Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood

As you have already read by the person who has only seen this one film in the Boston Blacke series, they are not in the A budget class. Look a little closer and you'll see some up and coming actor, namely Forrest Tucker (Whipper). Who cares if it's not an A picture. These films are fun to watch! And by the way, the original writer of the Boston Blackie series was an opium addict and did time in prison. He began writing in prison and when he got out his stories were bought and changed for the movies. Columbia pictures had a hit on it's hands. Not all the movies made back then were Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, if it weren't for Boston Blackie and his antics Columbia would have probably gone bankrupt a long time ago. Most movies made even today aren't worth the time and money, but every now and then the movie makers get it right and it works. Open your mind and enjoy a fun film. Any Boston Blackie movie is fun to watch.

Turner Classic Movies just recently showed most of the Boston Blackie films starring Chester Morris and while they are pretty good B-detective films, they are also very, very formulaic--even for the genre. I practically saw all of these movies and noticed that the same stupid inspector and his subhuman sidekick are accusing Blackie of committing the crimes in question. And, each time, Bost Blackie solves the crime for them--making their idiocy apparent again and again and again. You'd think that these bumblers would be fired and that any cop with a functioning cortex would realize the best thing to do it just sit back and let Blackie solve the crime! Plus, in the process, the Inspector almost always gets himself captured or is tricked by Blackie. At first, this is all pretty funny, but by the time this film came out, the formula was wearing a bit thin. They could have easily kept most of the formula but also had the cops not always been so stupid--this would have greatly improved the films.

About the only new thing about this film is that now in addition to the idiotic cops, Blackie has a rich friend who is introduced to the series and he manages to be even dumber than the police!! While it would have been easy for even a two year-old to figure out what was happening, this Neanderthal was clueless--making the film itself seem pretty lame in spots. Still, the snappy dialog and able support by Blackie's buddy, Runt, is pretty good and make this film an amiable time-passer--just don't expect anything particularly new or interesting except for appearances by very young actors Forrest Tucker and Lloyd Bridges.

This has got to be one of the weaker entries in the "Boston Blackie" series with CHESTER MORRIS and GEORGE E. STONE on the lam from Inspector Farraday and his Keystone Cops who are hot on their trail because they think Blackie can lead them to a missing diamond.

The gag with "The Runt" playing a boy genius is rather unfunny and totally implausible, but the film aims for light-hearted touches throughout, only occasionally succeeding. LLOYD CORRIGAN is Blackie's friend being held hostage by a band of crooks, including FORREST TUCKER in a minor role.

RICHARD LANE is again Inspector Farraday, but it's the same old business of him getting thrown for a loop by Blackie's wild schemes to throw him off guard. Nothing new here and none of it is more than routine formula stuff. Furthermore, the title is misleading if you expect the story to take place anywhere near Sunset Blvd.

Still, Chester Morris fans should get a kick out of his "Blackie" role.

I'm not too sure "Blackie" (Chester Morris) had his head screwed on the right way when he agreed to take $60,000 in cash from the safe of his pal "Manleder" (Lloyd Corrigan) and travel with the "Runt" (George E. Stone) to deliver it to him in Hollywood. No sooner is the cash in his pocket than "Insp. Farraday" (Richard Lane) and the dim-witted "Matthews" (Ralph Dunn) collar him for theft. This time, though, "Farraday" has a plan. He reckons that "Blackie" might have some ideas about the recently stolen Monterey diamond and by letting him escape and following him, he hopes to track it down. Meantime, as luck would have it his wealthy pal has hooked up with "Gloria" (Constance Worth) who was wearing the diamond when it was pinched and who is now offering to retrieve it for, yep, $60,000! What now ensues is an almost slapstick series of escapades as nobody is quite sure who has the stone, the money, or who is trying to double cross whom. The bumbling Corrigan reminded me a little of Nigel Bruce here, and there's decent effort from William Wright as the aptly monikered "Slick" to keep this entertaining and worth a watch for an hour.

"Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood" is another entry into the 14-film BB series. Boston Blackie doesn't exactly go Hollywood; I guess the producers wanted a snazzy name. These series - Blackie, The Saint, The Falcon, Nick Carter all follow a formula - the hero is an amateur detective, a smooth fellow who has flirted with the dark side of the law who usually has a sidekick and always has an officer of the law either angry with him or after him.

This time Blackie is in trouble with the law - as usual - because as an ex-jewel thief, he comes under suspicion every time there's a heist. This time it's the Monterey diamond, even though Blackie is in New York.

Then his good friend Arthur Manleder (Lloyd Corrigan) calls from Los Angeles, and he's in trouble and in need of $60,000 out of his safe. Of course the police enter Manleder's apartment just as Blackie is making a large withdrawal from said safe. The Boston Blackie police are completely moronic so Blackie and his short friend Runt (George E. Stone) are always able to get away, often in diabolically funny ways. This time is no different.

What distinguishes these various series is the personality of the actors, which makes telling The Falcon and The Saint apart since George Sanders played both. Boston Blackie is the most amusing, starring the personable and well-tailored Chester Morris. The scripts have very witty dialogue - better than the others, in my opinion - and it's delivered well by Morris who has grace and cool under fire.

I find these movies very enjoyable. Look for a young Forrest Tucker and also Lloyd Bridges, who has a small role.