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CrimeMystery

The Blue Gardenia

- There was nothing lily-white about her -- the clinch-and-kill girl they called: The Blue Gardenia

Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.

Release Date : 1953-03-20

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Blue Gardenia ProductionsWarner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Anne Baxter

Character Name : Norah Larkin

Original Name : Anne Baxter

Gender : Female

Richard Conte

Character Name : Casey Mayo

Original Name : Richard Conte

Gender : Male

Ann Sothern

Character Name : Crystal Carpenter

Original Name : Ann Sothern

Gender : Female

Raymond Burr

Character Name : Harry Prebble

Original Name : Raymond Burr

Gender : Male

Jeff Donnell

Character Name : Sally Ellis

Original Name : Jeff Donnell

Gender : Female

Richard Erdman

Character Name : Al

Original Name : Richard Erdman

Gender : Male

George Reeves

Character Name : Sam Haynes

Original Name : George Reeves

Gender : Male

Ruth Storey

Character Name : Rose Miller

Original Name : Ruth Storey

Gender : Female

Ray Walker

Character Name : Homer

Original Name : Ray Walker

Gender : Male

Nat King Cole

Character Name : Nat King Cole

Original Name : Nat King Cole

Gender : Male

Fay Baker

Character Name : Switchboard Monitor (uncredited)

Original Name : Fay Baker

Gender : Female

Robert Bice

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Bice

Gender : Male

Larry J. Blake

Character Name : Music Shop Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry J. Blake

Gender : Male

Lela Bliss

Character Name : Miss Stanley (uncredited)

Original Name : Lela Bliss

Gender : Female

Gail Bonney

Character Name : Policewoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Gail Bonney

Gender : Female

Edward Clark

Character Name : News Stand Dealer (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Clark

Gender : Male

Papa John Creach

Character Name : Man Playing Violin (uncredited)

Original Name : Papa John Creach

Gender : Male

Mike Donovan

Character Name : Fingerprint Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Donovan

Gender : Male

Frank Ferguson

Character Name : Drunk Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Ferguson

Gender : Male

Sam Finn

Character Name : Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Finn

Gender : Male

Elizabeth Flournoy

Character Name : Assistant Switchboard Monitor (uncredited)

Original Name : Elizabeth Flournoy

Gender : Female

Dolores Fuller

Character Name : Woman At Bar (uncredited)

Original Name : Dolores Fuller

Gender : Female

Alex Gottlieb

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Alex Gottlieb

Gender : Male

William Haade

Character Name : Patrolman Hopper (uncredited)

Original Name : William Haade

Gender : Male

Sam Harris

Character Name : Nightclub Patron at Blue Gardenia (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Harris

Gender : Male

Victoria Horne

Character Name : Disturbed Woman w/Big Feet (uncredited)

Original Name : Victoria Horne

Gender : Female

Kenner G. Kemp

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenner G. Kemp

Gender : Male

Jess Kirkpatrick

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Jess Kirkpatrick

Gender : Male

Frank Kreig

Character Name : Drunken Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Kreig

Gender : Male

Norman Leavitt

Character Name : Bill (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Leavitt

Gender : Male

Tommy Lee

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Tommy Lee

Gender : Male

Celia Lovsky

Character Name : Mary (uncredited)

Original Name : Celia Lovsky

Gender : Female

Peggy McKim

Character Name : Sneezing Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Peggy McKim

Gender : Male

Frank O'Connor

Character Name : Passerby (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank O'Connor

Gender : Male

Lee Phelps

Character Name : Information Desk Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Phelps

Gender : Male

William Phipps

Character Name : Lt. George Foster (voice / uncredited)

Original Name : William Phipps

Gender : Male

Joey Ray

Character Name : Prebble's Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Joey Ray

Gender : Male

Hugh Sanders

Character Name : 'Chronicle' Managing Editor (uncredited)

Original Name : Hugh Sanders

Gender : Male

Jeffrey Sayre

Character Name : Police Recorder (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeffrey Sayre

Gender : Male

Almira Sessions

Character Name : Cleaning Lady (uncredited)

Original Name : Almira Sessions

Gender : Female

Robert Shayne

Character Name : Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Shayne

Gender : Male

Carl Sklover

Character Name : Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Sklover

Gender : Male

Marjorie Stapp

Character Name : Policewoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Marjorie Stapp

Gender : Female

Amzie Strickland

Character Name : Woman at Bar (uncredited)

Original Name : Amzie Strickland

Gender : Female

Sailor Vincent

Character Name : Drunken Sailor (uncredited)

Original Name : Sailor Vincent

Gender : Male

Victor Sen Yung

Character Name : Blue Gardenia Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Sen Yung

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

A Letter to an Unknown Murderess. The Blue Gardenia is directed by Fritz Lang and adapted to screenplay by Charles Hoffman from the short story "Gardenia" written by Vera Caspary. It stars Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern, Raymond Burr and George Reeves. Music is by Raoul Kraushaar and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca. Norah Larkin (Baxter), after receiving some horrible news, ends up drunk and at the mercy of a Lothario in his apartment. The next morning she wakes up with the distinct feeling she may have committed murder. More solid than anything spectacular, this minor Lang is never less than interesting. The Blue Gardenia of the title is a nightclub, one where Nat King Cole no less, sings the title song. However, it's the local newspaper that is the key element of the story, the place of work of ace journalist Casey Mayo (Conte), who gets in deep with the story and of course that means Norah as well. There's some sparky dialogue as the story ticks away, with Sothern (sadly underused) wonderfully waspish, the murder mystery element remains strong enough, while there's dark at work as well (Burr is effectively on a mission to date rape). However, the pairing of Lang and Musuraca should be a dream team, but although there's the odd flash of noir visualisations during night sequences, you can't help but lament more wasn't provided for Musuraca to weave his magic. A good show from the cast helps ease the pain of the script's inadequacies, especially as regards the not very clever final revelations. So all in all, it's more a case of a mystery melodrama with noir touches than anything thrilling, and really it's one for Lang fans to tick off their to see lists, not to be visited again. 6.5/10