The Blue Dahlia

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The Blue Dahlia; What Coulda Been
Topic Started: May 30 2009, 10:42 AM (161 Views)
Chandu	May 30 2009, 10:42 AM Post #1
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large Posts: 10,276 Group: Members Member #297 Joined: October 19, 2007	I watched The Blue Dahlia last night, a story about three servicemen returning from WW II, but mostly about one of them, Johnny Morrison, played by Alan Ladd. The other two are played by Hugh Beaumont and William Bendix. Morrison comes home to find his wife throwing a wild party and having an affair with a shady owner of a night club called The Blue Dahlia. The picture then continues to paint the wife as a real trollop, so it’s no surprise when she’s later found murdered in her apartment and naturally Morrison is blamed. The night club owner is separated from his wife, played by Veronica Lake, and she and Morrison meet accidently and hook up together, just like in real life. The rest of the movie is devoted to Morrison trying to find out who really killed his wife, along with we, the audience and his trying to avoid capture by the police, while he’s at it. I’ve never found myself a Lauren Bacall fan and have said so elsewhere in The Balcony, but I found myself thinking that although I found this to be an excellent movie, how much better could it have been with Bogart in Ladd’s role and Bacall in Lake’s? I think Bacall’s sultry aloofness was exactly what Lake was trying to portray, not entirely unsuccessfully, but not as good as Bacall. Maybe I’m beginning to understand what others see in Bacall. Anyway, in my opinion, with Bogie & Bacall, this thing would’ve rocked and been an even greater classic than is! And just for kicks, film it at Warners, rather than Paramount and toss in Cagney to play Bendix’s role, not that Bendix didn’t do an outstanding job, but…………. As highly as this movie seems to be generally regarded, I was surprised a thread didn't already exist here.
	Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...


panzer the great & terrible	May 30 2009, 10:51 AM Post #2
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,356 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	There are heaps of classics we haven't gotten around to yet.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


mort bakaprevski	May 30 2009, 11:07 AM Post #3
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,433 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	The story of how Raymond Chandler wrote this is actually more interesting than the finished film!!
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


Frank Hale	May 30 2009, 12:46 PM Post #4
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 828 Group: Members Member #59 Joined: October 6, 2005	I think the reputation of this film has faded over the years and that most critics would now agree with you, Chandu. Good entertainment, but a “near miss”, rather than a classic. The Ladd / Lake combination was always fun, but they were movie stars, not great actors. (And as far as I know they didn’t have anything going in real life.)



panzer the great & terrible	May 30 2009, 02:50 PM Post #5
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,356 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	Somebody chose the wrong director for the material. George Marshall was good at light comedy -- he did some of Bob Hope's best pictures -- but the fickle finger of fate didn't fit his world view. If Fritz Lang had directed, it would have been different and better. Veronica Lake was married to director Andre de Toth. By his rather harrowing account her interest in sport hecking was negligible by any standard, especially Hollywood's: she had more dangerous fish to fry. A classic tale of easy come, easy go. This from the IMDb listing for the movie: "Tragic film legend Veronica Lake's ashes have been discovered in a New York antique store, 30 years after her death. The Blue Dahlia actress died penniless on July 7, 1973 from hepatitis. Her ashes were thought to have been scattered off the Florida coastline, but it has emerged some of them have remained on dry land. Laura Levine, who owns Homer and Langley's Mystery Spot in the Catskills, upstate New York, was amazed with the find and is planning a 16 October homage to the late star with Lake lookalikes. Levine says, "It's a strange little footnote to a fascinating legacy. I'm a huge fan of Veronica Lake. I just think she's brilliant, gorgeous, incredibly talented and underappreciated."
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


Chandu	May 30 2009, 04:32 PM Post #6
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large Posts: 10,276 Group: Members Member #297 Joined: October 19, 2007	mort bakaprevski May 30 2009, 11:07 AM The story of how Raymond Chandler wrote this is actually more interesting than the finished film!! After doing a little online checking, I found that Chandler had quit drinking and had to start again to finish this screenplay and I also found where the Dept. Of The Navy supposedly pressured the studio into changing the ending of the film. Is that what you had in mind Mort, or is there even more? Thanks to Frank and Mr. P for your comments and I can certainly understand how each and every film classic hasn't been gotten around to here yet. I never sat down and really thought about how many films there are out there!
	Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...


