Red-Haired Alibi

"Red-Haired Alibi" is a b-movie from a low-budget studio. Because of this, the adult actors in the film are mostly no-names. However, despite this, the film is pretty good--and better than you'd expect.

When the film begins, Travers meets a young lady, Lynn (Merna Kennedy) in a shop and offers her a job without even knowing her. Soon, she leaves her small town and moves to New York to work for the man-- even though she has no idea what the work will entail. Her job is odd and yet she asks no questions--she is to pretend to be his wife and provide him with an alibi if needed. So, for example, when they go out to eat, they eat in a private dining room and soon Travers sneaks out. She is to keep the door locked and vouch for him being there even though he wasn't. The pay is good and Lynn, foolishly, goes along with it.

Surprise, surprise....it later turns out that Travers is a gangster and Lynn nearly gets herself thrown in jail. She comes clean with the police and is fortunate that they let her go. However, getting another job is difficult considering she now has a reputation. However, when she meets an old acquaintance once again, Bob asks her to come work for him. It seems his wife has left him and their adorable moppet (a very young Shirley Temple) and she will become the child's governess. Not surprisingly, after some time, Bob asks Lynn to marry him and they are quite happy. However, she has not told him about her past and he's refused to even hear about it. Later, however, Travers returns. He's a wanted man and needs to get out of the country and demands that Lynn help him or else he'll tell everyone who she is and about her sordid past. He also says he'll implicate her in a murder she didn't commit. What's next? See the film.

The best thing going for this melodrama is the acting. Although Myrna Kennedy and the rest of the cast are folks you'll very unlikely recognize (apart from young Shirley), they are quite good and manage to make the most of the script. Enjoyable if a bit far- fetched.