Tag: Romance

“Star Trek: DS9” – Season 2 (Episodes 22-25)

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Episode 22: The Wire

Garak (Andrew Robinson) and Bashir (Alexander Siddig) are waiting in line at the mess hall, when suddenly, Garak gets an intense headache. An exam reveals an implant in his brain, which was put there years ago to prevent him from giving away secrets while being interrogated. Garak’s time may be running out; Bashir looks for a way to save his friend’s life.

Garak: Has it ever occurred to you that I might be getting exactly what I deserve?

Bashir: No one deserves this.

Garak: Oh, please, Doctor. I’m suffering enough without having to listen to your smug Federation sympathy. And you think that because we have lunch together once a week you know me? You couldn’t even begin to fathom what I’m capable of.

Bashir: I am a doctor. You’re my patient. That’s all I need to know.

The teleplay was written/edited by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who came over from TNG. It’s the first DS9 ep to be directed by a woman (Kim Friedman); producers brought her back for several crucial eps. This is the first time that Cardassia Prime is mentioned and also the first mention of the secretive group- the Obsidian Order. Garak admits that he was involved with the Order then explains how he came to be exiled. Each story is different.

Garak can be likeable and sympathetic, yet also pathetic and even aggressive (when suffering from withdrawal). When Bashir goes to see the former head of the Order, Enabran Tain (veteran actor Paul Dooley), he hears yet another story. Tain was grooming Garak to be his successor, but Garak was banished from Cardassian society for not murdering Bajoran children! Bashir gets the info that will save Garak, but only b/c Tain wants him to live long… and suffer.

Bashir: What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren’t?

Garak: My dear Doctor, they’re all true.

Bashir: Even the lies?

Elim Garak: Especially the lies.

Episode 23: Crossover

Kira (Nana Visitor) and Bashir are returning from the opening of a hospital on New Bajor (the first Bajoran colony in the Gamma Quadrant). Just as they to enter the wormhole, a sudden problem arises. Kira is able to solve it, but when they arrive in the Alpha Quadrant, things have changed. DS9 is now orbiting Bajor and the runabout is entered by Klingons, who apologize when they see Kira. This is an alternate universe! In the opening teaser, the wormhole opens upside down. Klingons, Cardassians and Bajorans have formed an alliance against Earth; humans (“Terrans”) are forced to process ore. The station is led by Intendant Kira; she speaks of Kirk who traveled from the other side years ago. While Bashir is sent to labor away, Intendant Kira wants to know her other self.

Intendant Kira: You don’t trust me.

Major Kira: I’m… a little afraid of you.

Intendant Kira: Then you fear yourself. I don’t want your fear; I want your love. If you can’t love me, who can?

The teleplay was written by veterans of TNG (Wolfe; Peter Allan Fields), as well as Piller (EP). Wolfe wrote the fall of the Terran Empire as an analogy for the fall of the Roman Empire to barbarians and the Chinese Dynasty to the Mongols. He wanted to illustrate that if an Empire is as brutal as the Terran Empire was in TOS (Mirror, Mirror), there were probably reasons why it was so brutal. Wolfe wanted to convey that one cannot change things overnight, and even the actions of Capt. Kirk can have serious consequences. This episode is listed as being one of the “Ten Essential Episodes” of DS9 in Star Trek 101 by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block.

Sisko: What do you care about Terrans’ freedom?

Kira: I care about freedom! What I don’t understand is why you *don’t* care. Why the only one on this station I have met who seemed to give a damn was a Ferengi toad named Quark!

Sisko: You’re looking in the wrong place for a hero, ma’am. I’ve made the best of a bad life for my crew. That’s my contribution.

Kira: Yes – you charmed your way out of the mines. But you and I both know, you’re no less a victim than anyone else here.

