Lured (1947)

A brilliant thriller with above all a splendidly intelligent script leading constantly further down into deeper mysteries of spurious handlings of young beautiful women in Soho. You never can guess what to expect next in this labyrinth of erring mistakes, as the police has nothing to go on in their search for a serial killer that makes all his young lady victims vanish without a trace. This is a treat for everyone and must especially have been so for the actors, who all are inspired to do better than their Best - George Sanders in a role that couldn't have suited him better, Lucille Ball in her freshest prime, Alan Mowbray as one of his many doubtful double-dealers with a hidden agenda, Charles Coburn more direct than ever, Cedric Hardwicke for once carefully concealed behind thick glasses as the perfect second hand dealer, and Boris Karloff in a brief but unforgettable display of exasperating horror. I was surprised that Douglas Sirk could make such an exquisitely many-faced film with so many surprising turns to it, which effectively promoted him in my esteem.

Yes, Ball and Sanders are neutered by falling in love, but Sanders has a wonderful moment when he discovers that his fiancée is an undercover cop, and he sarcastically accuses himself of the murders. The starry cast are terrific: Ball, Karloff, Coburn, Sanders, Zucco and Hardwicke. LB is also great in Dark Corner, another noir including Clifton Webb and William Bendix. (It's tauter and neater than this one.) In the 40s and 50s, leading ladies had to be fashion plates - which is why when not wearing the shabby wardrobe of a penny-pinching dancer for hire, Miss Ball is draped in some elaborate and hideous fashions. The dress that was the masterpiece of the deranged fashion designer was presumably meant to look 1918-ish, but it's a grotesque mishmash of Paul Poiret and Dior. Some of the best scenes come early on as we are introduced to Miss Ball and her friend.

This picture telegraphs every pivotal point in the story, so much so that it ceases to be in the upper echelon of mystery stories or film noir movies. It has a lot to recommend it, including a first-rate cast and a good premise, but lacks suspense and tension - and it telegraphs the unsatisfactory ending. It is a transparent picture which holds your interest to a point.Sandra (Lucille Ball) and her friend Lucy (!) are taxi dancers. Lucy answers a personal ad in the paper, hoping for a better job and more money, but she is never seen again. It so happens there is a murderer loose in London, preying on single girls, and Sandra goes to Scotland Yard to report her friend missing. Chief Insp. Temple (Chas. Coburn) overhears her story and enlists her as a decoy in the case."Lured" is a showcase for Lucille Ball. Dressed up for a nightclub date, she is breathtaking and never looked better. She is the nominal star of the film, and she is good. She just lacks gravitas for such a role, which should have gone to the likes of Ann Sheridan or even one of the Lane sisters. I disagree with a previous reviewer in that I found precious little chemistry between George Sanders and Ms. Ball and their relationship seemed forced. But as mentioned, the support cast is a fascinating mix with Sanders, George Zucco and Boris Karloff. They do their best to bring some menace to a movie which wanders off point and with too many red herrings for a higher rating.

Oddball film with a thriller premise—a poetic serial killer is on the loose. However, the movie soon turns into more of a psychological drama than anything else. Sandra (Ball) goes undercover in a house full of suspects to smoke out the culprit. Now, mystery thrillers usually thrive on atmosphere and suspense as we sort through suspects while tension mounts. However, the narrative here meanders, especially after we're tipped off to the culprit, while the photography remains fairly gray and uninteresting. Perhaps the movie's direction isn't surprising. Director Sirk made his name helming high-class soap opera, which the lengthy romantic side here resembles.Nonetheless, Ball is ravishing and gets to play dress-up. Seeing her here reveals a whole different side from the slapstick comedienne. Sanders is smooth and charming as expected. But the movie can't seem to figure out just what his role is. Speaking of roles, the brief Karloff freak-out is a head-scratcher. He's a name star, yet gets only a 15-minute cameo and then disappears. I'm guessing the segment was inserted to spice up the marquee.The concert scene, however, remains an amusing surprise with the bearded man and the clever dialog. But the screenplay itself is just too flabby and the direction too slack to effectively realize the promising premise.