Got What He Deserved?

Where The Boyfriend Is A Jerk, But NOT The Biggest Jerk.

The Blue Gardenia (1953) – A young woman has too much to drink and goes back to the apartment of a pickup artist. The next morning, she wakes up to a raging hangover and a dead body. Did she kill him? The early evidence says yes.

Directed by Fritz Lang

Starring – Anne Baxter, Ann Sothern, Richard Conte, Jeff Donnell, Raymond Burr, George Reeves

Why I Liked It – Lang is on point (as always) with a tight, exciting murder mystery.

My respect for Fritz Lang as a director continues to grow as I explore more of his work. This is a classic murder mystery. A bad guy turns up dead, a woman with a multi-hour gap in her memory, and physical evidence that points right at her. Lang keeps things moving ahead, gives nothing away too soon, and keeps the movie looking great. He and his cinematographer (Nicholas Musuraca) even developed a new camera dolly to allow for long tracking shots. We take that stuff for granted today. The title was unknown to me, so I had no expectations going in other than the interest in the director.

Anne Baxter leads a cast that “stars” a trio of female characters that are much more interesting than most of the men around them. Baxter plays Norah Larkin, a telephone operator pining for a soldier boy friend in Korea. She gets a “Dear Norah” letter from him on her birthday and takes a chance on meeting with a smooth wolf (Burr), who has been flirting with all the women in the telephone exchange. Her roommates are the worldly Crystal (Sothern), and the innocently flirtatious Sally (played by Donnell. Yes, Jeff Donnell. It’s a nickname from the actress’s childhood that she continued to use in her professional life), who loves steamy crime novels. As the investigation goes on, a columnist from the local paper (Conte) falls out of love with the sordid story and falls in love with the beautiful suspect.

Burr is best known for his upright television icons like Ironside and Perry Mason. But he has done some incredible work as bad guys. His work as Lars Thorwald in “Rear Window” leaps instantly to mind. He is everything that triggers modern women to “choose the bear”. Leering, pushy, taking advantage of a woman who is too drunk to consent, plus his general demeanor with several other women in the movie. It’s hard to feel to sorry for him, as he lies dead on the carpet of his apartment. And that’s a plus for the movie.

There are several members of the supporting cast of note. George Reeves, star of the 1950s “Superman” television series, plays the smart detective in charge of the investigation. Meanwhile, the great singer Nat King Cole plays himself, and sings the title song. Also, in the brief musical interlude you’ll find a name with ties to classic rock of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Papa John Creech. The multi-genre violinist plays in Cole’s screen band. He is best known to a certain generation of music fans as the blues violinist for Jefferson Airplane, and its spin-off act, Hot Tuna.

Solid script, solid cast, and an outstanding director work together to make “Blue Gardenia” worth your time!

You can watch “Blue Gardenia” on Amazon Prime, Roku, Plex, and Kanopy.

Rating – *** Worth A Look

This is the only trailer I could find. A little strange, but the benefit is you get to hear the velvet voice of Nat King Cole!