Product Details

• Actors: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix, Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling
• Directors: George Marshall
• Writers: Raymond Chandler
• Producers: George Marshall, John Houseman
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: March 26, 1996
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0783215517
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,342 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Early Noir, February 17, 2002

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Blue Dahlia [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Although riddled with improbabilities, Raymond Chandler's tough story and script is well served with a glossy look and the hard-edged performances drawn by director George Marshall from a superior cast. THE BLUE DAHLIA concerns a recently discharged military man Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) who returns home to find his wife Helen (Doris Dowling) has been as unfaithful as the day is long--and is presently carrying on with club owner Eddie Harwood (Howard da Silva), over whom her hold is not entirely romantic. After stomping out into the rain, Morrison learns Helen has been murdered, and must race to prove his innocence before the coppers pick him up.

Ladd would give considerably more sophistocated performances in his later years, but he strikes all the right ultra-tough chords, and although Veronica Lake is a rather wooden actress she is remarkably beautiful and as a team the pair has considerable chemistry. The standouts in the cast, however, are Da Silva, who gives the role of the heavy a surprising interpretation, and William Bendix, who plays Ladd's war-wounded buddy to great effect. THE BLUE DAHLIA lacks both the moodiness and grittiness of truly great film noir, so it is not in the first rank of the genre--but it is no less enjoyable for that. The film cracks along at a rapid pace with plenty of action and a surprise twist or two that will keep you guessing to the very end. Ladd and Lake fans will love it, and any one who likes the hardboiled style will be in for a real treat. Recommended.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ladd/Lake magic continues in "The Blue Dahlia"!, April 3, 2005

By 

Dave (Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Dahlia [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This classic is one of the best examples of film noir of the 1940s, and it's also perhaps the best on-screen pairing of macho Alan Ladd and sexy Veronica Lake. This was Raymond Chandler's first screenplay, adopted from his unfinished 128 page novel, The Blue Dahlia. According to Hollywood legend, he got totally drunk while finishing the script, living up to his reputation as an alcoholic. Nevertheless, this is an excellently-crafted noir murder mystery that will have you guessing right up till the end who the real killer is!

Alan Ladd plays Johnny Morrison, a returning WW2 veteran who is eager to see his wife, Helen (Doris Dowling). He walks into his home only to discover her kissing another man, nightclub owner Eddie Harwood (Howard da Silva). As if that wasn't painful enough for him, she also tells him the truth about their child's death during the war: he was killed in a car crash in which she had been driving while drunk. This spells the end of their already troubled marriage, and Johnny leaves her (along with his .45 pistol) behind.

Johnny's two war pals, Buzz (William Bendix) and George (Hugh Beaumont) get a phone call from Helen saying that he's run out on her, and Buzz goes out looking for her to find out more. The next morning, Helen's lifeless body (killed by Johnny's pistol)is found in her home, and police begin an immediate search for Johnny, who's hitched a ride with a beautiful woman, Joyce (Veronica Lake). Unkown to Johny, Joyce is the unhappy wife of Eddie Harwood! Johnny suspects Eddie of his wife's murder, but nothing is as it seems in this thriller with so many twists you'll be dizzy by the end!

This highly underated film noir has great performances from the outstanding cast, and the Raymond Chandler script is very memorable, especially Alan Ladd's "Every guy has seen you before somewhere, the trick is to find you." to Veronica Lake. I hope Universal will release this classic and "The Glass Key" on dvd soon because the vhs is becoming increasingly difficult to find.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece, April 17, 2005

By 

Bobby Underwood "starlighthotel" (Manly NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Blue Dahlia [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Every guy's seen you before, somewhere." -- Johnny to Joyce


The Blue Dahlia is one the finest noir films made during the 1940's as everything is absolutely perfect in the third of four films Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake would make together. Raymond Chandler wrote the original screenplay and George Marshall turned in his finest directing job in this screen classic. This film has the perfect blend of grit and gloss, romance and female treachery, and while the outlook of its anti-hero isn't quite as jaded as it would have been had Howard Hawks filmed this, it still packs a punch.

Lt. Morrison (Ladd) returns from WWII with his two buddies only to find his wife Helen (Doris Dowling) has been unfaithful; in your face unfaithful, and responsible for his son's death while he was away. He confronts her at a party and blows out in a storm, unaware that someone kills her with his own gun only hours later. Joyce Harwood (Lake) meets him for the first time when she offers him a ride in the rain and an attraction between the two begins.

This film is everything others of its kind during the 1940's tried to be, but often failed either in execution or atmosphere. The noir elements of the story are blendid expertly with romantic touches sprinkled throughout, creating a masterpiece in the genre. A scene as Johnny and Joyce cross paths a second time in a restaurant overlooking the sea is a particular standout, the romantic view brought back into dark focus when he overhears a bulletin on the radio alerting him he is being sought by the police for the murder of his wife.

Like Johnny, Joyce is running from something, and trying to help him takes her right back to The Blue Dahlia nightclub. Johnny's loyal war buddies are on hand to help him but the shell-shocked Buss (William Bendix) can't quite remember what he did the night Johnny's wife was murdered. The list of suspects begins to grow and includes a slimy hotel detective and the guy Joyce is all tangled up with, who just happens to be, of course, the owner of The Blue Dahlia. Lake's Joyce is softer than some noir heroines but still holds back information, just a shade less than being on the up and up.

This may be the most entertaining 100 minutes you'll ever spend watching a film in this genre and is certain to become one of your favorites once the end credits roll. Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake were one of the great screen couples, and one of the most popular during the 1940's. Johnny alludes to Joyce being the girl we all dream about for ourselves near the end of the film when he keeps her from driving away. Ladd and Lake were a dream come true for Paramount, and movie audiences. A fabulous film not to be missed.