BLONDE ICE
US, 1948, 68 minutes, Black and white.
Leslie Brooks, Robert Paige, Russ Vinson, Michael Whalen, James Griffiths.
Directed by Jack Bernhard.
Blind Ice is one of those psychological dramas that has to be seen to be believed. Leslie Brooks plays a society reporter who is involved in a number of marriages, instantly unfaithful to the current husband, provoking suspicions.
She is a pathological liar, involved in quite a complicated murder situation, also in blackmail.
Even when she is exposed as a liar and fraud, she brazens everything out, continuing writing her columns.
But, femme fatale that she is, she gets her comeuppance.
The film is directed by Jack Bernhard who made 11 supporting features from 1946 to 1950.
1. A film of the late 1940s? Film noir? Evil in control? Portrait of a psychopath?
2. Black-and-white photography, San Francisco, Mexican sequences? The wedding, the honeymoon, the newspaper, the world politics, business, socials? The musical score?
3. The title and Claire and her personality and action?
4. The portrait of a psychopath, emotionally, no conscience? At the wedding, her three former boyfriends, the kiss with Les, her husband seeing it, her protest, going on the honeymoon, her husband discovering her letters and her lies? Announcing the divorce? The secret flight, payment, the later blackmail from the pilot, his discovery of her identity, confrontation, her killing him? Her going to San Francisco, killing her husband, returning, phoning Les, his meeting at the airport, the finding of the body? The role of the police, Les a suspect? Claire and her love for Les? The meals with him, the restaurants? The other journalists and their interests? Her not having any grief, asking for a job again, going to work, society reporter? Wanting to meet Stanley, asking him to be her lawyer, flirting, helping with the campaign? The doctor warning about her psychological condition? Her intention to marry, the announcement, the doctor’s intervention, no wedding, her stabbing Stanley? Going back to work, writing the article, the confession, the gun, the struggle and her death?
5. Les, journalist, successful, love for Claire, being used by him? His work and his secretary? The boss? The police and the interrogations?
6. The other journalists, contributing to the investigation? The newspaper boss? The police? The secretary and her devotion to Les?
7. The doctor, psychologist, warning Claire about her personality and her motivations? His intervention to prevent Stanley marrying her?
8. A film noir, femme fatale, personification of evil?
