1946 - THE BLUE DAHLIA, not classic film noir

Raymond Chandler's only original screenplay is a disappointing mess which highlights the worst aspects of his writing, improbable plotting in a completely confusing mystery that makes absolutely no sense.  Chandler was good at characterization and hard boiled dialog but even this seems pretty second rate.

This film is so out of it we get one of the lamest cliched scenes in mystery films, gathering all of the suspects in one room while the police sort out who did what to whom.

Raymond Chandler was a notorious alcoholic and Hollywood legend has it that the director George Marshall and the producer John Houseman had to keep him liquored up in order to get him to finish the screenplay.  This story is probably close to the truth, The Black Dahlia is disappointing compared to other film adaptations like Murder My Sweet and The Big Sleep.

The Black Dahlia was known for the re-teaming of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake a screen team for Paramount in 1940's film noir.  The film also stars William Bendix a popular character actor as a World War II vet with a few mental problems a character done to death in films.

Veronica Lake is kind of interesting to look at however The Blue Dahlia is one of those "classic" films that really doesn't deserve it's classic status.  The film is essentially a mediocre murder mystery.

Pretty worthless film.

96 minutes.