Film Review: The Blue Dahlia (1946)

Second World War played important role in creation of film noir as a genre, mainly by making world look much darker than before and much easier for audience to accept “black films” than before. It also provided an interesting background for plots and general atmosphere in some of the most successful or iconic films of the genres. Among those one of the best known is The Blue Dahlia, 1946 crime thriller directed by George Marshall.

The plot begins when the number of recently demobilised US military servicemen return home from battlefields. Those include Lieutenant Commander Johnny Morrison (played by Alan Ladd), US Navy aviator who comes to Los Angeles accompanied by two members of his crew – Buzz Vanchek (played by William Bendix) and George Copeland (played by Hugh Beaumont). Johnny wants to reconnect with his wife Helen (played by Doris Dowling), but when he comes to surprise her, he is shocked to see that she is throwing large parties and live in bungalow, being kept as mistress by Eddie Harwood (played by Howard da Silva), rich owner of Blue Dahlia night club with connections to organised crime. The reunion ends very poorly, but things get even worse for embittered Johnny when Helen is next day found murdered and himself being sought by police as the obvious suspect. Johnny thinks that he can clear his name only if he finds the real killer, and during his quest he finds all kinds of shady characters that want to take advantage of him. Apart his two loyal war comrades, the only help he receives is mysterious beautiful woman Joyce (played by Veronica Lake), who happens to be involved in case in unexpected ways.

The Blue Dahlia had film noir credentials established mainly on the account of being based on the original screenplay by Raymond Chandler, famous author of hard boiled detective novels, some of which would later be adapted into screen classics. Despite having some of film noir elements, The Blue Dahlia can be also characterised as more generic “whodunnit” crime mystery. Reason for that can be found in solid, but unremarkable direction of George Marshall, prolific veteran director whose true speciality were light comedies. Chandler would later criticise Marshall’s work, with much of his animosity being caused by frustrating circumstances on the set. The Blue Dahlia was rushed into production during last months of the war, with Paramount Pictures fearing that their most lucrative star Alan Ladd could be mobilised. Producer John Houseman hired Chandler to write script which he couldn’t write on time, being faced with serious writers’ block which he would ultimately deal by heavy drinking. The most frustrating thing for Chandler was ending, which he delivered when the shooting was still going on, but which he had to change over not being in line with guidelines of wartime propaganda and heavy censorship.

Despite scriptwriter’s objections, The Blue Dahlia is a good film. Its beginning gives interesting glimpse into emerging world of prosperous post-war America, seen from the perspective of returning veterans who suddenly realise that the people they left behind are having much easier life than they would have imagined beforehand. Film also works well as a crime mystery by having many potential murder suspects from shady underbelly of sunny California and there is even some heavy action in couple of scenes. Reuniting of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, who were such formidable couple in This Gun for Hire few years earlier, doesn’t work that well. While Ladd is good in his role as protagonist, Lake appears too late in the film for her character have meaningful relationship with Johnny. Both actors are overshadowed by small army of capable character actors like Howard da Silva, Ben Costello in his last role as gang boss and Will Wright as elderly house detective. But nobody could match intensity of William Bendix who plays Buzz as amnesiac, overemotional and ocasionally violent veteran with metal plate in his head. Bendix gives excellent performance portraying what was at the time known “shell shock” or “battle fatigue” and what is nowadays known as PTSD. Great acting and solid direction are more than enough for The Blue Dahlia being forgiven for not living up to high standards associated with its scriptwriters. The audience and critics, on the other hand, loved this film at the time making it one of the most successful film noirs. Later it contributed to popular culture by inspiring nickname of Elizabeth Short a.k.a. “Black Dahlia”, victim of the most infamous unsolved murder in history of Hollywood.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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