Wealthy heiress Miss Blandish (Linden Travers) is kidnapped by the gang of Slim Grissom (Jack La Rue) and held for ransom. Slim falls for Miss Blandish, complicating matters, as does an investigative reporter (Hugh McDermott).
I've heard about this movie for years, but for all of the wrong reasons. I've heard that it was controversial at the time of its release due to the violence and immorality on display, but that it was a big hit in the UK, regardless. What I hadn't heard was just how delightfully terrible it is. Technically its not too bad, with decent cinematography and lighting. But the acting, the story and the dialogue are howlingly bad. I spent the first half hour of the movie trying to figure out if it was supposed to be set in 1948 or 1928, based on the corny Jazz Age slang employed by some of the characters and some of the costumes seemingly lifted from Little Caesar or Scarface. It's set in 1948, though, so it makes everything just that more off.
A major factor in the strange badness of this movie is the decision by a British film company, filming in Britain, and using predominantly British actors and actresses, to make a film set in New York, with all American characters. Very few of the actors manage a passable American accent, so the already-bad dialogue takes on a whole other dimension, as does the overblown acting by a few, notably Walter Crisham as nasty gang member Eddie and Michael Balfour as seedy drunk Barney. Star Jack La Rue, no doubt going for a jaded Bogart vibe, instead comes across as the love child of Desi Arnaz and Robert Strauss. He and Linden Travers romance scenes are among the least convincing parts of the whole production, but it leads to one of the more ludicrous finales in film history.
If you couldn't tell by now, I really enjoyed No Orchids for Miss Blandish, in the way that only a truly great bad movie can provide. On a serious critical scale I'd give it a 3/10, but for enjoyment, it's a solid 9/10.
I've heard about this movie for years, but for all of the wrong reasons. I've heard that it was controversial at the time of its release due to the violence and immorality on display, but that it was a big hit in the UK, regardless. What I hadn't heard was just how delightfully terrible it is. Technically its not too bad, with decent cinematography and lighting. But the acting, the story and the dialogue are howlingly bad. I spent the first half hour of the movie trying to figure out if it was supposed to be set in 1948 or 1928, based on the corny Jazz Age slang employed by some of the characters and some of the costumes seemingly lifted from Little Caesar or Scarface. It's set in 1948, though, so it makes everything just that more off.
A major factor in the strange badness of this movie is the decision by a British film company, filming in Britain, and using predominantly British actors and actresses, to make a film set in New York, with all American characters. Very few of the actors manage a passable American accent, so the already-bad dialogue takes on a whole other dimension, as does the overblown acting by a few, notably Walter Crisham as nasty gang member Eddie and Michael Balfour as seedy drunk Barney. Star Jack La Rue, no doubt going for a jaded Bogart vibe, instead comes across as the love child of Desi Arnaz and Robert Strauss. He and Linden Travers romance scenes are among the least convincing parts of the whole production, but it leads to one of the more ludicrous finales in film history.
If you couldn't tell by now, I really enjoyed No Orchids for Miss Blandish, in the way that only a truly great bad movie can provide. On a serious critical scale I'd give it a 3/10, but for enjoyment, it's a solid 9/10.