gridoon2024 Review of Murder in the Blue Room

Murder in the Blue Room (1944)

Not as pointless as it initially appears to be

[5/10 · 30 November 2011]

The first few minutes of "Murder In The Blue Room" are copied almost scene-by-scene, word-for-word from the previous film version of this story, "The Missing Guest", so a viewer might justifiably wonder what the point of making (and watching) so close a remake is. But then the differences start appearing: although some characters remain (and may even keep their names - like Edwards, the butler), others are new. The amateur sleuthing here is not done by a reporter, but by a male mystery writer and three female nightclub entertainers. And the plot itself is changed enough to hold your interest - although exact lines from the previous version still turn up, this is quite a loose remake indeed. There is also some very impressive dancing by the three entertainer ladies, including high-kicking and acrobatics, although their scaredy-cat antics are not particularly funny. The film is not officially available on DVD, and my print at least was so soft that some night scenes equal complete darkness for the viewer. ** out of 4.