Trapped by Boston Blackie (1948) User Reviews

Blackie minces "I'm a bird in a cage, Dancing will release me" - gulp!

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 24 July 2005]

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?

Blackie wears various disguises and dances his way through this one

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 1 July 2012]

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.

Solid mystery boasts dense plot, goes light on the humor

[csteidler · 7/10 · 11 October 2011]

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 Was a Great Boston Blackie Film

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 1 December 2007]

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.

Who dosen't like Boston Blackie?

[zacenme · 7/10 · 5 March 1999]

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.

Worth seeing just for the cross-dressing sequence!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 7 April 2007]

The plot for this film was extremely similar to another Columbia Pictures detective series film, THE LONE WOLF STRIKES. Considering how many Lone Wolf and Boston Blackie films the studio made, it's not particularly surprising that some of the story ideas got recycled and reworked. Both films involved an ex-jewel thief (the leads of both series) going to a society party where an expensive pearl necklace was stolen. And, since I'd seen both films only a few weeks apart, it sure felt like a case of Déjà Vu! Despite these similarities, this film is pretty good on its own and I especially liked it when Blackie and Runt dressed as husband and wife. Runt really looked convincing as a middle-aged woman. Considering that unlike the Lone Wolf, the Saint and the Falcon, Blackie never chased women in the films, this might explain a lot! Despite some very funny moments, the rest of the film is very formulaic--once again the idiot inspector and his super-moronic sidekick suspect Blackie--even though in all the other films dozen or so films they also suspected him but in the end he turned out to be working for law and order. Because of this, I really can't score the film any higher than a 7.

Better than usual entry with some good disguises...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 22 September 2007]

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.

"Boston Blackie" on the case.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 22 September 2007]

Seymour Friedman directs this the twelfth in Columbia Picutre's "Boston Blackie" series. Horatio "Boston Blackie" Black(Chester Morris)is assigned to protect a priceless pearl necklace that a socialite intends to show off at a swanky party. The private dick officially assigned to guard the necklace is found dead and the baubles are nowhere to be found. Now "Blackie" is on the spot; he must locate the real crook before he is arrested on suspicion. His reputation and life may be at stake. Atmospheric crime tale. Great photography. Also among the players: George E. Stone, Richard Lane, June Vincent, Frank Sully, Patricia Barry, and Sarah Shelby.

String of Pearls

[sol-kay · 5/10 · 11 January 2013]

***SPOILERS*** Dull and over-plotted Boston Blackie, Chester Morris, movie with Blackie surviving a car accident that his good friend private eye Joe Kenyon was killed in. Blackie bruised but back on his feet and in action gets to work for Joe's detective agency that his widowed wife Helen, Mary Currier, is now running. Sure enough on his first case Blackie together with his sidekick "The Runt", George E.Stone, get involved in a heisting or switching of an expensive pearl necklace worth $50,000.00 as ballet master Igor Borlo, Ed Norris, and his partner Sandra Dorley, Fay Baker,were doing their act right in front of the shocked audience! And what's even worse, for Blackie & "The Runt", it's Boston Blackie whom the necklace is later found on by Inspector Farraday, Richard Lang, and his bumbling partner Sgt. Matthew,Frank Sully.

Now on the run ,like he's in all of his movies, from the law Blackie and "The Runt" are out to prove their innocence in finding who in fact stole or pearl necklace that was switched with a fake and worthless one. Going under cover Blackie uses, together with "The Runt", his many disguises to get to the bottom of this very troubling case. A case that originated with what turned out to be the murder of his friend Joe Kenyon who was on to it, the planned switching of the two necklaces, and was killed just as he was about to prevent it from happening!

***SPOILERS***Chester Morris was very unconvincing in the action scenes in the movie looking as if he's so out of shape and rollie polly, like a bowling pin, that he'd be having trouble just bending down to tie his shoes! Much less have him duke it out with the bad guys and put them away with one, the major villain, who looked to be in a lot better shape and was at least a half foot taller then him. In the disguise department Blackie and "The Runt" feared much better in that in some of their disguises, with "The Runt" as an elderly lady, they were totally unorganizable. Which if they stuck to them it would have made those of us watching completely forget who they were and thus save them any embarrassment in being in the movie.

Old Premise

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 2 June 2013]

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.

"Women are funny creatures. They fall for anything with an air of mystery."

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 1 June 2017]

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!

Decent Mystery

[Michael_Elliott · 27 February 2008]

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.

More of the same of a dying movie series more than ready for TV.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 16 May 2017]

The disguises for Chester Morris and George E. Stone are getting a workout on this late entry, certainly past its prime. With film noir having caught on, the old form of detective story just didn't hold up as well, especially with the typical corny humor of Stone and dumb police sidekick Frank Sully. This one deals with the theft of pearls at a swell society party and Morris's determination to keep police lieutenant Richard Lane off his case.

Morris and Stone strive for laughs in drag, and when Morris picks up a woman's hat and proclaims "Gay!", it means something else today than probably what the writer intended. June Vincent, Patricia Barry and Fay Baker give the feminine touch, and for me, it was the first chance to see future soap queen Barry in an early film role. The tiresome efforts, though, to keep the series alive are obvious, and a few traits of film noir are prevalent, if not obvious. Morris maintains the character's fun, wisecracking nature, but the series seems stagnant, and no crime doctor can cure that.

later, weaker chapter in the Boston Blackie series

[ksf-2 · 5/10 · 17 September 2017]

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.