Trapped by Boston Blackie

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.

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.

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.

"When I was in stir, I heard these boys was going straight... Ain't it terrible what vicious gossip you hear about people?" That's what people are saying about "Blackie" (Chester Morris) and his pal "Runt" (George E. Stone) when they are naturally top of the list of suspects for "Insp. Faraday" (Richard Lane) and his dim-witted sergeant "Matthews" (Frank Sully). It's all the more complicated because our recently reformed pairing have only just taken over the running of a private investigation firm that was previously owned by a friend who suddenly lost control of his car on a dark and windy road. Their first job is to protect some valuable pearls, they get pinched, then found, then found again - somewhere else. Just what has dancing instructor "Igor" (Edward Norris) got to do with things, too? This is quite good fun with Morris and Stone spending quite a bit of it in fancy dress, a bit of drag and engaged in some daft fisticuffs as they hone in on the dastardly perpetrators. On that last front, it's not so very difficult to guess who they are - there are so many different cast members to choose from, but it's a quickly paced and enjoyable hour that is at the better end of the series.

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?