Mary Ryan, Detective (1949) User Reviews

A jewel of a little crime drama!

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 21 September 2017]

Well written, if familiar in certain aspects, this seems like a last ditch attempt at a film detective series as most of them were going by the way of radio serials. Marsha Hunt gives her all to this enjoyable B thriller where she pretends to be a professional shoplifter to infiltrate a gang of organized shoplifters, so crass that they use a child to swipe merchandise out of a jewelry store. Hunt's Mary Ryan, easily infiltrates the gang, but the threat of being recognized by one of the women she previously questioned (June Vincent) threatens to expose her.

Hunt, a forgotten leading lady that managed to last longer than most in the business as an aging supporting actor, is simply fine, and the script is excellent as well. Unlike other films in this genre, the film doesn't resort to clichéd dialog or supporting characters, with the gang created as very clever and certainly a dangerous foe to be concerned about. Every detail is planned out and plotted perfectly, showing once again that sometimes the best films were the second features, given A's as ratings while on a B budget. Just be careful that when you unstuff your turkey, you check the dressing for diamonds!

Marsha Hunt is excellent as Mary Ryan

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 15 July 2021]

The quick pitch: Policewoman Mary Ryan (Marsha Hunt) goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of thieves - first in prison, later as a member of the robbery crew.

There's nothing about Mary Ryan, Detective that will change your world. Instead, it's a mostly enjoyable little film with the immensely watchable Marsha Hunt as the titular Mary Ryan. Cute, capable, and engaging are a few of the adjectives I'd use to describe Hunt in this film. She has an undeniable screen presence (see the fur robbery set-piece for an example) that works for me. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the film half as much without Hunt. I've read where she ran afoul of the McCarthy-era anti-communist crowd and found her opportunities limited as a result. How else do you explain the fact that she isn't better known today?

Other things I enjoyed about Mary Ryan, Detective include: snappy direction, good pacing, John Litel, and, thankfully, limited comic relief (I admit, however, that I did chuckle at smoked turkey bit).

Finally, I got a kick out of the whole gang of thieves. They come across about as cordial and polite as a group of Sunday school teachers. Not very realistic, but kind of what I'd expect from a film like Mary Ryan, Detective.

6/10.