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Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion | |
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Directed by | Arthur Dreifuss |
Written by | Paul Yawitz Malcolm Stuart Boylan (story) Jack Boyle (character) |
Produced by | Michael Kraike (as Michel Krauke) |
Starring | Chester Morris Lynn Merrick Steve Cochran Richard Lane George E. Stone |
Cinematography | George Meehan |
Edited by | Richard Fantl |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 66 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (also known as Booked on Suspicion) is the eighth of 14 Columbia Pictures B movies starring Chester Morris as reformed thief Boston Blackie.
Boston Blackie's wealthy friend, Arthur Manleder, purchases an upscale bookstore from aged Wilfred Kittredge, but retains his services as a book expert. However, when Kittredge becomes ill just before an important auction he was to conduct, Blackie proves that he can impersonate him, fooling everyone, including Police Inspector Farraday.
With the assistance of store employee Gloria, Blackie runs the auction without a hitch. The centerpiece is a rare first edition of Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers , which goes for $62,000. However, the purchaser discovers that the book is a fake and demands his money back. $50,000 had already been sent to the book's owner/forger, Porter Hadley. Blackie tracks him down, but arrives just too late. Hadley's partner, Gloria, finds him packed and ready to leave. She shoots him and takes the money. Blackie hears the gunfire, forcing her to flee; in her haste, the money gets stuck in the other doorway. Blackie takes the envelope of cash. By sheer bad timing, Farraday and Sergeant Matthews arrive while Blackie is examining Hadley's body, and arrest him for murder.
Blackie has little difficulty escaping. Still unaware of the identity of the real murderer, he takes Gloria into his confidence. He puts the money in the store's safe while she watches with interest. That night, she and her husband, escaped safecracker Jack Higgins, break into the shop, but are forced to leave without the cash when Blackie and Arthur arrive.
When Jack arranges to meet Blackie, Blackie recognizes him. He agrees to give Higgins half the proceeds, but Blackie's sidekick "the Runt" informs Gloria that he will not be bringing real cash, and that the $50,000 is stashed in Arthur's home safe. Jack and an accomplice tie Blackie up. Jack then leaves to get the money. Blackie gets free, phones Farraday and heads to Arthur's suite. There, he and the Runt capture and bind Jack. Then Blackie forces Gloria to write out a confession, convincing her how coldblooded he can be by pretending to shoot her husband dead (the unseen Runt just knocks him out). Jack regains consciousness and control of the situation, allowing Gloria to burn her confession. When Farraday and his men break in, Blackie presents the inspector with a blank sheet of paper, claiming he switched the pages. Gloria incriminates herself and is arrested and taken away with her husband, Jack Higgins.
Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend."
Lloyd Corrigan was an American film and television actor, producer, screenwriter, and director who began working in films in the 1920s. The son of actress Lillian Elliott, Corrigan directed films, usually mysteries such as Daughter of the Dragon starring Anna May Wong, before dedicating himself more to acting in 1938. His short La Cucaracha won an Academy Award in 1935.
The Chance of a Lifetime is a 1943 crime drama starring Chester Morris, Erik Rolf and Jeanne Bates. It is one of 14 films made by Columbia Pictures involving detective Boston Blackie, a criminal-turned-crime solver. This was the sixth in the series and one of three that did not have his name in the title. The film is also William Castle's directorial debut. As with many of the films of the period, this was a flag waver to support America's efforts during World War II.
Richard Lane, sometimes known as Dick Lane, was an American actor and television announcer/presenter. In movies, he played assured, fast-talking slickers: usually press agents, policemen and detectives, sometimes swindlers and frauds. He is perhaps best known to movie fans as "Inspector Farraday" in the Boston Blackie mystery-comedies. Lane also played Faraday in the first radio version of Boston Blackie, which ran on NBC from June 23, 1944 to September 15, 1944. Lane was an early arrival on television, first as a news reporter and then as a sports announcer, broadcasting wrestling and roller derby shows on KTLA-TV, mainly from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
George E. Stone was a Polish-born American character actor in films, radio, and television.
Francis Thomas Sullivan, known professionally as Frank Sully, was an American film actor. He appeared in over 240 films between 1934 and 1968. Today's audiences know him best as the dumb detective in the Boston Blackie features, and as the foil in many Three Stooges comedies.
Meet Boston Blackie is a 1941 American mystery crime film directed by Robert Florey starring Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Richard Lane. Morris plays Boston Blackie, a notorious, but honorable jewel thief. Although the character had been the hero of a number of silent films, this was the first talking picture. It proved popular enough for Columbia Pictures to produce a total of fourteen B movies, all starring Morris. The next film in the sequence was Confessions of Boston Blackie.
Walter Sande was an American character actor, known for numerous supporting film and television roles.
Confessions of Boston Blackie is a 1941 American mystery crime film directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Chester Morris, Harriet Hilliard and Richard Lane. A woman consigns a family heirloom to a pair of unscrupulous art dealers in order to raise money to help her sick brother. This film is the second in the series of 14 Columbia Pictures Boston Blackie films, all starring Morris as the reformed crook. It was preceded by Meet Boston Blackie (1941) and followed by Alias Boston Blackie (1942).
Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood is a 1942 American crime film, fourth of the fourteen Boston Blackie films of the 1940s Columbia's series of B pictures based on Jack Boyle's pulp-fiction character.
Alias Boston Blackie (1942) is the third in a series of fourteen Columbia Pictures "B" movies starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. It was preceded by Meet Boston Blackie, Confessions of Boston Blackie and followed by Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood. Once again, Blackie is suspected of committing a crime, in this instance of helping a prisoner escape.
After Midnight with Boston Blackie is a 1943 crime film directed by Lew Landers. It is the fifth of a series of 14 Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. When a recently paroled friend of Boston Blackie is killed, he finds himself once again the prime suspect of Police Inspector Farraday.
One Mysterious Night is a 1944 crime film, the seventh in a Columbia Pictures series of fourteen starring Chester Morris as reformed crook Boston Blackie. It was preceded by The Chance of a Lifetime and followed by Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion. Blackie is called upon to recover a stolen diamond.
Boston Blackie and the Law is the twelfth of fourteen Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as reformed crook Boston Blackie.
A Close Call for Boston Blackie is a 1946 American crime film directed by Lew Landers. It is the 10th of 14 Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie.
The Phantom Thief is a 1946 American mystery crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Chester Morris, Jeff Donnell and Richard Lane. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures as part of the Boston Blackie series.
Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture is a 1949 mystery film directed by Seymour Friedman, starring Chester Morris. This was the last of Columbia's 14 Boston Blackie pictures (1941–49).
Boston Blackie's Rendezvous is a 1945 American crime film directed by Arthur Dreifuss. The working title of this film was Surprise in the Night.
Trapped by Boston Blackie is a 1948 American crime drama directed by Seymour Friedman. It is the thirteenth of fourteen Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as reformed crook Boston Blackie, and the final film with George E. Stone as his sidekick, "The Runt".
Boston Blackie is an American old-time radio detective drama. It was broadcast on NBC June 23, 1944 – September 15, 1944, and later was syndicated.