out who is making deals to manufacture poison gas for the Japanese. Ellen's fiancée Lt. Michael Crane (Robert Preston) tries as best he can to keep up, tracking Raven while wondering if his girlfriend has been kidnapped or is a willing accomplice.
There has rarely been a tougher movie characterisation than Alan Ladd's cold, unemotional hired killer in this film adaptation of a Graham Greene story. He is implacable and remorseless - unsmiling and laconic. Even slaps around the maid at one point. But he loves cats, so there's traces of humanity in him. He mentioned about his abuse as a child which was quite daring to mention at the time. Personally, I think Ladd is a very good actor, he's just not everyone's idea of one. His Raven character is difficult to pull off and he does it by the spades with limited expressions and expressive eyes.
Ladd became a star after this one, and it was also a start to a short but very successful partnership with the glamorous Veronica Lake. Lake, here, balances out the hardness of Ladd's character and helps make this one very enjoyable. It moves at a good pace, fitted with enough twist and turns, plenty of hard boiled action and drama, and it helps that Laird Cregar is one slimeball villain who double crosses Ladd.
Graham's been enlisted by a senator to use Gates to find out who is making deals to manufacture poison gas for the Japanese. Ellen's fiancée Lt. Michael Crane (Robert Preston) tries as best he can to keep up, tracking Raven while wondering if his girlfriend has been kidnapped or is a willing accomplice.
There has rarely been a tougher movie characterisation than Alan Ladd's cold, unemotional hired killer in this film adaptation of a Graham Greene story. He is implacable and remorseless - unsmiling and laconic. Even slaps around the maid at one point. But he loves cats, so there's traces of humanity in him. He mentioned about his abuse as a child which was quite daring to mention at the time. Personally, I think Ladd is a very good actor, he's just not everyone's idea of one. His Raven character is difficult to pull off and he does it by the spades with limited expressions and expressive eyes.
Ladd became a star after this one, and it was also a start to a short but very successful partnership with the glamorous Veronica Lake. Lake, here, balances out the hardness of Ladd's character and helps make this one very enjoyable. It moves at a good pace, fitted with enough twist and turns, plenty of hard boiled action and drama, and it helps that Laird Cregar is one slimeball villain who double crosses Ladd.
Paul Madvig (Edward Arnold) controls crime and politics in the city, helped by the brains and brawn of Ed Beaumont (George Raft). As he throws his support behind Janet Henry's (Claire Dodd) father, in a political campaign, Paul also plans to marry her.
Janet's brother Taylor (Ray Milland) is a gambler heavily in debt to O'Rory (Robert Gleckler), a gangster whose club Paul intends to put out of business. Taylor, who has been romancing Paul's daughter Opal (Rosalind Keith), is found dead. The temperamental Paul falls under suspicion.
Ed pretends to betray Paul while offering to work for O'Rory's organization. He is beaten by Jeff (Guinn Williams), a brutal thug who works for O'Rory, and has to flee for his life.
Paul is going to face murder charges, but Janet's father knows who is really behind her brother's death. It's up to Ed to get him to reveal the truth.
Haven't seen the 1942 version of Dashiell Hammett's The Glass Key for years so can't compare it to this earlier version which stars George Raft as Ed Beaumont, the protector of a crime boss who is trying to go straight as he's going up for election. It's a solid adaptation- fast-paced, engaging, edgy with its depiction of the violence and politics. Great performances all round - George Raft is excellent as Beaumont. Usually Raft gets a bad rap as being the king of "under acting" but Raft never needed hundred expressions to convey a something that when one expression could do- his eyes and voice did most of the expressing, though in this film he's little more animated. Alan Ladd, who starred in the 1942 version, was similar to Raft in that he conveyed much with not much facial animation or saying much and also gets a bad rap, especially later on in his career. Personally, I love the understated, stoic acting - too much "acting" and "expressions" can makes things artificial. Best bit is when he's captured and beaten and he then escapes. Quite tense.
Janet's brother Taylor (Ray Milland) is a gambler heavily in debt to O'Rory (Robert Gleckler), a gangster whose club Paul intends to put out of business. Taylor, who has been romancing Paul's daughter Opal (Rosalind Keith), is found dead. The temperamental Paul falls under suspicion.
Ed pretends to betray Paul while offering to work for O'Rory's organization. He is beaten by Jeff (Guinn Williams), a brutal thug who works for O'Rory, and has to flee for his life.
Paul is going to face murder charges, but Janet's father knows who is really behind her brother's death. It's up to Ed to get him to reveal the truth.
Haven't seen the 1942 version of Dashiell Hammett's The Glass Key for years so can't compare it to this earlier version which stars George Raft as Ed Beaumont, the protector of a crime boss who is trying to go straight as he's going up for election. It's a solid adaptation- fast-paced, engaging, edgy with its depiction of the violence and politics. Great performances all round - George Raft is excellent as Beaumont. Usually Raft gets a bad rap as being the king of "under acting" but Raft never needed hundred expressions to convey a something that when one expression could do- his eyes and voice did most of the expressing, though in this film he's little more animated. Alan Ladd, who starred in the 1942 version, was similar to Raft in that he conveyed much with not much facial animation or saying much and also gets a bad rap, especially later on in his career. Personally, I love the understated, stoic acting - too much "acting" and "expressions" can makes things artificial. Best bit is when he's captured and beaten and he then escapes. Quite tense.
