Blue, White and Perfect

On the trail of some industrial diamonds that go missing from the safe of his new employers, loved-up but down on his luck detective "Mike Shayne" (Lloyd Nolan) begs and borrows some cash so he can travel on an ocean liner upon which he is sure are the thieves. Pretty soon the presence of "Helen" (Helene Reynolds) arouses his suspicions - she isn't a lady to me messed with, but he also has a new ally in "Juan" (George Reeves) so has hopes of getting to the bottom of what looks increasingly like a Nazi plot. The boat scenario provides plenty for the story: small portholes, foggy decks and even a watertight door add to the mystery. It's ten minutes too long and I found Nolan's portrayal just a little too smug. That's not helped by way too much dialogue throughout and though it does pick up nicely at the end, it's all just a bit too much of the "Lloyd Nolan" show for me.

Detective Michael Shayne (Lloyd Nolan) boards a Hawaii-bound ocean liner on the trail of stolen industrial diamonds and a Nazi smuggling ring.

I have never heard of the Michael Shayne series, and I know by starting here I am jumping in the middle. Hopefully I didn't miss much, but the story still makes plenty of sense. And actually, it is really, really good. I get the feeling this was something of a B-picture, but today (2017) it feels more fun and fresh than some of the A-pictures of the time.

It serves as an interesting blend of detective fiction and spycraft, and has the interesting distinction of being set at least partially in Hawaii. As I understand it, the film was released in 1942 but was probably filmed in 1941... thus they had no idea just how crucial Hawaii would be to the World War II story. In fact, if this was filmed prior to Pearl harbor, America was not technically even in the war yet!

The Michael Shayne series was a great gig for Lloyd Nolan as he didn't get to play many leads. "Blue, White, and Perfect" from 1942 is a fun entry into the series, and for us boomers, another chance to see George Reeves without his Superman cape. The film also features Helene Reynolds and Mary Beth Hughes.

In this one, Shayne takes a job as a riveter, at first to watch for sabotage, but after a robbery of industrial diamonds, to ferret out the criminal. Actually the job is a great cover as his fiancée, Merle, is pressuring him to get out of the detective business.

The trail leads to Hawaii. Since this film was released in January of 1942, it looks like it was filmed before Pearl Harbor, so the placement of the story in Hawaii is interesting, plus the fact that we seem to be on the trail of not Japanese, but Nazis. In order to get money for passage on the ship, Shayne convinces Merle to make a $1000 deposit on a ranch. Clever if low! On the ship, he meets Juan Arturo O'Hara (Reeves) and an old client, Helen Shaw, who now owns a dress shop in Hawaii. It gets pretty dicey from there as someone tries to kill Shayne, by not only shooting, but drowning! Director Herbert Leeds keeps the action going at a snappy pace. Highly entertaining, with a lively performance by Nolan, and a charming one by Reeves, whose career never regained its momentum after his war service.

Very good.

Diamond smugglers lead detective Michael Shayne to shipboard intrigue and danger.

A lively cast, good production values, and an intriguing mystery, add up to a superior entry in the Michael Shayne series. Lloyd Nolan is so good as the brash detective, injecting real spark into his scenes. Ditto the brassy Hughes as his long-suffering girlfriend. But it's really Superman George Reeves who surprises as the mustachioed bon vivant, O'Hara. He's looser and more charming than I've seen him—no "Man of Steel" here. And I wonder what became of Helene Reynolds who also shows flair, as a shady lady, but appears to have left the business soon after. Too bad.

Anyway, it's a TCF production, which means even B-pictures get quality attention, as the well stocked crowd scenes show. Plus, the suspense part keeps you guessing, like who's trying to drown Shayne and O'Hara aboard ship— a really well thought out and nail-biting sequence. Then too, all the ingredients are wrapped into a neat fast-moving package by director Leeds. In passing-- note how the politics of the diamonds remains curiously unclear. It looks like the movie was produced around Pearl Harbor time, but no mention is made of the Japanese. Instead, Nazi's are mentioned as behind the diamond smuggling, even though America is not yet at war with Hitler. I wonder what the story is here.

Nonetheless, this energetic little programmer still manages a solid degree of entertainment plus.

Crisp black and white prints look very good on my HD set. Great film, part of a package of four on two DVDs. My wife and I have now gone through three with one to go. I was intrigued by product placement which is very unusual at this time in film history. For example, in Sleepers West, a pack of Chesterfield cigarettes is held so that anyone can read it. Then, in Blue, White and Perfect, two cartons of Chesterfields are held up for the longest time. Mission Orange soda is also prominently shown and directors make no effort to disguise the makes of the great cars used in the films. DelMonte is plainly advertised along with Yellow Cab. Also, there seems to be just enough location scenes to give the viewer a good look at life in the 40s. This Michael Shane group is great fun and easy viewing; four little time machines waiting to take you back.