Find the Blackmailer

"Find the Blackmailer" is a Warner Brothers comedy mystery that probably was made to capitalize on the string of such films that were highly successful with other studios. Among those were MGM's "Thin Man" of 1934 and its several sequels that carried past the mid-1940s. Some others were Philo Vance and Boston Blackie films that had different stars over the years, and were made by different studios. But this isn't of the caliber of the Thin Man series and its star roles that William Powell and Myrna Loy owned.

Jerome Cowan as private-eye D. L. Trees, and his secretary, Pandora Pines (played by Marjorie Hoshelle) can't match the acting of Powell and Loy. And the writing and screenplay here are definitely second tier. But Cowan and Hoshelle give it their best, and the film is at least entertaining. Even with some plot holes and guess work that doesn't gel with what the audience sees.

One interesting faux pas I noticed in this film is when Trees discovers the body of the murder victim. He then kneels down and proceeds to touch and handle various things - a broken lightbulb by its base, a drink glass, the coffee table. That's a no-no at a crime scene that Powell's Nick Charles and any savvy private-eye would never do. Well, as I said, it's a second-rate job all around.

Here's my favorite exchange of dialog in this film.

D. L. Trees, "Oh, don't bother me. I'm thinking." Pandora Pines, his secretary and girlfriend, "Uh, uh. You just think you're thinking." Trees, "If you really wanna know, I'm thinking how I'm gonna pay your salary." Pandora, "I have it. I'll lend you the money." Trees, "That ain't funny, Magee. Now be quiet. I'm listening to the radio."

Find the Blackmailer (1943)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

"B" mystery from Warner has Detective Trees (Jerome Cowan) being hired by John Rhodes (Gene Lockhart), a man getting ready to run for Mayor but he finds himself being blackmailed. It turns out that Rhodes threatened to kill his blackmailer and it was overhead by a crow (!?!) who might be evidence if the man ends up being killed. So the detective must now try to track down not only the crow but soon others are getting in on the mystery. The story to this short never makes any sense but I guess one should expect that since the entire thing is solved in a very short 55-minutes. Most of these "B" mysteries were very short in regards to running time but this one here can't even crack the hour mark but this here is probably a good thing since the story doesn't make much sense and I'm sure had it gone on any longer then it really would have lost its entertainment value. I think for the most part this is a pleasant enough of a film so fans of the genre will at least be caught up in the rather bizarre story. There are so many obvious questions that will pop up in your head including how much evidence any court would take from the eyewitness being a talking crow. I mean, do you really think this talking bird would get someone convicted? Even sillier is how everyone appears to be coming up with their own ideas on who the killer is and what motive he/she must have. For the most part Cowan does a nice job in the lead as he's dorky enough to where you can believe he's this detective that no one wants and the actor also has some nice comic timing that comes in handy. Lockhart is terrific as usual and we get a nice performance from Faye Emerson playing one of the bad guys. The entire detective/bird thing will obviously have film buffs thinking of THE MALTESE FALCON and sure enough Cowan had a brief part in that Bogart classic. He must have payed close attention on how to play a detective and while the end results are far from a classic, this movie at least will keep you entertained if you have an hour to kill.

I agree with howdymax on this one. The plot is fairly nonsensical, but the lead characters' snappy dialogue and quick-moving running time make for a very enjoyable time. Plus, there's a certain amount of joy I feel when I discover a film I've never heard of (directed by some guy I've never heard of) on TCM early on a lazy Saturday morning. Know whatimean

Politician Gene Lockhart is being blackmailed, so he enlists the help of the most unknown detective (to keep it quiet and out of the news) to get him out of the scrape. Enter Jerome Cowan (Bogart's murdered partner in "The Maltese Falcon"), who has a very likable disposition as a unscrupulous and somewhat sleazy detective. It seems they need a crow that repeats what it hears and it heard the last words of a murdered man, implicating Gene Lockhart. Through a series of twists and turns and interrogations of suspects and run-ins with hoodlums, Jerome tries to get at the truth. What begins very pleasantly and simply turns very complicated quickly with some zippy and witty one-liners. This film was in fact very funny, and by the end I think you'll feel thoroughly satisfied. There's even a twist that you don't see coming. Or do you? Whatever the means to get his man, Jerome Cowan as D.L. Trees earns his money and gives you a good time for a little over an hour. Good job, big guy!

"Find the Blackmailer" stars Jerome Cowan as D.L. Trees, a snappy-talking private eye. It's funny, but although Cowan has well over 200 credits on IMDB, he almost never starred in anything but was a supporting character actor. It's really a shame, as he was great in the film and I would like to see more performances like this. He looks like a normal everyday guy...but comes off well as the snappy private detective.

As far as the plot goes, there is the problem. Although Cowan and all the other actors did a great job, they were saddled with a silly plot...really, really silly. It seems that a new client wants Trees to find a talking crow that has been taught to say that he had murdered someone. Now perhaps I am naive, but I cannot see a crow coming in to court to testify. Fortunately, after a while the talking bird angle becomes less important when bodies start to pile up. But still...a case to find a talking crow?!

Overall, watchable but a bit silly as well. Not surprising when you consider that it's a quickie B-movie...and sometimes plot holes and silly plot devices aren't major concerns by the directors or studios.