Rating of
2.5/4
"The Blue Dahlia" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 12/28/11
A navy flier returns from the South Pacific with two army buddies, but when his wife is found murdered he finds himself on the run and in search of the real killer. I had high hopes for The Blue Dahlia, penned as it was by Raymond Chandler but I was left a little disappointed. The partnership of Ladd and Lake worked well but I didn't think they spent enough time on screen together and Lake's character was a little irrelevant to the rather workmanlike plot. All the scenes that involved Ladd playing the tough guy were great though and the villains of the piece had a lot of character. The supporting cast were a little guilty of hamminess (especially the admittedly attractively sultry Doris Dowling) but as a whole it hung together thanks to a strong central performance by the star. I just felt it lacked the edginess of the best Noirs.
