Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE

Chester Morris and Richard Lane
ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942). Director: Lew Landers.

Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) is at a prison putting on a Christmas show for inmates when he encounters Eve (Adele Mara of Back from Eternity), the desperate sister of convict Joe Trilby (Larry Parks.)  Joe insists that he was framed by two men, and contrives a way to escape from prison so he can get his revenge upon them. Boston, in the meantime, tries to catch up with Joe to prevent him from committing murder, even as Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) tries to catch up with both of them. Boston holds a gun on a cop, locks him in a closet, impersonates a police officer, and so on, but somehow when everything is neatly resolved Farraday never presses charges on Boston, a man he's never trusted and always wants to arrest. Morris is fine, but the best performances come from Larry Parks [The Boogie Man Will Get You] and Paul Fix [The Bad Seed] as the cabbie, Cavarone. Cy Kendall gives one of his better performances in this.

Verdict: Ok BB entry. **1/2.

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