User reviews

Easily the darkest or most serious Blackie film, the penultimate in the series and Stone's last as the Runt. It has comedy as usual mixed in with the detective work, but this was post War and people seemingly didn't want to laugh so much at the movies, if at all. This descent is still ongoing, todays films aren't considered good unless brim full of violence, filth and cynicism - what will tomorrows bring?

A string of pearls is stolen at a society fancy dress party and naturally suspicion falls on Blackie and the Runt both disguised as Indian fakirs. In turn the murky pasts of some of the guests and main characters are uncovered by Blackie as he strives yet again to clear his name. Farraday and Matthews come across lower key than before, but the Inspector's witticisms still past muster. Doesn't the ballet scene remind you of "Hellzapoppin"?! Eventually the jigsaw puzzle starts to take shape and pieces fall into place, but not before Blackie and Runt trot out the old man and woman disguise one more time - like old friends in themselves by now!

A superior entry with a more satisfying climax than I expected, as a fan. On the other hand if you hate the genre but watch this anyway what do you expect?

Much as I like Chester Morris and the Boston Blackie series, when you see these films in close proximity to one another, the formula becomes a little bit of a bore.

Blackie (Morris) and The Runt (George E. Stone) are given the assignment of guarding a woman who is wearing her very expensive pearls at a party. Guess what. They're stolen and Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) and company blame Blackie. So he has to clear himself by finding them.

There were some cute scenes in this film, the best when Blackie with a mustache goes to a dance school to take lessons. He's hilarious, talking about from the time he was so high - no, this high, he's wanted to dance. "I'm a bird in a cage," he says. "Dancing will release me." June Vincent is a beautiful blonde who gives the film some real class - she really should have had a better career in films. She never moved up from the Bs. She moved into television in the '50s and did very well.

I never understand how Farraday can't see right through all those disguises, but I guess you have to go along with the illusion of film.

Morris gives the film a light, relaxed touch, and thank goodness because he keeps these movies going. This particular film is okay, worth seeing for Blackie trying to infiltrate his way into the dance studio and for seeing them pose as husband and wife - a riot.

This was George E. Stone's last appearance as The Runt.

Blackie and the Runt fill in as party security as a favor to the widow of their recently killed friend. Not surprisingly, a valuable necklace is stolen; it's not the first time that helping a friend has gotten them into trouble. Also not surprisingly, Inspector Farraday is on the case—and pins the job on Blackie the moment he sees through the Runt's swami disguise. (They were doing the job undercover and in costume.)

From there on, Trapped by Boston Blackie is unpredictable if not surprising—the plot involves a ballet instructor, his student, a secretary, the necklace's owner, and said owner's niece and husband. Lots of characters to keep straight! Indeed, it takes Blackie (with Farraday in pursuit, naturally) the length of the picture to sort them all out, restore order along with the necklace, and once again prove his own innocence to the inspector.

Sidekicks Runt and Sergeant Matthews are along as always; neither is quite so dumb as usual in this entry, although Farraday is driven to deliver his trademark exasperated shout ("Matthews!") more than once.

Plenty of disguises for Blackie and the Runt in this one—their turn as an elderly couple has to be one of their best ever, with the Runt quite hilariously convincing as "Mother." (Blackie even teases "her" about walking past the police wearing a borrowed wrap: "You think the boys are gonna notice an old hag like you? Now get your bonnet." To which the Runt snaps, "Well, I like that!" in perfect insulted-mature-lady style.)

The plot here is thicker than some films in the Boston Blackie series; the humor is (mostly) less physical and lower key. –That said, however, it's still a Blackie picture: light and enjoyable, a fast-moving 67 minutes that will relax and amuse more than confuse or confound. Blackie fans will want to catch it at least once.

This film starts off at a costume party where Boston Blackie,(Chester Morris) and his sidekick Runt, (George Slone) are attending in order to protect a very expensive necklace on one of their clients. This pearl necklace is stolen and Police Inspector Faraday, (Richard Lane) suspects Boston Blackie of stealing these pearls. There is the usual run around with all kinds of suspicious characters who claim to be innocent and still Inspector Faraday feels that Boston Blackie is responsible for this crime. Doris Bradley, (June Vincent) plays the role as a very pretty blonde who puts charm to her supporting role. This is one of the better Boston Blackie films.

Fun stuff, easy on the mind after working all day. Chester Morris fits Blackie to a tea! Blackie and Runt do a great Ma and Pa disguise. They are just as I remembered them. I look forward to watching more of Boston Blackie.

