The Blue Dahlia (1946)

Director:

George Marshall

Writer:

Raymond Chandler (written by)

Release Date:

19 April 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Tamed by a brunette - framed by a blonde - blamed by the cops!

Plot:

An ex-bomber pilot is suspected of murdering his unfaithful wife.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Nightclub | Murder | Drunkenness | Unfaithful Wife

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Alan Ladd	...	Johnny Morrison - Lt.Cmdr., ret.
Veronica Lake	...	Joyce Harwood
William Bendix	...	Buzz Wanchek
Howard Da Silva	...	Eddie Harwood
Doris Dowling	...	Helen Morrison
Tom Powers	...	Capt. Hendrickson
Hugh Beaumont	...	George Copeland
Howard Freeman	...	Corelli - Motel Operator
Don Costello	...	Leo
Will Wright	...	'Dad' Newell
Frank Faylen	...	Man Recommending a Motel
Walter Sande	...	Heath - Gangster
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dick Elliott	...	Motor Court Owner (scenes deleted)
Milton Kibbee	...	Night Hotel Clerk (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:A | Norway:16 (1947) | Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1947-1953) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #10874)

Filming Locations:

Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Many of the cars in the film have a "B" sticker on the windshields. This is a reflection of the wartime rationing of gasoline. Gas was rationed primarily to save rubber, because Japan had occupied Indochina, Malaysia, and Indonesia. (There was a shortage of gas on the East Coast until a pipeline from Texas was constructed to replace the transport of crude oil by sea.) The B sticker was the second lowest category, entitling the holder to only 8 gallons of gas a week.

Quotes:

Joyce Harwood: Well, don't you even say 'Good night'?
Johnny Morrison: It's good-bye, and it's tough to say good-bye.
Joyce Harwood: Why is it? You've never seen me before tonight.
Johnny Morrison: Every guy's seen you before somewhere. The trick is to find you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Blue Dahlia

The black Dahlia

Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) and his two friends (including a good and funny William Bendix) are coming back in town after serving in the navy during WWII. While his two friends find a place for themselves, Johnny returns to his home to see his wife and his son he hasn't seen for years. There, his wife is having a party with a dozen of friends in which her lover, Eddie Harwood, is also invited. After an argument, during which Johnny threatens his wife with his gun (after learning that she is unfaithful, alcoholic and that their son is dead by her fault), he leaves the place and his gun, judging that she is not worth a killing, to find a hotel for the night. That same rainy night, she is killed with Johnny's gun. For the Police, he becomes the first suspect of this crime.

I've heard a lot about this movie (a classic of film noir with the legendary couple Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake) without being able to see it for years. I just saw this movie tonight at the Oak Street Cinema in Minneapolis. Overall the movie is good thanks to a good plot (the scenario is signed Raymond Chandler, not quiet a coincidence). At first, I found the acting very poor and dated. Especially during the argument between Alan Ladd and his wife (played Doris Dowling). This was quiet a surprise for me because I met this actress in Othello (in which she has a small part) directed by Orson Welles, a director who generally hires only good actors. But as soon as you get into the story, the acting and the dialogues get better and you really want to know the name of the murderer (really I could not guess it!). After the plot, the scenes between Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake are what make the movie worth to remember. Frustrating enough for the most romantic of us, you won't see them kiss each other during this movie, even at the end (this was probably not allowed on screen at the time when the movie was made). It is also hard to tell if the Dahlias in the movie were actually blue since it was filmed in black and white. Finally, yes, Veronica Lake is very beautiful.

This is good entertainment, I recommend it with a 7/10.