Moviecut—Dressed to Kill

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source: Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill

In this Michael Shayne movie, there's a very strange mystery. A woman and man are both found shot and sitting at the same table. The woman had been shot with a handgun and the man with a rife. But, they were discovered after only ONE shot was heard! Now Shayne being a somewhat shady private dick, he began exploiting this to his own benefit...by getting rich folks to pay him to keep them out of the case! But there is one minor problem...Shayne begins working this case when he's supposed to be with fiancee...getting married! In addition to Shayne, there are lots of very good support...including the Vaudeville act of Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland. Overall, it's an unremarkable but pleasant B-mystery...nothing really special but still handled pretty well by Twentieth Century Fox.

The third Michael Shayne film Lloyd Nolan made for Fox. This one has hard-boiled detective Shayne (Lloyd Nolan) set to marry his sweetheart (Mary Beth Hughes) but a double homicide in a theatre draws his attention away. Nolan is great in this role. He was made for delivering the snappy dialogue that was the best part of the Michael Shayne films. Mary Beth Hughes is very cute but doesn't get much to do here. She appeared in two other Shayne movies, playing a different character in each one. Nice supporting cast includes William Demarest, Henry Daniell, and pretty Sheila Ryan. Demarest is especially fun. Mantan Moreland and Ben Carter also provide some comic relief. It's a good B detective picture helped by healthy doses of comedy. I also liked the moments of weirdness such as when Shayne first discovers the murder victims in their bizarre costumes. It's a good way to pass the time if you like detective stories.

Lloyd Nolan as Private Investigator Shayne cracks a murder case in the building where his bride-to-be. He gave comic flair in this who-did-it film. Henry Daniel, a usual heavy in films, is comparatively light as the major suspect, who may have defrauded the victim while carrying on with the latter's wife. Both the wife and Danielle's parts are greatly understated. William Demarest is effective as the head police officer, often victimized in the film, especially by the real killer. The movie just proves that even a man can seek revenge even after 26 passing years. The killer is as devious as they come. As far as the planned marriage goes, you can forget it. We have an assortment of suspects here and most are even comical when you think about it.

Detective Michael Shayne (Lloyd Nolan) and his girlfriend Joanne (Mary Beth Hughes) are on their way to be married when a scream from a nearby hotel room draws his attention to a pair of theatrical murders. This was the fourth in a series of Michael Shayne detective films. The first seven were made by 20th Century Fox and starred Lloyd Nolan. The final five were made by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) and starred Hugh Beaumont. There were also three radio shows (1944–1953) and a television series (1960–1961) based on the Michael Shayne character. Interesting racial stereotypes, with Otto Han as a Japanese servant with poor English skills and the humorous Mantan Moreland (who was in "King of the Zombies" this same year).

Watching this and other Mike Shane entries in this series is truly a treat. They simply don't make them like this any more! Lloyd Nolan is a glib, fast-talking, somewhat arrogant Mike Shane but these traits only add to the character. This one was filmed on a set--unlike some of the others--and the viewer doesn't get a time-travel perspective of the way things looked in 1941. Even so, this little film is well worth watching and owning. Black cast members are given roles of ghost-fearing janitors and one--Mantan Moreland--has his name misspelled in the credits. Oh, if you like double-breasted suits, this film is for you. Shane and other male members of the cast wear them in every scene.

"Dressed To Kill" is, in my opinion, the least interesting of the first three Michael Shayne movies. The mystery is not bad, but it's not that gripping either, and it has no character depth, unlike the previous entry, "Sleeper's West". The most telling example of that difference can be found in the return of Mary Beth Hughes, who was a three-dimensional woman in "Sleeper's West", but here she plays an entirely different character - the nagging soon-to-be Shayne's wife. She has virtually nothing to do. Third-billed Sheila Ryan has precisely two (2) scenes in the film. The character whom Shayne has the most natural chemistry with is the frustrated police inspector played by William Demarest. One of their best exchanges goes like this: "You saved my life!" - "Think nothing of it. I don't!". ** out of 4.