Blind Spot *** (1947, Chester Morris, Constance Dowling, Steven Geray, Sid Tomack) – Classic Movie Review 11,209

The 1947 black and white double-feature film noir crime thriller Blind Spot stars Chester Morris as a drunken thriller writer who has to try to clear his name of killing his hated publisher in the same way as his latest story.

Director Robert Gordon’s Columbia Pictures 1947 black and white double-feature film noir crime mystery thriller Blind Spot stars Chester Morris as drunken thriller writer Jeffrey Andrews, who has to try to clear his name with the aid of the publisher’s writer secretary, after he is accused of killing his publisher.

The publisher’s body is found in a locked room, exactly in the way the mystery writer invented in his latest story and told it to the publisher. Unfortunately for him, the writer got blind drunk the night the publisher he hated was murdered.

The question is, if he didn’t do it, who did? And another question is, how did his solution to the crime work? This he can’t remember because of all the booze. Other people he knows start ending up dead, probably because he told them the solution to the murder.

This neat little thriller is tense, taut and well done, with a good mystery, based on an original story by Barry Perowne, good pulpy dialogue with a screenplay by Martin Goldsmith, and a useful star turn by Morris.

Also in the cast are Constance Dowling, Steven Geray, James Bell, William Forrest, Sid Tomack, Paul E Burns, Harry Strang, Steve Benton, Paul Bryar, Jimmy Gray, Robert Hartford, Frank Mayo, Brian O’Hara and Charles Jordan.

Blind Spot is directed by Robert Gordon, runs 73 minutes, is made and released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Martin Goldsmith, based on an original story by Barry Perowne, is shot in black and white by George B Meehan, is produced by Ted Richmond, is scored by Paul Sawtell and is designed by Cary Odell.

Release date: February 6, 1947.

Oscar-nominated Chester Morris is best known for The Big House (1930) and for playing Boston Blackie in the 1940s detective series of 14 films beginning with Meet Boston Blackie (1941) and Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941). He received his Academy Award nomination for Alibi (1929).

The cast

The cast are Chester Morris as Jeffrey Andrews, Constance Dowling as Evelyn Green, Steven Geray as Lloyd Harrison, James Bell as Det. Lt. Fred Applegate, William Forrest as Henry Small, Sid Tomack, Paul E Burns, Harry Strang, Steve Benton, Paul Bryar, Jimmy Gray, Robert Hartford, Frank Mayo, Brian O’Hara and Charles Jordan.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,209

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