The Phantom Thief

This entry in the Boston Blackie series has Blackie trying to help a young woman who is being blackmailed by a spiritualist, Dr. Nejino, played by familiar Columbia heavy Marvin Miller. When Blackie confronts Nejino, the doctor does something unusual for a spiritualist in these old movies - he admits the whole séance business is an act, but that it is an act that helps his patients deal with the losses of loved ones in their own way and in their own time. In the case of the young woman in question - wealthy Anne Duncan - her father's death has left her terribly lonely in spite of her recent marriage. So Nejino invites Blackie to watch one of his séances. The problem is, during the séance a member of the audience is knifed in the back. Of course, Blackie is suspect number one in the case.

This one has plenty of good old fashioned haunted house and ghostly fun, and if it seems that magic is a recurring theme in the Boston Blackie series, it is so for a reason. Chester Morris was a very good amateur magician, even entertaining the troops during World War II with his act. Recommended for anyone who specifically likes the Boston Blackie series or the old B detective movies of the 40's in general.