A CLOSE CALL FOR BOSTON BLACKIE

(director: Lew Landers; screenwriters: Malcolm Stuart Boylan/characters by Jack Boyle/Ben Markson/story by Paul Yawitz; cinematographer: Burnett Guffey; editor: Jerome Thoms; cast: Chester Morris (Boston Blackie/Cyrus Peyton), Lynn Merrick (Gerry Peyton), Richard Lane (Inspector Farraday), Frank Sully (Sgt. Matthews), George E. Stone (The Runt), Claire Carlton (Mamie), Erik Rolfe (Smiley), Charles Lane (Hagen), Robert Scott (John Peyton), Emmett Vogen (Coroner), Doris Houck (Josie), Russell Hicks (Harcourt), Kathryn Card (Landlady); Runtime: 60; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: John Stone; Columbia Pictures; 1946)

“Another entertaining episode.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Lew Landers (“The Raven”/”The Return of the Vampire”/”Crime, Inc.”)directs another entertaining episode of the popular Boston Blackie crime series. Boston Blackie’s (Chester Morris) former showbiz girlfriend, Gerry Peyton (Lynn Merrick), drops off a toddler in Boston Blackie’s apartment and the reformed thief turned sleuth must clear his name when Gerry’s paroled disinherited husband John Peyton (Robert Scott) is fatally shot there.

Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane)suspects Blackie, as femme fatale Gerry partners with hardened killer Smiley (Erik Rolfe) to frame Blackie and work a scam that has her lying about motherhood, using the baby of Hagen (Charles Lane), to extort money from Cyrus Peyton (also Chester Morris), her wealthy father-in-law.

Blackie is helped by loyal friend The Runt (George E. Stone) and his feisty waitress girlfriend Mamie (Claire Carlton), Inspector Farraday is helped by his moronic partner Sgt. Matthews (Frank Sully).

The film is more concerned with comedy than plot line and serves as a moral lesson for Blackie to not get involved with shady women.

REVIEWED ON 5/21/2012 GRADE: B-  https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/