Much has been said by critics/fans of the tight/leather outfit Intendent Kira wears. One podcast host called it “a G-rated version of what a dominatrix would wear” – LOL! Blackman (costume designer on various ST shows) credited the outfit for giving Visitor a more alluring image. For the milk bath scene, the crew made sure that the bath was nice and hot for Visitor; they put a few drops of orange oil on it, so the water had a nice smell and would soften her skin. During rehearsals, she felt the cones hiding her nudity started to pop off! When she asked her makeup artist what takes the glue off, it turned out to be the orange oil.

Smiley O’Brien: [referring to Bashir] This man… this man… is a doctor where he comes from. And there’s an O’Brien there just like me. Except he’s some kind of… high up Chief of Operations. And they’re Terrans. Can you believe that? Maybe it’s a fairy tale he made up, but… it started me thinking, how… how each of us might’ve turned out, if history had been just a little different.

Mirror Odo’s uniform has a belt, which Rene Auberjonois liked so much that he began using it in for his regular Odo uniform in S3. Odo doesn’t like weapons, but Mirror Odo carries a Bajoran phaser pistol. O’Brien isn’t a family man in this world; also Jake doesn’t appear. In the mirror universe, Quark tells Garak he is “a simple bartender” when accused of illegal acts; this is a joke based on Garak’s common saying that he’s only “a simple tailor.” Quark is not as flamboyant or confident in the mirror universe.

Viewers have pointed out that Kira plays an evil commander of Terok Nor, which is the same role that Gul Dukat had. Also, the mirror Kira’s personality is the same as Dukat, as she blames those under her for being too harsh. She tries to seduce others to get what she wants and plays political games to get an advantage, just as Dukat did in the series.

[1] This was a fun episode… Nana Visitor did a good job as the two very different versions of Kira however I think Avery Brooks is much better as the serious Commander Sisko than here where he seemed rather hammy laughing…

[2] Too often the Trek shows are extremely nice and astoundingly perfect–often TOO perfect. With episodes like this one and the Maquis, you finally see a different sort of future–a dark, twisted and darkly funny one. Well worth seeing, though the original episode is a touch better.

[3] …the Klingons have not changed in the Mirror universe at all. In relation to character they remain essentially the same as Klingons have throughout the franchise.

Although Garak acts ruthless in contrast to his normal character on DS9, the Cardassians have not changed in the Mirror universe as one can detect… their use of torture during prisoner interrogations has been well documented in multiple episodes.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Episode 24: The Collaborator

The election day for Kai (main spiritual leader of Bajor) is approaching and both Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim) and Vedek Winn (Louise Fletcher) are on DS9. Bareil is esp. interested in Kira’s vote, but Winn has a different agenda. She’s awaiting the arrival of secretary Kubus Oak, who was liaison between the Cardassians and the Bajoran government during the occupation. Kubus fled to Cardassia afterwards. Kira and Odo want to make sure he gets a proper trial; Winn wants to leave the station w/ him. There was a Prylar Bek (another Bajoran collaborator) who hanged himself after allegedly giving up the location of a rebel base. Winn claims that Kubus gave her the name of the person really responsible for the massacre: Bareil!

This was the final ep of DS9 to air during the run of TNG. This ep was written by Behr, Wolfe, and (regular staff writer) Gary Holland. It turned out that Holland was surprised by how Odo reacted to finding out that Kira was in love w/ Bareil (as he hadn’t written the scene that way)! It’s a subtle reaction which some viewers may’ve missed. The (obvious) tension between Winn and the crew of DS9 harkens back to Winn’s attempt to stop Keiko teaching secular science. Winn coerced a young engineer to try to kill Bareil. However, there was no evidence to prove her involvement. According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, there are Watergate parallels here: Quark helps Kira bypass the security lockouts and the Prylar Bek character (based on John Dean).

Episode 25: Tribunal

O’Brien (Colm Meaney) is preparing for a vacation w/ Keiko (Rosalind Chao), but has a hard time leaving work to others. As he is leaving DS9, runs into an old friend, Raymond Boone, who he served w/ on the Rutledge. Boone left Starfleet 8 yrs ago and moved to a colony on the Cardassian side of the Demilitarized Zone. O’Brien leaves with his wife in a runabout; a ship suddenly approaches and he is arrested by the Cardassians! They refuse to tell him what crime he is accused of and transport him to undergo a trial. After he is processed, a Juror (judge)- Archon Makbar- makes it clear his guilt is already established and the trial is a formality. Odo (an officer of the court) gets himself on O’Brien’s defense team as Nestor (representative). The crew on the station do their best to come up w/ info to free O’Brien.