Blackie and his sidekick, The Runt, are up to their usual tricks again, this time assuming various disguises in TRAPPED BY BOSTON BLACKIE, one of the better entries in the series. GEORGE E. STONE as The Runt has less whining and less forced comic moments than usual and even CHESTER MORRIS is less of a wise guy although he still has some overly cute moments with wisecracks.

The story concerns stolen pearls and opens at a costume party where Blackie and The Runt are assigned by a wealthy woman to keep watch over her pearls. From there on, it becomes a straightforward Blackie adventure peppered with a musical segment and the usual run-ins with the police and Inspector Farraday (RICHARD LANE) and his bumbling assistant. Farraday, too, has been toned down for this entry and is less sarcastic than usual. JUNE VINCENT provides some eye candy as a blonde beauty.

There are no real surprises but the ending wraps things up neatly with the usual explanations offered by Farraday.

Summing up: Better than usual Blackie.

Trapped by Boston Blackie (1948)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Thirteenth film in the Columbia series has Boston (Chester Morris) and the Runt (George E. Stone) accused of stealing some jewels so they must try and clear themselves as well as save another innocent woman. This film starts off pretty slow and routine but once Morris gets going the film takes off, although it's still not one of the better films of the series. Richard Lane is back as the dimwitted Farraday and he and Morris mix it up like old time. The highlight is a scene where the Runt has to dress in drag to get by some police waiting for him at a hotel.

"When I was in stir, I heard these boys was going straight... Ain't it terrible what vicious gossip you hear about people?" That's what people are saying about "Blackie" (Chester Morris) and his pal "Runt" (George E. Stone) when they are naturally top of the list of suspects for "Insp. Faraday" (Richard Lane) and his dim-witted sergeant "Matthews" (Frank Sully). It's all the more complicated because our recently reformed pairing have only just taken over the running of a private investigation firm that was previously owned by a friend who suddenly lost control of his car on a dark and windy road. Their first job is to protect some valuable pearls, they get pinched, then found, then found again - somewhere else. Just what has dancing instructor "Igor" (Edward Norris) got to do with things, too? This is quite good fun with Morris and Stone spending quite a bit of it in fancy dress, a bit of drag and engaged in some daft fisticuffs as they hone in on the dastardly perpetrators. On that last front, it's not so very difficult to guess who they are - there are so many different cast members to choose from, but it's a quickly paced and enjoyable hour that is at the better end of the series.

Back in Boston Blackie's days as a society burglar this is just the kind of caper that would have been something he pulled. For once Inspector Farraday's suspicions are not completely out of the realm of possibilities.

After the head of a detective agency gets bumped off in a suspicious car accident Chester Morris and George E. Stone get hired by the widow to guard some valuable pearls at a society party. The two are disguised as Hindu fakirs, but the pearls are clipped in any event and when Richard Lane sees Morris and Stone, that's all he has to know.

Once again Boston Blackie has to solve the case in order to clear himself.

This is a good film, but the premise was really getting old by now.

Penultimate Boston Blackie movie starring Chester Morris. This time Blackie is accused of stealing a pearl necklace at a costume party. Inspector Farraday is as big a jerk as ever about it. He does have the movie's funniest line, though: "In the dull, blank expanse of your face I can read the dismal promise of the years to come."

This isn't one of the better films in this series. There are the usual "Blackie in disguise" gags, including one with his sidekick Runt in drag. I'm not a big fan of these costume gags. They're rarely funny to me and seem like an example of a type of comedy that isn't timeless. Anyway, this is fine I guess for a B picture of its type. The cast is solid but neither the mystery nor the comedy is much to get excited about. Check out the scene with that huge dog and the Runt. Poor George E. Stone looked like he was scared for his life!

The first film that Seymour Friedman directed, according to wikipedia. Blackie and his sidekick the runt agree to help at a dinner party for friend Doris (June Vincent). They will keep an eye out for thieves, and of course, all hell breaks loose while they are on scene. Chester Morris was Boston Blackie in numerous films prior to this, but would only play it one more time after this. For some reason, Blackie and runt dress up as Doris' parents, with Runt in drag. Over the river and and through the woods for this one... although its only 67 minutes. Something about stolen pearls at the dinner party, and the pearls keep changing locations. Gets confusing...pretty much everyone in the film gets accused of being the thief at some point, except for the cops. And as usual, the cops are a couple of goofballs, insulting each other. Not the best chapter in the Blackie series, but if its the only thing on, one might watch it. I guess they were running out of strong story lines by this time.