Le Dahlia bleu

This is a superb film noir which although not as famous as some of Bogart's is just as good.

It's the story of a ex-pilot who comes back from the war to find his wife has become a party girl and their son died because of her drunkenness. The same night that he leaves her, she is killed and he becomes the prime suspect.

The plot is quite good with plenty of twists and turns. All the characters are quite believable and the supporting cast does an excellent job - in particular William Bendix. There is also a lot of subtle humor.

This is one of seven outings for Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. I had seen him in Shane before and he's quite good here. Veronica Lake, who I had heard a lot about, has a small role and she does not play a femme fatale. I'd like to see some more of the Ladd-Lake outings given my impression from this one.

By the way, anyone who says this is a murder-mystery and not a noir doesn't know what they're talking about! The camera-work and lighting are excellent. You have the seedy hotel rooms, most of the filming is night-time and indoors L.A. and Ladd plays the lead who finds himself set-up for the fall. One note of criticism: the confession scene where the killer is confronted didn't really ring true and was overacted.