Kovat: Once again, justice will be done. Our lives will be reaffirmed, safe and secure. Here on Cardassia, all crimes are solved, all criminals are punished, all endings are happy. Even the poorest of our subjects can walk the streets in the dead of night in perfect safety. You’re only one man; but your conviction will be a salutary experience for millions.

This ep was written by Bill Dial, who also wrote S2 E12: The Alternate; it was directed by Brooks (the first cast member to direct). Production designer Herman F. Zimmerman took inspiration in the set design from George Orwell’s 1948 book Nineteen Eighty-Four. Zimmerman explains: “Spartan, uncompromising and merciless are all adjectives that you could use to describe Cardassia.” Robert Stromberg of Illusion Arts, Inc. created the matte painting of the city on Cardassia Prime; he went on to win Oscars for art direction on Avatar (2009) and Alice in Wonderland (2010). If you watch Law & Order (or other courtroom shows) and don’t mind dark humor, then you’ll like this story.

O’Brien: I’ve been in service to the Federation – Starfleet – all my adult life. No one has ever questioned my loyalty. No one in my entire life has ever had cause to ask “Miles O’Brien, are you a criminal?” I took an oath to defend the Federation, and what it stands for…

[1] Good keeps getting better; evil stays the same. Any era, any generation can appreciate the truth in this episode. Fantastic exploration of authoritarianism, justice, and the human journey. Season 2 really ratcheted up the writing and direction of the actors.

[2] This episode has a couple nice guest stars. The best is Fritz Weaver as a defender. With defense attorneys like him, you cannot help but laugh… He is hilariously inept, cowardly and worthless- and funny, In fact, I think he’s the best thing about this show! Additionally, John Beck (Moonpie from the original “Rollerball”) is on hand as a secret agent working for the cause of injustice. Well worth seeing, as well as dark and foreboding.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“Star Trek: DS9” – Season 2 (Episodes 18 & 19)

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Episode 18: Profit and Loss

Quark: You know, you’re as beautiful as ever.

Natima Lang: And you’re as big a liar as ever.

Quark: You see, just like old times!

A damaged Cardassian ship approaches DS9. On board are three Cardassians- Prof. Natima Lang (Mary Crosby- daughter of Bing and aunt of Denise from TNG) and two students, Rekelen (Heidi Swedberg from Seinfeld) and Hogue (Michael Reilly Burke). She wants to leave as soon as possible to avoid problems w/ the Bajorans. When Natima walks by Quark’s (Armin Shimerman) bar, he seems overjoyed. The feeling is not mutual; they were in a relationship 7 yrs ago. When the Cardassians see Garak (Andrew Robinson), they quickly leave the bar. The crew discover that Natima’s shuttle was hit by Cardassian weapons. Natima explains they are part of a movement against military rule of Cardassia, so have become fugitives on the run!

Garak: I’ve been in this business a long time, and I know there’s nothing worse than following the wrong trend. Now, you’re a smart fellow, with your own inimitable sense of style. Perhaps… you should mention this to your lady friend. I’d hate to see her fall victim to fashion.

Quark: Would you like to explain that?

Garak: She’s chosen to associate herself with some rather flamboyant companions. It would be a tragedy if she got in the way, when her friends go out of fashion.

This is the first ep to refer to the Cardassian dissident movement and the first ep to use the term “Cardassian Central Command.” Cardassia considers Garak to be an “exile” (but it’s not clear to what extent his exile is self-inflicted). Quark has been on DS9 longer than Odo, and he also sold food to Bajorans during the occupation. We also hear the first reference to Sarek of Vulcan (Spock’s diplomat father; he appeared in TOS, TNG, films, etc.)

