Emboscada

The show closed after four days in London. Stranded Lucille Ball is working as a taxi dancer, hoping something will turn up. She's envious when the girl next to her tells her it's her last day; her tall, dark and handsome man is taking her away from all of this. The next day the newspapers announce it: she's the latest victim claimed by the Poet Killer, a serial killer who likes to send the police Baudelaire-inspired notes. Miss Ball goes to talk to Inspector Charles Coburn, who promptly hires her as bait.

Hunt Stromberg pulled out all the stops on his production: director Dirk Sirk, cameraman William Daniels, script credited to Leo Rosten, and a cast that includes George Sanders, Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Alan Mowbray, Robert Coote... well, it was primed for success.

Mostly it's pretty good, with Miss Ball giving a varied and layered performance, and Sanders at his most charming. There are some issues with the show. As soon as he showed up on screen, I tagged the murderer. Miss Ball's engagement by the police as a decoy has too many details handwaved away, and she never gives the impression she feels herself at risk. That's what spike heels are for.

Still, the studio-bound movie shows its glitter on the screen, and in a theater in the dark, it should look like a fine couple of hours.