Meet Boston Blackie (1941)

Director:

Robert Florey

Writers:

Jack Boyle (character)
Jay Dratler (story)

Release Date:

20 February 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

1941'S HEADLINE MENACE! (original print media ad - all caps)

Plot:

When a murder occurs on an ocean liner docked in New York, the trail leads to Coney Island and a spy ring. |

Plot Keywords:

Spy | New York | Murder | False Accusation | Espionage

Cast

Chester Morris	...	Boston Blackie
Rochelle Hudson	...	Cecelia Bradley
Richard Lane	...	Inspector Faraday
Charles Wagenheim	...	The Runt
Constance Worth	...	Marilyn Howard
Jack O'Malley	...	Monk
George Magrill	...	Georgie
Michael Rand	...	Mechanical Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Anderson	...	Dart Game Barker (uncredited)
Sam Bernard	...	Telescope Man (uncredited)
James Blaine	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
Harry Bowen	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Stanley Brown	...	Max - Police Lab Technician (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston	...	Second Freak Show Barker (uncredited)
Budd Fine	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Richard Fiske	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Blind Man (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Tunnel of Horror Barker (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
John Harmon	...	Weight Guesser (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Brakeman (uncredited)
William Lally	...	Police Officer McCarthy (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton	...	First Freak Show Barker (uncredited)
Philo McCullough	...	Tunnel of Horror Attendant (uncredited)
George McKay	...	Baseball Barker (uncredited)
Edward Mundy	...	Fire Eater (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Martin Vestrick (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Second Cabby (uncredited)
Walter Sande	...	Officer at Amusement Park (uncredited)
Schlitze	...	Princess Betsy - Bird Woman (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Immigration Officer (uncredited)
Bruce Sidney	...	Customs Officer (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	First Cabby (uncredited)
John Tyrrell	...	Freak Show Doorman (uncredited)
Ed Wolff	...	Giant (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Florey

Writing credits
Jack Boyle		(character)
Jay Dratler		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Irving Briskin	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Ralph Cohn	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Sidney Cutner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(as Franz F. Planer)

Film Editing by
James Sweeney

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milton Carter	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Cooper	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Music Department
Sidney Cutner	....	composer: background cues
Raphael Penso	....	composer: background cues
Gerard Carbonara	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Howard Jackson	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Louis Silvers	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures
• Sony Pictures Television (????) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

60 min (copyright length) (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #7045) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The character, "Boston Blackie," was first used in a story, "Boston Blackie's Mary," by Jack Boyle, in Red Book Magazine, published November 1917.

Goofs:

Continuity: Blackie uses a round-back chair to lock Cecelia in her wall bed. When the police arrive and free her, they remove a different square-back arm chair.

Quotes:

Horatio 'Boston Blackie' Black: I think the lady needs a friend, and we're the friendly type.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)

Soundtrack:

Wiener Blut (Viennese Blood), Op.354

The first and probably best of the series

Recently, Turner Classic Movies has shown most of the Boston Blackie films and after having seen just about about all of them, this first appears to be the very best. I think much of this is the freshness and originality of the script. If you see it and remember it was the first of the series starring Chester Morris, the movie seems very fresh and exciting for the genre--with a great script and good doses of humor and excitement. However, many of the the wonderful things about this film were repeated again and again in later films and this is when the series began to wear a bit thin. The stupidity of the inspector and especially his assistant is funny, but not by the fifth or sixth or twelfth film--by then, it just seems....stupid. Plus, it makes sense that these two bumblers think that Blackie committed the murders--after all, Blackie had spent time in prison. However, when film after film after film Boston Blackie proves he is a good guy and solves the crimes, it really makes no sense at all that the original plot outline is STILL being followed--practically to the letter. As a result, I honestly think the average viewer is better off seeing just a few films from the series and not bothering to see them all.

Now even if this formula is a bit too strict throughout most of the series, MEET BOSTON BLACKIE is still a very good film because it has an exciting plot. Instead of a movie about a jewel theft (a theme often repeated), it involves several murders and a spy ring--something very timely since the film was made just before the US entered WWII. Snappy dialog, great action and some amazing originality (at least in this point in the series)---all these come together to make an excellent B-detective film that's every bit as good as the best of Charlie Chan or The Saint.