Alias Boston Blackie (1942)

"Blackie" (Chester Morris) starts off this crime drama - on a bus driven by Lloyd Bridges - by doing a little bit of compering at a prison where the Christmas entertainment revolves around a magic booth! Of course, one of the prisoners escapes and, of course, "Insp. Faraday" (Richard Lane) and his hapless helper "Sgt. Matthews" (Walter Sande) conclude that it's all part of a cunning wheeze by "Blackie" to get "Joe" (Larry Parks) out of jail. What we quickly discover, though, is that our sleuth is completely innocent and that he has doubts about the voracity of the conviction that sent the young man up in the first place. Now, with the help of his pal "Manleder" (Lloyd Corrigan) and the ever reliable "Runt" (George E. Stone) - who has a bit more of a part in the one - he sets off trying to apprehend the real culprit of an heinous murder before "Faraday" messes it all up. Morris is on good form, it's a fairly evenly and quickly paced drama and there's just the merest hint of mystery as we head to the denouement. Not so much humour here, but still at the better end of these "Boston Blackie" mysteries.