Alias Boston Blackie

Well, it's Christmas time and Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) celebrates the only way he knows how -- by proving himself innocent of a crime he didn't commit! This time it starts with a magic show Blackie puts on for convicts, only to have one of them escape. Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) is present for the jailbreak and convinced Blackie helped with the escape. So, along with his sidekick Runt (George E. Stone), Blackie sets out to find the escaped prisoner and winds up trying to prove the man's innocence.

The third in Columbia's great Boston Blackie series of B detective flicks is a solidly entertaining entry. In addition to the primary trio of Blackie, Runt, and Farrady, this one has recurring characters Arthur (Lloyd Corrigan), Sgt. Matthews (Walter Sande), and Jumbo Madigan (Cy Kendall). The Boston Blackie series had a great bunch of regulars. This one also has fine support from Larry Parks, Paul Fix, and pretty Adele Mara. Lloyd Bridges has a bit part as a bus driver. Another fun and fast-paced Boston Blackie movie.