mort bakaprevski	May 30 2009, 05:06 PM Post #7
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,433 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	The drinking part was what I was alluding to. There was a paperback out (don't know if it's still in print) which re-printed Chandler's final script. However, they included a bonus of John Houseman (the producer of the film) reminiscing about the incident & his horror regarding the situation. A really fascinating account. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend it. p.s. Great to see Ibis & his Ibis stick (forget if it was one word or two) again!! What a jaw line!!!
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


Chandu	May 30 2009, 05:29 PM Post #8
Knowledge Seeker and rascal at large Posts: 10,276 Group: Members Member #297 Joined: October 19, 2007	mort bakaprevski May 30 2009, 05:06 PM The drinking part was what I was alluding to. There was a paperback out (don't know if it's still in print) which re-printed Chandler's final script. However, they included a bonus of John Houseman (the producer of the film) reminiscing about the incident & his horror regarding the situation. A really fascinating account. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend it. p.s. Great to see Ibis & his Ibis stick (forget if it was one word or two) again!! What a jaw line!!! I knew there was something I was forgetting to mention in my review. I was absolutely amazed to discover John Houseman as the producer of the film! I knew he was a fine actor, but there's obviously more to the man than I realized. There's so much I don't know! I enjoyed Ibis in the comics too and besides, I liked this turbaned charicature better than any of the Chandus I've been able to find so far.
	Not plane, nor bird, nor even frog. It's just little ol' me...


panzer the great & terrible	May 30 2009, 05:59 PM Post #9
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,356 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	Houseman also produced Orson Welles' Mercury Theater stage productions in New York City, including the legendary Voodoo MacBeth and The Cradle Will Rock. He was Welles' "personal assistant" on Citizen Kane and wrote the lyrics to the opera in that movie (which I've never been able to make out). Welles always needed a practical person around and when he fell out (most unprettily) with Houseman it wrecked his ability to get along with the money guys. Another honey of a movie Houseman produced was The Bad and the Beautiful, which ties with George Cukor's A Star Is Born for Best Hollywood-on-Hollywood pic. Houseman's IMDb profile is fascinating. He also produced Letter from an Unknown Woman, Lust For Life, and two of Nick Ray's best pictures. A well-spent life, even though Ghost Story was a little glitch.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


Black Tiger	May 30 2009, 07:56 PM Post #10
Charter Member Posts: 1,818 Group: Members Member #50 Joined: September 15, 2005	panzer the great & terrible May 30 2009, 02:50 PM This from the IMDb listing for the movie: "Tragic film legend Veronica Lake's ashes have been discovered in a New York antique store, 30 years after her death. The Blue Dahlia actress died penniless on July 7, 1973 from hepatitis. Her ashes were thought to have been scattered off the Florida coastline, but it has emerged some of them have remained on dry land. Laura Levine, who owns Homer and Langley's Mystery Spot in the Catskills, upstate New York, was amazed with the find and is planning a 16 October homage to the late star with Lake lookalikes. Levine says, "It's a strange little footnote to a fascinating legacy. I'm a huge fan of Veronica Lake. I just think she's brilliant, gorgeous, incredibly talented and underappreciated." I'm curious how they can prove the ashes belong to Ms. Lake and not great aunt Maude, or even Muffy the cat.



panzer the great & terrible	May 31 2009, 05:47 AM Post #11
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,356 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	Of course you are right, Mr. T -- but while we're at it, how can you prove that the ruby slippers that sold for many thousands ever fit Judy Garland's foot? Why are these things valuable at all? I'll answer that -- they aren't. Only exceptional things are valuable, which is why, after the folks Mr. G's age are gone, Annette Funicello's prom dress won't even be worth dry cleaning.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


greyseal	May 31 2009, 10:12 AM Post #12
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 411 Group: Members Member #355 Joined: February 10, 2008	I've always enjoyed this movie too. But Mort is right that the back story of how this movie got made is much more interesting. John Houseman's autobiography Unfinished Business has a section devoted to the Blue Dahlia, I don't know if it covers the same ground as the book Mort mentioned, but Houseman says that in 1944 Paramount realized their top star (Ladd) was going into the army soon and they did not have an unreleased film of his in the can. The heads of Paramount told their producers that anyone who get a Ladd vehicle started within a month would earn there eternal gratitude. Chandler and Houseman had become friends because they both went to British public school and had weekly luncheons together. At their next lunch Chandler mentioned he working on a book that he was considering turning into a screenplay. Houseman read what Chandler had written up to that point, bought it and Paramount had their Alan Ladd feature. It doesn't look like anyone else was ever considered for the lead, and the 4' 11" Veronica Lake was shorter than Ladd so he was happy with her casting. Houseman's book is very interesting, well worth picking up if you can get your hands on a copy.


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