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The Phantom Thief

  • 1946
  • Approved
  • 1h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
309
YOUR RATING
Dusty Anderson, Jeff Donnell, and Chester Morris in The Phantom Thief (1946)
WhodunnitComedyCrimeDramaMystery

Blackie tricks a blackmailer-murderer into a confession. Story involves sinister seances and ghostly apparitions.Blackie tricks a blackmailer-murderer into a confession. Story involves sinister seances and ghostly apparitions.Blackie tricks a blackmailer-murderer into a confession. Story involves sinister seances and ghostly apparitions.

  • Director
    • D. Ross Lederman
  • Writers
    • Jack Boyle
    • G.A. Snow
    • Richard Wormser
  • Stars
    • Chester Morris
    • Jeff Donnell
    • Richard Lane
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    309
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • D. Ross Lederman
    • Writers
      • Jack Boyle
      • G.A. Snow
      • Richard Wormser
    • Stars
      • Chester Morris
      • Jeff Donnell
      • Richard Lane
    • 12User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos22

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    Top cast26

    Edit
    Chester Morris
    Chester Morris
    • Horatio 'Boston Blackie' Black
    Jeff Donnell
    Jeff Donnell
    • Anne Parks Duncan
    Richard Lane
    Richard Lane
    • Inspector John Farraday
    Dusty Anderson
    Dusty Anderson
    • Sandra
    George E. Stone
    George E. Stone
    • The Runt
    Frank Sully
    Frank Sully
    • Detective Sergeant Matthews
    Marvin Miller
    Marvin Miller
    • Dr. Nejino
    Wilton Graff
    Wilton Graff
    • Rex Duncan
    Murray Alper
    Murray Alper
    • Eddie Alexander, Chauffeur
    Forbes Murray
    Forbes Murray
    • Dr. Purcell Nash
    Joseph Crehan
    Joseph Crehan
    • 'Jumbo' Madigan - Pawnbroker
    John Bagni
    • Shill
    • (uncredited)
    Edmund Cobb
    Edmund Cobb
    • Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Tom Dillon
    Tom Dillon
    • Dinny McGonagle
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Dunn
    Eddie Dunn
    • Police Sergeant
    • (uncredited)
    George Eldredge
    George Eldredge
    • Cop #2 Outside Hospital Room
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Fetherston
    • 2nd Police Sergeant
    • (uncredited)
    Doris Houck
    • Waitress
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • D. Ross Lederman
    • Writers
      • Jack Boyle
      • G.A. Snow
      • Richard Wormser
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.4309
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    10

    Featured reviews

    5Doylenf

    Routine Blackie entry involves murder at a seance...

    The Runt tries to help a friend accused of stealing stolen jewelry and that's how the plot of this Blackie entry starts. Naturally, the police are one step behind Blackie when the plot advances to include a Dr. Nejino who runs seances and has a lovely assistant, model DUSTY ANDERSON who towers over the rest of the cast. It seems the doctor badly wants to get his hands on the stolen necklace.

    Dr. Nejino invites Blackie to attend one of his seances so he can witness the effect it has on one of his eccentric women patients (JEFF DONNELL). It turns out that she's had a relationship with Dr. Nejino and wants her stolen necklace back.

    The script has Blackie and Inspector Farraday exchanging comic quips and sarcasm over the dead body of Blackie's friend who has been stabbed to death at the seance--one of the story's many unrealistic touches where clever lines rule the day no matter what the situation. The same thing happens with the next murder victim.

    It's formula stuff again, with Blackie and The Runt being falsely accused of having something to do with two murders and having to prove their innocence.

    GEORGE E. STONE is more annoying than usual as the wimpy Runt, especially during the scene at the seance. DUSTY ANDERSON gives a limp performance as Nejino's pretty assistant and the rest of the cast is strictly by the numbers.

    The formula was wearing thin long before this entry was released, but I suppose these films had a certain appeal for audiences when they played the lower half of a double feature bill.
    Michael_Elliott

    Boston Blackie

    Phantom Thief, The (1945)

    ** 1/2 (out of 4)

    Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) once again finds himself involved in a murder case where ghosts and a weird fortune teller are suspects. This isn't the best in the series but it's not the worst either and in the end it makes for an entertaining 65-minutes. The mystery this time out is pretty predictable and easy to follow but there are some nice added touches including all the stuff involving the ghosts. The supporting cast is up to their usual nice quality with Richard Lane and George E. Stone back to their old tricks as Farraday and The Runt.
    7utgard14

    "He's not dead. His mustache is twitching."

