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A Close Call for Boston Blackie
A Close Call for Boston Blackie
	Film poster
Directed by	Lew Landers
Written by	Jack Boyle (character); Ben Markson; Paul Yawitz (story); Malcolm Stuart Boylan (add. dialogue)
Produced by	John Stone
Starring	Chester Morris; Lynn Merrick
Cinematography	Burnett Guffey
Edited by	Jerome Thoms
Music by	Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	January 24, 1946;
Running time	60 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

A Close Call for Boston Blackie is a 1946 American crime film directed by Lew Landers. It is the 10th of 14 Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie.

Plot

Ignoring Inspector Farraday's friendly advice to stop helping women, Boston Blackie goes to the rescue of a female being attacked by two men. She is Geraldine "Gerry" Peyton, an old flame of his. She begs him to help protect her baby from her husband John, who has just been paroled.

When John finds them together, he assumes that the child is Blackie's and draws a gun. A fight ensues during which an unseen third party shoots John. Acting on an anonymous tip, Farraday arrives soon after and assumes that Blackie is responsible for the dead body. Blackie has his sidekick, the "Runt", hide the baby at the apartment of the Runt's girlfriend, Mamie Carleton.

Blackie escapes from dimwitted Sergeant Matthews. An investigation soon arouses his suspicions. Gerry and Smiley Slade are trying to swindle her wealthy father-in-law Cyrus Peyton. The child is actually her brother Hack Hagen's. They framed Blackie in order to make John disappear. When Hagen tries to renege, worried that he will not be given his son, Smiley shoots him.

Disguised as Cyrus, Blackie goes to see the pair. He manages to overcome Smiley only to have Farraday break in, arrest him and let Gerry and Smiley go free. However, it is all a joke on Blackie. For once, Farraday has determined the identity of the real crooks. When Blackie goes downstairs, he sees the pair in handcuffs.

Cast

Chester Morris as Boston Blackie
Lynn Merrick as Geraldine "Gerry" Peyton
Richard Lane as Inspector Farraday
Frank Sully as Sergeant Matthews
George E. Stone as "The Runt"

Reception

The Niagara Falls Review remarked that "the action comes with speed and suspense, not to mention plenty of laughter as relief."^[1]

Dorothy Masters of the New York Daily News wrote that the "new story isn't bad, but the comedy is."^[2]

References

^ "Movies". Niagara Falls Review. 1946-10-17. p. 8.
^ Masters, Dorothy (1946-02-14). "Boston Blackie Back for New Adventures". New York Daily News. p. 15C.