The original teleplay for this ep very closely paralleled Casablanca (1942). It was originally called Here’s Lookin’ at You… The producers had to change some of the more obvious references and the title when they were threatened w/ legal action. As I wrote before, the Cardassians and Bajorans are partly based on the Nazis and Jews during WWII. Instead of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and his bar, we have Quark and his bar. The lost love is now Natima (in a long/elegant white gown), not Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). The ending (goodbye) scene is very similar to the ending of that iconic film. It turned out to be an entertaining ep, where we learn much more re: personalities of both Quark and Garak. This ep was written by a married pair (Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus). Behr didn’t like this ep b/c Quark came off too heroic.

During filming, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck along the Northridge fault in SoCal, incl. Paramount studios. The earthquake struck at 4:30AM on January 17, 1994, when Shimerman, Crosby, and others requiring extensive makeup were having their makeup applied for crew call at 5 AM. Most of the actors in the makeup trailer ran to their cars and drove home to check on family. However, they were still wearing their makeup! Filming resumed two days later, amidst a series of aftershocks. Makeup supervisor Michael Westmore said the love scene between Natima and Quark is one of his favorites; despite the heavy makeup, it is still just a touching romantic scene.

Episode 19: Blood Oath

Odo: It’s been a Klingon afternoon.

Kira: A Klingon afternoon?

Odo: Every time Klingons visit the station, I wind up with a Klingon afternoon.

Quark gets Odo (Rene Auberjonois) to remove an old drunk Klingon keeping a holosuite occupied. His name is Kor and he is visited by Koloth, another old Klingon, who leaves him when he finds out Kor is drunk. When Dax (Terry Farrell) hears about it, she immediately recognizes their names. They were friends of Curzon Dax and when the two are joined by yet another Klingon, Kang, Jadzia knows why they’re on the station. Curzon made a blood oath with the three to kill the Albino, a bandit who was defeated by them. He swore revenge and killed their first born sons, including Dax’ godson. Kang now finally located him. They don’t want to take Jadzia along, while she feels she must fulfill the oath.

Kang: The old Klingon ways are passing. There was a time, when I was a young man, the mere mention of the Klingon Empire made worlds tremble. Now, our warriors are opening restaurants and serving racht to the grandchildren of men I slaughtered in battle. Things are not what they used to be, not even a blood oath.

I’m not a big fan of Klingons, but enjoyed this story (written by Peter Allan Fields). It was very cool seeing the TOS Klingons- Kor (John Colicos), Kolath (William Campbell- also the mischievous Trelane- precursor to Q), and Kang (Michael Ansara) together after almost 30 yrs! Even under big wigs and thick prosthetics/makeup, their different personalities come out. The jovial Kor drowns his woes in drink, which disgusts the hard-edged Kolath; Kang (who is the leader in this group) is still lean and tough. We also learn more re: Jadzia; I think working w/ these talented/veteran actors really upped Farrell’s game.

















“Star Trek: DS9” – Season 2 (Episodes 7-10)

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Episode 7: Rules of Acquisition

Quark: [smiles] I see you know your rules.

Pel: [nods] All 285 of them. And the various commentaries as well… I don’t plan on being a waiter forever.

A group of Ferengi are playing a game of Tongo w/ Dax (Terry Farrell). Pel (Helene Udy), a new Ferengi waiter in the bar, has an idea to ensure that customers are always thirsty. Suddenly, Quark (Armin Shimerman) gets a message on subspace from Grand Nagus Zek (veteran actor Wallace Shawn), who has chosen him as the chief negotiator for new business opportunities in the Gamma Quadrant. First, Quark must prove himself by negotiating w/ the Dosi to acquire 10,000 vats of tulaberry wine. Zek believes this can be the key to opening other markets. Zek convinces Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Kira (Nana Visitor) to have this conference on DS9.

Zek: Most of my information consists of little more than hints and whispers, but it’s enough to convince me that whoever learns the secret of the Dominion, whatever that may be, will learn the secret of the Gamma Quadrant.