    Tenth movie in Columbia's Boston Blackie series starring Chester Morris. This one has Blackie taking on a phony spiritualist (Marvin Miller) who's blackmailing a woman (Jeff Donnell). Inspector Farraday (Richard Lane) is on the wrong track as always. A fun entry in the series, thanks to a good cast and supernatural elements that provide more atmosphere than usual. Morris and George E. Stone as Blackie's sidekick The Runt are both great. Stone gets a lot of comedic bits here, afraid of spooks and the like. Richard Lane is amusingly cantankerous in this one. Jeff Donnell gives a sympathetic turn and Dusty Anderson provides some sex appeal as Miller's assistant. For his part, deep-voiced Marvin Miller is sufficiently sinister as the villain. Joseph Cretan has a nice scene as a tough pawnbroker that's somewhat of a change of pace from his usual authoritarian roles. I enjoy the Boston Blackie series a lot, even with its formulaic plots. This is one of the better Blackie pictures.
    8csteidler

    One of the better Blackies, phony mystic and all

    The Runt has a friend in a jam—he's stolen some "papers" that turn out to be hot jewels. Boston Blackie is, of course, drawn into the situation; the friend, of course, is murdered; and Inspector Farraday, of course, is right there to practically catch Blackie in the act. It all opens up a case of blackmail, another murder or so, a spiritualist and a couple of séances—and a fair amount of good-natured tough talk and silly banter.

    By now, Inspector Farraday knows that when he shows up at a murder scene, Boston Blackie is going to be less than cooperative: "All I needed to hear from the men on the beat was that you had a perfect alibi and I took this call myself," he tells Blackie. "Now I'd like to hear some of your best double talk."

    Blackie and Farraday operate at full speed in this well-written series entry. Their sidekicks, the Runt and Detective Matthews, are faithful but dumb as usual. The Runt's childish squeals do grow somewhat annoying, but I have to admit it's pretty funny watching him and Matthews cower and yelp together at the séance.

    Two female characters play important roles. Jeff Donnell is Anne, a young woman who suffers from nervous troubles—or is that diagnosis an invention of the sinister Dr. Nejino, the spiritualist? Less passive—more actively looking out for herself—and more interesting is Dusty Anderson as Sandra, the mystic's assistant, whose loyalties are frequently in question but are mainly to herself.

    A pretty good plot and a handful of good gags keep this episode moving. (My favorite bit: Farraday barking into the phone that "We're getting closer to Boston Blackie every minute," unaware that Blackie is at that very moment—well, much closer than Farraday thinks.) A satisfying hour for Blackie admirers.
    7Spondonman

    Phantom reality

    Post-War Blackie film, a little harder edged than before, but still with an over-abundance of verbal witticisms and slapstick. The Runt tries to help a pal accused of stealing a diamond necklace, Blackie gets involved but can't prevent the pal on the lam getting stabbed in the back while watching all of the suspects perform at a rather feeble séance. Huh? It makes sense while you're watching it anyhow, except maybe who the murderer turned out to be - it must have been Real Dark!

    Chester Morris as Blackie seemed a bit more relaxed in here than previously, maybe the absence of a black-face routine helped?! Jeff Donnell as Anne was decorative, even if she did stretch credulity with her credulousness! Marvin Miller as Dr. Nejino was Deeply sinister - thanks mainly to his fruity and succinct baritone voice, Dusty Anderson's only problem as his cohort(?) was to be too tall for everybody else in the film. George E. Stone as Runt was starting to bug me in this one - his whining almost-effeminacy made me wish Blackie would bitch-slap him and stand him in a corner as a naughty little boy and spare us his company for the last 30 minutes or so. Inspector Farraday and Sgt. Matthews played the usual good double act, and even old Jumbo got an airing in a good scene.

    All told, nice entry in the series.

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    Related interests

    Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
    Whodunnit
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Eleventh of fourteen "Boston Blackie" films starring Chester Morris released by Columbia Pictures from 1941 to 1949.
    • Quotes

      Horatio 'Boston Blackie' Black: As soon as I get done fixing your ethical code I need to work on your grammar.

    • Connections
      Followed by Boston Blackie and the Law (1946)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 2, 1946 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Boston Blackie's Private Ghost
    • Production company
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 5m(65 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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