Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Must See Movie...

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Just when I thought that the "Boston Blackie" series couldn't get any better comes along this episode with a genuinely spooky performance by future film noir anti hero Steve Cochran. Known as "the man who sailed to Tahiti with an all girl crew" (and didn't return), Cochran had a brief leading man career and quite the off screen life, apparently. He's obvious damaged goods from the moment he's seen on screen, overhearing estranged uncle Harry Hayden describe him to Chester Morris's Boston Blackie. Sweet Nina Foch (in a wig straight out of a Val Lewton film) and brassy Iris Adrian add the feminine touch, although Adrian seems to be trying to swallow her own head as she talks. Sociopath Cochran sets off on a reign of terror with Boston Blackie accused of his crimes. There's no mystery, obviously, but in being presented as a thriller with horror elements (comedy inserted thanks to sidekick George E. Stone and cynical detective Richard Lane), and ending up with a film that is beautifully played out. Forgive the one sequence of Morris and Stone in horrible blackface, acting absolutely absurd. No indication of why Cochran is the way he is other than contemptuous relationships with his family is given, but in life, sometimes the eggs are just bad and no amount of psychology can explain it.

The one constant thread in the Boston Blackie series is Richard Lane's obsession with nailing Chester Morris for some big crime. And of course Morris has to go to work to nail the real crooks to prove his innocence.But Inspector Farraday's obsession with Boston Blackie is a bit much in Boston Blackie's Rendezvous. Whatever else he is society crook Blackie is no homicidal maniac and Farraday should know that. Still the writers here think he's a strangler.This all begins when Blackie's playboy friend Arthur Manleder calls late at night on Blackie and the Runt to find his nephew Jimmy Cook who has escaped from an asylum for the hopelessly insane. Cook is played with sardonic brilliance by Steve Cochran in one of his early films. Cook breaks in on Blackie after Manleder leaves and nearly kills him, but does rob him of one of his suits for a disguise.Then he goes after an obsession of his, taxi dancer Nina Foch. Quite frankly if Farraday wasn't so obsessed with Blackie the film might have been over in 15 minutes.Arthur Manleder is played in this film by Harry Hayden taking over from Lloyd Corrigan. The Manleder character was dropped from future Boston Blackie films. And Iris Adrian is at her brassy best as Foch's roommate and general protector.Boston Blackie's Rendezvous is good for the presence of Steve Cochran and Nina Foch and bad for Richard Lane's obsession taken to truly silly lengths.

Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945) *** (out of 4) Ninth film in Columbia's Boston Blackie series once again features Chester Morris in the role. In this film, a psychopath (Steve Cochran) escapes from an asylum and begins to strangle various women. It appears he's working his way down a line until he can meet a dancer (Nina Foch) he became obsessed with in the asylum. Blackie (Morris), The Runt (George E. Stone) and Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) are once again hot on the case. This is a step up from the last couple films I've seen in the series because it's unlike anything that came before it. Cochran is very good as the killer and the screenplay doesn't shy away from his evilness. Morris, Stone and Lane are as entertaining as ever. Morris gets to do a couple nice magic tricks in the film and the twist involving the killer trapping him was well written.

Rendezvous was a harder entry in the Blackie series (9/14), dealing with a cunning escaped lunatic who strangles women as easy as breathing. The loony was played by wide eyed and breathless tough cookie Steve Cochran, who managed to pin a murder onto Blackie and Runt, who have Farraday and Matthews after them as usual.Some neat detective moments trying to track down the woman he was really after. The worst thing about the film to me is the pointless murder of the hotel chambermaid - we knew he was a bad hat to be avoided anyway without that - and afterwards her body was the subject of a short comedy routine! Harder, like I said.But as to be expected, lots of witty repartee between the main protagonists make it another good b picture to watch in the best Boston Blackie mould.