Every time this is repeated on TV I can't help but watch it to the end; it's crammed with sharp lines, great performances, and the best studio production there could be. Unfortunately it's let down badly in two places; when Veronica Lake picks up Alan Ladd in the torrential rain - this is scripted as perfectly normal, and even in 1946 LA(?) that's doubtful - this scene just clunks; and in the ending, which as many have pointed out was changed, turning it into less of a film noir and more of a gung-ho for the navy pic. The supporting cast, however, don't have to contend with these plot shenanigans, and the nasty, shabby side of postwar LA is portrayed without a seam showing. The cops, the partygoers, the flophouse heavies, they're all totally convincing. I even reckon Morrison's wife (name escapes me while this page is open) gives Lake a run for her nylons. Gets better with every viewing. God-damn monkey music!!!
Review of The Blue Dahlia