This ep was written by Ira Steven Behr from a story by Hilary Bader and edited by Robert Hewitt Wolfe (who started on TNG). Behr was responsible for fleshing out the Ferengi (one of his favorite aliens). It’s the first ep that mentions “the Dominion,” the Gamma Quadrant power which will dominate later on in the series. Shawn is always fun to watch; even under layers of prosthetics, he still has a big personality and twinkle in his eye. Even in his advanced age, Zek has an eye for women; he hits on Kira several times! The Ferengi were often used as comic relief, but this ep is deeper (focused on gender equality).

Episode 8: Necessary Evil

[In a flashback scene]

Kira: Unofficially or not, you’re working for the Cardassians. Sooner or later you’re gonna have to choose whose side you’re on.

Odo: I don’t choose sides.

Kira: Everyone has to choose sides, Constable.

Quark is on Bajor negotiating w/ a glamourous woman, Pallra (Katherine Moffat), who wants him to retrieve a hidden strongbox from DS9. Quark and Rom (Max Grodenchik) have no problem finding the box, but Quark’s curiosity makes him open it. He finds a list of Bajoran names, but before he can copy it, he gets shot! Odo (Rene Auberjonois) is immediately reminded of a case several yrs back, when he was forced by Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) to investigate the murder of the owner of a chemist’s shop, Vaatrick (husband of Pallra).

Odo: [voice-over] Nobody ever had to teach me the justice trick. That’s something I’ve always known. A racial memory from my species, I guess. It’s really the only clue I have to what kind of people they are…

This great ep was written by a veteran of TV series, Peter Allan Fields; it’s a mystery w/ elements of film noir (a genre I’ve been watching a LOT in quarantine). There is murder, a detective (Odo), a femme fatale (Pallra), and secrets to be uncovered. The elaborate costumes and headpieces worn by Pallra reminded me of the 1940s. This was Odo’s first case as a (unofficial) lawman and the first time he and Kira interact. The lighting and mood of the flashback scenes showed us how dark and depressing DS9 used to be under the Cardassian occupation.

Episode 9: Second Sight

It has been 4 yrs since Sisko’s wife died and he is a bit down lately. He’s walking late one night on the Promenade, when suddenly he gets approached by a beautiful woman, Fenna (Salli Richardson). Sisko talks w/ her, but she disappears suddenly. He sees her again the next day, but when he asks personal questions, she disappears again! Sisko asks Odo to investigate. Meanwhile, Dax is working w/ the brilliant/egotistical Prof. Gideon Seyetik (veteran actor Richard Kiley; the dad from The Thorn Birds), famous for terraforming planets. He’s on DS9 to prepare for his most ambitious project- re-igniting the dead star (Epsilon 119). Terraforming technology is based upon the Genesis Device (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Some viewers commented that this ep isn’t very interesting (I agree); it reminded some of TOS (not in a good way)!

Episode 10: Sanctuary

Haneek: Men are far too emotional to be leaders. They’re constantly fighting amongst themselves. It’s their favorite thing to do.

DS9 beams aboard four aliens who just traveled through the wormhole on a damaged ship. The universal translator has a hard time picking up their language, but eventually they identify themselves as Skrreeans. The female, Haneek (Deborah May), tells they are a race conquered by the T-Rogorans, who in turn were recently been conquered by the Dominion. Most of their leaders were killed; now 3 million Skrreeans are looking for a new home. According to legend, their ancestral home is located behind “the Eye of the Universe” (the wormhole). Sisko and Kira agree to help and soon hundreds of refugees visit the station. While Sisko thinks he found a fine planet to relocate them- Haneek makes a discovery of her own.

Odo: It’s gonna get awfully crowded around here, Commander.

Sisko: I know, Constable, but it’s worth it. Just look at them. They’re experiencing their first taste of freedom.

