The Blue Dahlia (1946)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

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 | Nightclub Owner | 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:

Some sources erroneously include Harold J. Stone in an undetermined, uncredited minor role; Stone does not appear in this film in any capacity. At the time it was filmed (in Hollywood), he was in New York City appearing on the stage in a prominent role in "A Bell for Adano" (1944-1945).

Quotes:

'Dad' Newell: Let me see. I seem to have misplaced your name for he moment.
Buzz Wanchek: Where were you keepin' it?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

Soundtrack:

THAT AIN'T RIGHT

Good Ladd, Superfluous Lake, Great Bendix

The trailer for The Blue Dahlia advertised the film as Ladd, Lake, and Bendix. Not a mention about Raymond Chandler, maybe he wanted it that way.

The Blue Dahlia has mystery writer Raymond Chandler writing an original screenplay and Chandler delivers a good movie for the most part. Nice suspenseful noir film, but it could have been better.

The main weakness in the plot is Veronica Lake. Chandler couldn't stand her and called her Moronica Lake as a reflection of her acting ability. In fairness it's a poorly defined role and her meeting with Alan Ladd in this film is too too coincidental. I guess you had to give the star a love interest, but the idea that Ladd is hunting for the killer of his wife and just happens to come upon the wife of his number one suspect is way too unreal.

The number one suspect of the killing is Howard DaSilva. If I had to name the best performance in this film it would have to be DaSilva. He's the dapper, elegant owner of a Hollywood nightclub, but he exudes a menace that chills you. His best scene in the film is paying off blackmailer Will Wright. He pays him, THIS TIME. Wright gets the message he'd better not come back for more.

I believe it was Raymond Chandler who also said that Alan Ladd was a small boy's idea of a tough guy. That is unfair to Ladd who delivers a more than competent performance here as the returning war veteran who's on the hunt for his wife's killer while being suspected of the crime itself.

Check out Alan Ladd's scene at the farm with DaSilva's thugs. Very similar in the way they end up to how Bogart handled the baddies in The Big Sleep.

Bill Bendix gets in the top billing with stars Ladd and Lake because he's also a radio star because of the Life of Riley Show. Bendix and Hugh Beaumont are Ladd's wartime buddies and Bendix never was bad in any film he did. He shows signs of post traumatic stress at a time when that diagnosis had not been invented.

A bit too contrived, but a nice film noir.