Rec the Thing

Blind Spot

A 1947 film from Columbia Pictures. Directed by Robert Gordon.

This is the story of Jeffrey Andrews (played by Chester Morris), a prolific crime novelist who, nevertheless, is not financially successful. At the start of the movie, he lives in a run-down, basement apartment in NYC and has become a working alcoholic.

One day, after getting some "liquid courage", he marches to his publisher's office and demands to talk to Henry Small (played by William Forrest), the actual!publisher. Jeffrey demands a substantial advance cuz he's THAT broke. Henry shakes his head no and brings up that the publishing company has maintained the guidelines described in Jeffrey's contract. They go back and forth.

Watching all this unfold is Lloyd Harrison (played by Steven Geray), a fellow crime author signed to the same publisher.

Desperate for money, Jeffrey proposes telling Henry a full story that he (Henry) can then have someone else ghostwrite in exchange for a few hundred dollars. Jeffrey starts telling the story. The next scene has him leaving Henry's office.

Next thing he knows, Jeffrey is being accused of MURDERING HENRY. Unfortch for Jeffrey, he was totally blotto and can't remember a lot of what happened after he left Henry's office. So now he has to retrace his steps and figure out who had it out for Henry. Along the way, he teams up with Evelyn Green (played by Constance Dowling), Henry's former secretary.

At an hour and 4 minutes, this is another one of those super short movies. It's got great pacing, good dialogue, and is well acted, tho.


Do I have any criticisms?

Due to the time constraints, certain connections happen a little too fast for my taste (such as the one between Evelyn and Jeffrey). Keeping in mind that, at the start of the movie, Jeffrey himself makes a remark abt how Evelyn is the latest secretary that Henry's got. Only for the two of them having several PASSIONATE kisses the v. next day. O___o?!

I'm meh abt the ending, but *hands*


Do I recommend it?

Yeah? There are copies floating around online, but those have potato-recording levels of quality. IF you want to watch a pristine version, you either have to rent it OR hope that it'll run on TCM. I'm giving it a 2.6 out of 5.


Queerness level:
Medium.

The character of Lloyd is effete and has the type of dialogue peppered with tons of bon mots that read like a queer-coded character. Also, the way he reacts whenever Evelyn is present also adds weight to my guesstimation.