Lured (DVD)

This is an entertaining film from 1947. It was originally released through United Artists but it has the look of a quintessential product from the Universal lot.

Visually, about half the film has the appearance of film noir, full of dandy shadows and wet-looking streets (every frame shot on a sound stage, of course.) The plot of "Lured," however, is not noirish but a confection of plucky girl detective, woman in peril and outright romance. With Lucille Ball as the star, you can count on both competent dramatics and a nice comic edge--one far more refined than you might expect if you know Ball only from her Lucy Ricardo persona.

"Lured" was an independent production, but certainly not one from poverty row. It is more than a B-picture, with its elaborate crowd scenes and often sumptuous-looking sets, but less than an A-picture as defined by MGM or Paramount. Call it an A-.

Where the acting chops of the cast is concerned, though, this is very much an A-picture. Think of it, in addition to the sui generis Ball, we are presented with George Sanders, Cedric Hardwick, Charles Coburn, Boris Karloff (admittedly in a short cameo that probably took no more than one or two days to shoot), George Zucco, Alan Mowbray and Joseph Calleia. With the possible exception of Calleia (whom those familiar with Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil" will recognize as an actor shamefully underestimated by Hollywood throughout his long career), just think of the sheer resonance! Actors had voices then, not the flattened sounds and comparative squeeks that we accept today.

This particular print is not bad, a little spotty, but pretty good as far as the visuals are concerned. The soundtrack is a mess, though, forcing the viewer to make numerous adjustments in volume throughout the length of the film. When you acquire this DVD, you get "Lured," and that's all you get; there are no commentaries, trailers or extras of any sort. And that's a pity, because I, for one, we be happy to know more about the circumstances of this film.

This is not a great picture and there are some fairly obvious faults, among them an excess of red herrings and diversions, a softening of Ball's character into what seems now to be a little too PG-acceptable, and the almost painfully obvious identity of the guy whodunit. Nevertheless, "Lured" is an enjoyable piece of entertainment worth four solid stars.

Says Scotland Yard Inspector Harley Temple, "There's a homicidal maniac loose somewhere in the vast honeycomb of London, a maniac with a weakness for young, pretty girls -- and not one thing we've done has brought us one inch nearer his apprehension."

That is about to change. When a friend of the last victim goes to Scotland Yard to ask if the police have learned anything, Inspector Temple (Charles Coburn) seizes his chance. Sandra Carpenter (Lucille Ball) may be American, but she is young, pretty and feisty. Temple knows the killer has sought his victims through notices in the personal columns of the newspapers. So he recruits Sandra to answer the most promising ads and assigns H. R. Barrett (George Zucco) to keep an eye on her. Sandra Carpenter will be the bait to lure a deranged killer who likes to warn the police what is going to happen by quoting Baudelaire on the beauty of death.

"Are you young, chic, shapely and no prude?"
"Bird lover wants long walks in country with pretty, unmarried young lady as soul mate."
"Famous artist seeks beautiful model."
"Aristocratic home offers unusual opportunity for attractive woman."

Sandra answers all of these and quickly finds herself involved with an addled dress designer, a 12-year-old boy, a "modeling" agency and a white slave ring. While all this is underway she also meets Robert Fleming (George Sanders), a cheerful bon vivant, who, with his partner, Julian Wilde (Cedric Hardwicke), owns several posh London supperclubs. Fleming has the charm and loves the ladies, Wilde reads the contracts and keeps an eye on the pounds and pence. After one major misadventure, it seems clear that the evidence is pointing to Fleming as the killer. But is he? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

Lured may not be an A movie, but it is much more than a B programmer. It's a well-mounted serial murder mystery with a nice psycho twist, with plenty of wet, dark London streets, fine homes and white tie and tails. It also is a romantic comedy of sorts, with good lines, droll humor and strong characters. The first half of the movie, while Sandra answers the ads and meets some eccentric characters, is amusing. Boris Karloff shows up in a cameo as an out-of-sync designer who presents his work to a room of empty chairs, a bull dog, two manikins and a sharp sword. Alan Mobray turns in a nice job as a butler in a fine home who dabbles in shipping young women off to South America. Fine performances are turned in by the other noted character actors, including Coburn, Zucco and Joseph Calleia. Especially noteworthy is Cedric Hardwicke, playing a somewhat prissy, cultured man with perfect manners. As for the leads, George Sanders has a role where his usual condescending amusement is tempered by real charm and the emergence of love for Miss Carpenter. This is Lucille Ball's movie, however, and she makes a great heroine, funny, sincere and at times unsure of herself. Those quizzical eyebrows and her good-natured skepticism, not to mention her first-rate looks, make her a person to root for.

Lured has lots of red herrings, humor and chills, as well as a tense cat-and-mouse game at the end. If you like older movies and appreciate what experienced character actors can bring to a movie, this would be worth buying.

Douglas Sirk went on to direct those mammoth tear-jerkers of the Fifties, Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows. Leo Rosten, who wrote the screenplay, wrote two classic books still worth reading, The Education of H*y*m*a*n K*a*p*l*a*n and The Joys of Yiddish. And the year before Lured, in 1946, Sirk and Sanders again paired in A Scandal in Paris, a witty and amusing story of a thief who becomes the police chief of Paris. Sirk once again was able to tease a performance from Sanders that minimized the boredom and emphasized the charm. It's a movie worth buying, too.

A bargain of a film, I believe this is a really good watch. Some funny moments between characters. A good quality transfer to DVD. Soundtrack is good also.