Dangerous Blondes

A lively cast and kinetic pacing keep this otherwise routine little mystery worth watching. It's one of those amateur sleuth films with bumbling cops that were popular at the time, and which the later TV cop series Dragnet (1951-1959) did so much to try to correct. Still, the comedic undertone of the movie is pretty effective, thanks mainly to Demarest, Joslyn, and especially the perky Keyes. The mystery itself is not very involving since the suspects get little screen time or character development. It's just sort of a hat rack to hang the various hijinks on.

The world's slowest elevator is a funny little touch along with its Spanish-American War operator. And for old movie buffs there's a brief appearance by cult figure Ann Savage (Erika), known mainly for her savage role in the cheapo classic Detour (1945). For wartime audiences, I'll bet the movie was a great bit of escape, and for digital era viewers, it still holds a measure of fun if you're not expecting too much.