The music Varani (veteran actor William Schallert; dad of Doogie Howser, MD) is playing in Quark’s bar is a variant of the DS9 theme song. Schallert played Nilz Baris in TOS (The Trouble with Tribbles). Andrew Koenig, who plays Tumak, is the son of Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in TOS. Kitty Swink, who plays the Bajoran minister Rozahn, is Shimerman’s wife. This is also the first appearance of Leland Orser on a ST show.

This ep contains the second reference to the Dominion; the race which Haneek mentioned as having conquered the T-Rogorans were presumably the Jem’Hadar. It starts out somewhat light/comedic, but then the aliens get developed and the tension builds. I got invested in the story, which brings to mind the real refugee crisis (in our modern world). I’m not sure why it has such a low rating! Michael Piller decided to write a downbeat ending to this ep and invert the happy one in Frederick Rappaport’s teleplay. Piller felt the story would carry more resonance; Behr liked the dark conclusion.

Hitchcock’s 50th Film: “Torn Curtain” (1966) starring Paul Newman & Julie Andrews

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Prof. Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman- the hottest scientist ever) is heading via boat to Copenhagen to attend a conference w/ his assistant/fiancée, Sarah Sherman (Julie Andrews). Once they arrive, Michael informs her that he’ll be staying for a while and she should go home. Sarah follows him and realizes Michael is actually going to East Germany (behind the Iron Curtain). She is shocked when Michael announces that he’s defecting; the U.S. government cancelled his project after 6 yrs. In truth, Michael is there to get info (which a professional spy couldn’t understand) from another nuclear physicist!

I did not have to act in ‘Torn Curtain’. I merely went along for the ride. I don’t feel that the part demanded much of me, other than to look glamorous, which Mr. Hitchcock can always arrange better than anyone. I did have reservations about this film, but I wasn’t agonized by it. The kick of it was working for Hitchcock. That’s what I did it for, and that’s what I got out of it. -Julie Andrews

The idea behind this film came from the defections of British diplomats (Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean) to the Soviet Union in 1951. Sir Alfred Hitchcock was very intrigued re: Maclean’s life in the Soviet Union, incl. about Melinda Marling (his wife) who followed her husband a year later w/ their three children. In the end, Hitch was so unhappy w/ this movie that he didn’t make a trailer w/ his appearance in it (as was his habit). Bernard Herrmann (composer) wrote an original score, but Universal execs convinced the director on something more upbeat. Hitchcock and Herrmann had a big fight and never worked together again! Steven Spielberg admitted on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) that as a young man he snuck onto the soundstage; he was there for 45 mins. before an assistant producer asked him to leave.

I think Hitch and I could have really hit it off, but the script kept getting in the way. -Paul Newman

The working relationship between Hitch and Newman was problematic; the actor came from a different generation than Cary Grant and James Stewart. He questioned the director re: the script and his characterization, which Hitch later said he found “unacceptable and disrespectful.” As a Method actor, Newman consulted Hitch about his character’s motivations; Hitch replied that his “motivation is your salary.” Also, no romantic chemistry developed between Newman and Andrews (another disappointment to the director). Though the screenplay drags along, the colorful Eastern European supporting actors do fine w/ what they are given. Many critics/viewers recalled the (memorable) killing scene where Gromek fights Armstrong and a housekeeper in the farmhouse.

[1] Pity. I love Hitchcock. There is a detachment here never seen before in a Hitch flick. As if the master was tired or uninterested.

[2] The main thing about Torn Curtain is the photography. It’s full of pretty pictures- one of the most beautifully filmed of all Hitchcock’s films, with lots bold swaths of primary colors and attractive and constantly changing locations…

[3] This was Alfred Hitchcock’s last star vehicle. At the time this was made Julie Andrews was fresh from Mary Poppins and had all kinds of roles offered her. …she and Newman really have no chemistry at all.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

Two Early Noir Films starring Alan Ladd & Veronica Lake

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This Gun for Hire (1942)

Gates: Raven… how do you feel when you’re doing…

[indicates murder headlines]

Gates: this?

Raven: I feel fine.

