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The Blue Dahlia (1946)

7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 3,509 users  
Reviews: 53 user | 24 critic

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

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Title: The Blue Dahlia (1946)

The Blue Dahlia (1946) on IMDb 7.1/10

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. See more awards »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
...
William Bendix ...
Howard Da Silva ...
Eddie Harwood
Doris Dowling ...
Helen Morrison
Tom Powers ...
Capt. Hendrickson
...
George Copeland
...
Corelli
Don Costello ...
Leo
...
'Dad' Newell
...
Man Recommending a Motel
Walter Sande ...
Heath
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Storyline

When Johnny comes home from the navy he finds his wife Helen kissing her substitute boyfriend Eddie, the owner of the Blue Dahlia nightclub. Helen admits her drunkenness caused their son's death. He pulls a gun on her but decides she's not worth it. Later, Helen is found dead and Johnny is the prime suspect. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Tamed by a brunette - framed by a blonde - blamed by the cops! See more »


Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

19 April 1946 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

La dalia azul  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Elizabeth Short got the nickname "The Black Dahlia" from a bartender at a Long Beach bar she frequented. The Blue Dahlia was playing at a theatre down the street, and the bartender got the name wrong. Elizabeth picked up on that and kept the nickname, adding a flower to her hair to complete the transformation. She was murdered the next year (1947). See more »

Goofs

After arriving home and being introduced to his wife's friends, Johnny punches his wife's beau in the mouth then storms into a bedroom where we hear a door slam but then see the actual door close softly. See more »

Quotes

Eddie Harwood: Half the cops in L.A. are looking for you.
Johnny Morrison: Only half?
See more »

Connections

Featured in Watching the Detectives (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"
(1944) (uncredited)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by party guests
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

Interesting, if Slightly Dated, Film Noir
27 June 2001 | by (Ohio) – See all my reviews

"The Blue Dahlia" is a slightly dated but interesting film noir. It has a pretty good mystery story that, while a bit too reliant on coincidence, also has some creative aspects. The cast is pretty good, and the atmosphere is classic 40's film noir.

Alan Ladd plays a World War II pilot who comes home only to find an unfaithful, unpleasant, drunken wife waiting for him. She has made a mess of her life while he was away, and it is no surprise that she soon turns up murdered. The husband is suspected, and is pursued by the police, with a mysterious blonde (Veronica Lake) also taking an unexplained interest in him. Ladd and Lake are pretty good in the leads, and William Bendix is very good in a difficult role as Ladd's shell-shocked pal. The film goes pretty heavy on the "noir" atmosphere, and now seems just a little dated or static, but the atmosphere does fit well with the story.

This will primarily be of interest to those who already like films of the era, but for those who do, this is an interesting story that you'll want to see.


22 of 28 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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