Post by rmichaelpyle on Nov 19, 2011 11:35:51 GMT -6
I recently watched the final in the series of Boston Blackie movies with Chester Morris, "Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture" (1949) a nicely slick 59 minute show that reminds one more of television than the movies, frankly. It's fine, but certainly is not what the original first or second or even third films were like.
I find it interesting that the Warner Archives released this final episode in the series, a lot like releasing the final two episodes of "The Lone Wolf" with Warren William. None of these is up to snuff compared with the first ones. I'm a little perplexed as to the motive, unless it's to make back the lost revenue the final episodes might not have made at the movies (?)... I mention this because they HAVEN'T released any of the others in either of the series, especially the initial ones!
As its title indicates, this one takes place in Chinatown, LA. It has every cliché in the book for films of this ilk at this time period (1949), but, as I said, it's slick and well done. I'm glad it only lasted 59 minutes, though, and when I say that about a Chester Morris film, that says a lot. Richard Lane still is the police detective who thinks immediately that Boston Blackie has committed the murder, although he uses Blackie's help, of course, to solve the crime. The runt this time around is played by Sid Tomack, a regular in 50's television series, but almost a non-entity in the movies. I missed George E. Stone. Maylia, Philip Ahn, James B. Leong, Victor Sen Yung, and a couple of other Asians who played Chinese, Japanese, and every other Asian group in films of the 30's and 40's played the 'Chinese' in the film. Joan Woodbury, Charles Arnt, Don McGuire, Frank Sully, and Luis van Rooten round out the other credited players.
Recommended to those who have the fifteen bucks to throw around and who are collecting 'series' films of the '30's and '40's, or who are completists of Chester Morris - as I am. I now have 35 or so of his films in my collection.
I find it interesting that the Warner Archives released this final episode in the series, a lot like releasing the final two episodes of "The Lone Wolf" with Warren William. None of these is up to snuff compared with the first ones. I'm a little perplexed as to the motive, unless it's to make back the lost revenue the final episodes might not have made at the movies (?)... I mention this because they HAVEN'T released any of the others in either of the series, especially the initial ones!
As its title indicates, this one takes place in Chinatown, LA. It has every cliché in the book for films of this ilk at this time period (1949), but, as I said, it's slick and well done. I'm glad it only lasted 59 minutes, though, and when I say that about a Chester Morris film, that says a lot. Richard Lane still is the police detective who thinks immediately that Boston Blackie has committed the murder, although he uses Blackie's help, of course, to solve the crime. The runt this time around is played by Sid Tomack, a regular in 50's television series, but almost a non-entity in the movies. I missed George E. Stone. Maylia, Philip Ahn, James B. Leong, Victor Sen Yung, and a couple of other Asians who played Chinese, Japanese, and every other Asian group in films of the 30's and 40's played the 'Chinese' in the film. Joan Woodbury, Charles Arnt, Don McGuire, Frank Sully, and Luis van Rooten round out the other credited players.
Recommended to those who have the fifteen bucks to throw around and who are collecting 'series' films of the '30's and '40's, or who are completists of Chester Morris - as I am. I now have 35 or so of his films in my collection.