Hit man Philip Raven (Alan Ladd), who’s kind to kids and stray cats, kills a blackmailer and is paid off by Willard Gates (Laird Cregar) in “hot” $10 bills. A magician and girlfriend of a cop, Ellen Graham (Veronica Lake), is enlisted by a Senator to help investigate Gates, who is an exec at the Nitro Chemical Company. Raven, following Gates to get revenge, meets Ellen on a train from San Fran to LA. They eventually go from killer and potential victim to working together against a common enemy.

Ruby: What’s the matter? You look like you’ve been on a hayride with Dracula.

This tightly edited (81 mins.) early noir is loosely based on This Gun For Hire by Graham Greene. This was one of the earliest American films released in the years of WWII which specifically takes place in wartime; it opened 5 mos. after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The petite/delicate-featured Lake was paired up w/ boyish newcomer Ladd (who was a good match at only 5’6″). The movie bills Lake and Robert Preston above the title, Cregar just below the title, and Ladd last in big type as “Introducing Alan Ladd.” However, Ladd had appeared in 40+ films in unbilled and minor parts.

[1] This is a straight-forward, linear, quick-moving story… …it’s still an entertaining movie, and probably close to required viewing if you enjoy noir and/or Forties movies.

[2] While many period pieces are “appreciated”, this one still provides a jolt of adrenaline right from the opening scene… He’s a bad man, no doubt about it, and his portrayal throughout most of the movie is surprisingly dark, even by today’s standards.

[3] This was Ladd’s breakthrough movie and he’s very good in it. I don’t think he was much of an actor, but he had a lot of star presence, especially in the movies he made in the Forties. There was always something passive but potentially dangerous about him. His looks could have kept him in the pretty boy category, but for whatever reason didn’t.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

The Blue Dahlia (1946)

Johnny: [after being picked up] You gotta have more sense than to take chances with strangers like this.

Joyce: It’s funny but practically all the people were strangers when I met them.

When naval officer Johnny Morrison (Ladd) comes home to LA, he finds his wife, Helen (Doris Dowling), partying and kissing another man, Eddie Harwood (Howard Da Silva), the owner of The Blue Dahlia nightclub. Helen admits her drunkenness caused a car accident which resulted in the death of their young son. Johnny pushes her around some, then pulls a gun on her, but then runs out. Johnny is picked up by a young woman (Lake) in the rain. Later, Helen is found dead and Johnny becomes the prime suspect. Meanwhile, Johnny’s two war buddies get an apt in town, and then are questioned by the cops.

Elizabeth Short (a young aspiring actress) got the nickname “The Black Dahlia” from a bartender at a Long Beach bar she frequented. This film was playing at a theater down the street, and the bartender got the name wrong. Elizabeth kept the nickname, adding a flower to her hair to complete the transformation. She was murdered the next year (1947). The local newspapers dubbed the case the “Black Dahlia” (the murder case is still unsolved).

Johnny: Every guy’s seen you before somewhere. The trick is to find you.

The screenplay was written by Raymond Chandler; he claimed that producer John Houseman was in “the doghouse” and director George Marshall “was a stale old hack”, so Chandler went on to the Paramount set to direct some of the scenes himself. Chandler was unhappy with Lake’s performance; he called her “Miss Moronica Lake” and complained in a letter: “The only times she’s good is when she keeps her mouth shut and looks mysterious. The moment she tries to behave as if she had a brain she falls flat on her face.” A few scenes were cut b/c he claimed Lake messed up too badly. The ending was changed b/c the Naval War Office objected.

[1]… Bendix steals the show as a G.I. who suffered brain damage in World War II. He is something to see and his wise-cracking lines are some of the best ever delivered in a film noir.

[2] … 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 [w/ Ladd].

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.

[3] It’s a very bleak tale of returning war veterans’ findings when they reach “home.” Unfaithful wife, hoodlums, and just general corruption and bleakness. The scenes with Veronica Lake are the shafts of light in this one’s blackness.. all in all it conjours up dark images in one’s mind.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews