Meet Boston Blackie (1941)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

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:

New York | Coney Island | Spy | Murder | Wheelchair

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		(director of photography) (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:

A Hollywood Reporter production chart listed George E. Stone as a cast member, but he was not seen in the film. Stone replaced Charles Wagenheim as "The Runt" in later films in the series.

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:

Insp. Farraday: I couldn't find your name on the passenger list.
Horatio 'Boston Blackie' Black: No, no, I'm using my maiden name.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (1945)

Soundtrack:

Santa Lucia

Movie Audience, Boston Blackie.... Boston Blackie, Movie Audience

Blackie arrives back in the US (via steamer) only to find himself in trouble with the law again when he finds a corpse, Martin Vestrick, in his stateroom. Blackie trails Marilyn Howard, who was seen with Vestrick by Blackie and Runt on the ship, to Coney Island where a group of spies meet at the freak show exhibit. Marilyn is later killed when she goes on the Tunnel of Horrors ride with Blackie, and the same killers go after our hero. Blackie forces a ride with Cecelia Bradley, an innocent bystander, and the two manage to elude the killers. Inspector Faraday, in the meantime, goes after Blackie for the murder of Marilyn, while Blackie, Cecelia, and the Runt try to unravel the spy activities at the amusement park. Nice opening to this 14 film series, with Chester Morris providing the jovial attitude seen in his other movies and beneficial to the character (also nice to see some of Morris' magic tricks as well). Rochelle Hudson was very beautiful here and lent fine support. I was impressed with Florey's direction and Planer's camera-work giving us some interesting perspectives and camera angles. My beef with this film was that there was little action with the villains in the movie, seeing the case from Blackie's perspective. Next film in the series: Confessions of Boston Blackie. Rating, 8.