The Blue Gardenia [1953] [DVD]

The Blue Gardenia is a rather disappointing noir from Fritz Lang, and easily the weakest of his tabloid trilogy (Gardenia, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt and the superb While the City Sleeps). It lacks the guts to really go for the jugular and the set-up is pure production line stuff - watchable but forgettable, with Raymond Burr's seduction technique leaving the only lasting impression. It's hard to get excited by the DVD either - no extras and an acceptable but far from outstanding transfer.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Image Entertainment presents "THE BLUE GARDENIA" (1953) (90 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- After learning that her boyfriend, a GI in Korea, has found someone else, Norah Larkin impulsively agrees to meet womanizer Harry Prebble for dinner --- Norah allows herself to get drunk and accept Prebble's invitation to his apartment --- When he tries to force himself on her, she hits him with a poker --- Unfortunately, Prebble is found dead the next morning, and Norah, not even remembering how she got home, thinks that she killed him --- Meanwhile, newspaperman Casey Mayo, looking for an angle, invites the "Blue Gardenia Murderess" to turn herself in to him.

Excellent noir from Fritz Lang, with a stand-out performance from Raymond Burr.

Under the production staff of:
Fritz Lang [Director]
Charles Hoffman [Screenwriter]
Vera Caspary [Story]
Alex Gottlieb [Producer]
Raoul Kraushaar [Original Film Score]
Nicholas Musuraca [Cinematographer]
Edward Mann [Film Editor]

BIOS:
1. Fritz Lang [Friedrich Christian Anton Lang] [Director]
Date of Birth: 5 December 1890 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]
Date of Death: 2 August 1976 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California

2. Anne Baxter
Date of Birth: 7 May 1923 - Michigan City, Indiana
Date of Death: 12 December 1985 - New York City, New York

3. Richard Conte [aka: Richard Nicholas Peter Conte]
Date of Birth: 24 March 1910 - Jersey City, New Jersey
Date of Death: 15 April 1975 - Los Angeles, California

4. Ann Sothern [aka: Harriette Arlene Lake]
Date of Birth: 22 January 1909 - Valley City, North Dakota
Date of Death: 15 March 2001 - Ketchum, Idaho

5. Raymond Burr [aka: Raymond William Stacy Burr]
Date of Birth: 21 May 1917 - New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Date of Death: 12 September 1993 - Sonoma, California

the cast includes:
Anne Baxter ... Norah Larkin
Richard Conte ... Casey Mayo
Ann Sothern ... Crystal Carpenter
Raymond Burr ... Harry Prebble
Jeff Donnell ... Sally Ellis
Richard Erdman ... Al
George Reeves ... Police Capt. Sam Haynes
Ruth Storey ... Rose Miller
Ray Walker ... Homer
Nat 'King' Cole ... Himself

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 90 min on DVD ~ Image Entertainment ~ (04/11/2000)

Harry Prebble (Raymund Burr) is an artist who is a sleaze with women.
He is making his way through a group of switch board operators when one
evening he is murdered by a mystery female. The police are gradually
uncovering clues, eg, a blue gardenia (also the name of the club where
he was last seen with a mystery blonde), a pair of shoes, and a blind
woman remembers the sound of a black taffeta dress. Norah (Anne
Baxter), Crystal (Ann Sothern) and Sally (Jeff Donnell) are room-mates
who are following the case with interest. One evening it dawns on
Crystal that Norah is the person that the police are hunting....Norah
makes a deal with a reporter Casey Mayo (Richard Conte) in return for
protection in the up-coming case. However, it backfires but Casey takes
the Police Captain (George Reeves) to investigate one last line of
enquiry.....

The film is a mystery that gradually unfolds even though we know who
the presumed guilty party is from the outset. Unfortunately, Anne
Baxter is a little OTT in some of her reactions, and I found her annoying at times. Ann Sothern does well as does Raymund Burr and I enjoyed the film. The ending is what I had hoped for.....