The Blue Dahlia (1946)

The 1946 film The Blue Dahlia is best known today for its association with the famed "Black Dahlia" case of the subsequent year, which is still unsolved. Written by famed noir master Raymond Chandler I was kind of disappointed with the film, it was like a big square dance of  a movie, its characters, usually in groups of two, repeatedly coming in and out of each others orbits. The central story is about a returning war veteran Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) whose unfaithful wife is murdered shortly after his return home. His two buddies William Bendix and Hugh Beaumont (the dad from Leave it Beaver) try to prove him innocent, and Veronica Lake takes a strong liking to him, but her ex husband (Howard Da Silva) was seeing his murder wife (Doris Dowling) and working with shady club owner Leo (Don Costello, who died before this movie was released). There is also this house detective (Will Wright) who everybody calls "dad" and seems to be playing all sides, as well as associated toughs, police and a DA (Howard Freeman). Subsequently both a lot goes on and seemingly nothing happens in this movie at the same time. It just felt to structured and forced for me, though there was also something playful and almost charming about it which might make the movie more likable on repeat viewing then initial screening, when one is trying to focus on the plot. Ultimately I'm not quite sure what to make of this one, but I find if I think of it as Coen Brothers movie I instantly like it more. **1/2