Blue Dahlia: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix, Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling, Tom Powers, Hugh Beaumont, Howard Freeman, Don Costello, Will Wright, Frank Faylen, Walter Sande, Lionel Lindon, George Marshall, Arthur P. Schmidt, John Houseman, Raymond Chandler: Amazon.ca: Video

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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2.0 out of 5 stars Stylish, but not genuine noir, Dec 7 2002

By

Desiree Koh (Chicago, Illinois, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Dahlia (VHS Tape)

The opening shot may be one of the most knowing and beautiful ones in film noir, a focus on the word 'Hollywood' which after the camera pulls away, is actually a destination on a bus sign. With fiml noir, just utter "Hollywood" and there is no need to explain betrayal, hypocrisy, seediness, injustice or pretence.

The screenplay is classic Raymond Chandler, sharply brilliant with rat-a-tat fire exchange. But the plot fails -- it's too simple, too linear, and not convuluted enough to darken the shadows and reflect the torn morals noir characters have to face. Veronica Lake as the femme fatale isn't quite vicious enough, and her own private agenda is boring enough to bleach white into the noir. In fact, that credit should go to man-caught-in-the-middle Johnny Morrison's (Alan Ladd) ex-wife, who goes out of her way to make a war hero look bad.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Everything, July 14 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue Dahlia (VHS Tape)

The Blue Dahlia is the finest noir film of it's kind and everything is absolutely perfect in the third of four films Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake would make together. Raymond Chandler wrote the origional screenplay and George Marshall turned in his finest directing job in this screen classic. This film has the perfect blend of grit and gloss, romance and female treachery, and for my money is better than the film often held up as the perfect noir, Casablanca.

Ladd returns from WWII with his two buddies only to find his wife has been unfaithful, in your face unfaithful, and responsible for his son's death while he was away. He confronts her at a party and blows out in a storm, unaware that someone kills her with his gun only hours later. Veronica Lake picks him up in the pouring rain and an attraction begins between the two.

The dialog is crisp and the atmosphere perfect as Ladd finds out by accident he is being sought for the murder of his wife. Like Ladd, Lake is running from something as well and trying to help Ladd takes her right back to The Blue Dahlia. Ladd's loyal buddies, who have been through so much together overseas, are on hand to help also. Did his shell shocked friend, played nicely by William Bendix, kill Ladd's wife or was it the owner of The Blue Dahlia, or maybe someone unknown?

Finding out is about the most entertaining 100 minutes you'll ever spend watching a movie and this is certain to be one of your all time favorites after you see it for the first time. Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake were the perfect screen duo. Ladd tells Lake early on in the film that every guy had seen her somewhere before, meaning the girl we all see in our dreams. When things are all wrapped up Ladd stops her from driving away, reminding her of what he said. We know then as she does that she is Ladd's dream, and ours as well.

This film is everything others of it's kind during the '40's tried to be. The Blue Dahlia is a film you HAVE to own if you love the movies.......

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5.0 out of 5 stars Why isn't this on DVD, Mar 27 2002

By

Gary S. Slagle (DeWitt, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blue Dahlia (VHS Tape)

Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake made some of the best film noir movies of all time and none of them are on DVD. These are great movies if you love old black and white intrigue and mystery however. They are worth getting in any format.

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