Boston Blackie, the suave crook-turned-detective created by pulp writer Jack Boyle, had been popping up sporadically in films for nearly two decades by the time Columbia launched its "Boston Blackie" series in 1941. Chester Morris stars as the title character, Horatio "Boston Blackie" Black, as a former professional thief now working as a sort of freelance adventurer/detective. Blackie, just barely on the right side of the law, preferred not to get too involved with the police. "Meet Boston Blackie" is the first of fourteen Boston Blackie films that began the new adventures of Boston Blackie. The series evolves Blackie from a thief and underworld criminal into a new character that turns out to be very interesting and entertaining. Richard Lane, who plays Boston's long-suffering Inspector Farraday, was the only other character in all fourteen of the Boston Blackie movies. George E. Stone, playing Blackie's sidekick, his dim-witted cronie The Runt, was not in the first or last film but was in all the others. Charles Wagenheim played The Runt in the first film and Sid Tomack in the last. Another of the reoccuring fun characters is the irrepresible Arthur Manleder, the adventurous millionaire played by Lloyd Corrigan in some of the films. Boston Blackie was one of Columbia's most profitable film series. FILMS LIST: ***Meet Boston Blackie 1941 ***Confessions of Boston Blackie 1941 ***Alias Boston Blackie 1942 ***Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood 1942 ***After Midnight with Boston Blackie 1943 ***The Chance of a Lifetime 1943 ***One Mysterious Night 1944 ***Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion 1945 ***Boston Blackie's Rendezvous 1945 ***A Close Call for Boston Blackie 1946 ***The Phantom Thief 1946 ***Boston Blackie and the Law 1946 ***Trapped by Boston Blackie 1948 ***Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture 1949
H**T
14 classic comedy thrillers in OK quality
First the downside these films are presented in a slimline DVD case and the printed insert is a mere low quality photostat.However it's the films that count and the quality generally exceeded my expectationsThe quality is superior to most Alpha Video or Film Detective DVD'sHopefully Hexagon Media will unearth more Columbia Classics especially 40's films from the early days of stars like Glenn Ford,Larry Parks,Lloyd Bridges,Forrest Tucker,Kane Richmond,Chester Morris Rochelle Hudson and others on the Columbia contract players roster With the demise of the Sony MOD/DVD series these great Columbia films are harder and harder to track down.MY disc arrived in perfect condition and was supremely packaged.Guys please upgrade the graphics and printed insert next time
A**H
FUN, COMPACT B-MYSTERIES
Pulp writer Jack Boyle's most famous creation was Boston Blackie, the former thief turned amateur sleuth who, together with his sidekick The Runt, keeps one step ahead of the police when it comes to solving a crime - usually one for which he is wrongly accused of. The film rights to the character were bought by Columbia Pictures, who cast square-jawed tough guy Chester Morris as Blackie - a role for which the actor became closely associated with starring in a total of fourteen films from 1941-1949.The Boston Blackie series was strictly B-movie fare with each installment running either just over or under an hour, but all are consistently entertaining crime mysteries with a breezy mix of action, intrigue and humor. In addition, many classic era stars show up opposite Morris. Along with series regulars George E. Stone as The Runt and Richard Lane as the exasperated Inspector Farraday, other notable supporting players include Rochelle Hudson, Three Stooges heavy Kenneth McDonald, Ann Savage, Lloyd Corrigan, Steve Cochran and a young Lloyd Bridges who shows up as a bus driver. The films sport some decent directorial talent with the likes of Robert Florey and Edward Dmytryk, and even flirt with noirish shadings, particularly in the moody black and white cinematography which belies the fact that these were modest productions shot on the backlot.Onesmedia offers all fourteen Boston Blackie films in one nicely packaged set of seven discs with two films per disc in chronological order: MEET BOSTON BLACKIE (1941), CONFESSIONS OF BOSTON BLACKIE (1941), ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942), BOSTON BLACKIE GOES HOLLYWOOD (1942), AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH BOSTON BLACKIE (1943), THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME (1943), ONE MYSTERIOUS NIGHT (1944), BOSTON BLACKIE BOOKED ON SUSPICION (1945), BOSTON BLACKIE'S RENDEZVOUS (1945), A CLOSE CALL FOR BOSTON BLACKIE (1946), THE PHANTOM THIEF (1946), BOSTON BLACKIE AND THE LAW (1946), TRAPPED BY BOSTON BLACKIE (1948), BOSTON BLACKIE'S CHINESE VENTURE (1949). The prints are complete and with great quality, certainly well worth the reasonable cost as this is the only edition that brings you the entire series in one fell swoop. Sony has released a few titles from decent transfers, but good luck waiting for the entire run. There are also some gawdawful bootlegs floating around out there. Onesmedia's Boston Blackie Film Collection rivals Sony's quality, so it turns out to be the better deal. There is even a bonus disc with two SAINT films starring George Sanders - THE SAINT TAKES OVER (1940) and THE SAINT IN PALM SPRINGS (1941).You really can't beat this enjoyable collection for quality and price. Pick it up and run your very own Boston Blackie marathon.My highest recommendation.
M**D
Great Boston Blackie films
The Boston Blackie film collection consists of sixteen movies on eight disks. Grant there were only fourteen Boston Blackie movies made, also include are the final two movies from the Whistler movie series. The entire series in fourteen hours and fifty – six minutes; if you and the two movies from the Whistler series then it is seventeen hours and two minutes. First let me tell you what you don’t get. You don’t get any scene selections, languages, coming attractions and\or commentary. I would of like one of them to had a commentary to find out why actor George E. Stone who played the Runt in movies two through thirteen but not the first movie or the last. I understand George was sick and could not do the first movie, but I do not know why he was unable to do the last movie. Also the company logo the created this box set “Onesmedia” show up in each movie. Chester Morris who plays Boston Blackie and Richard Lane who plays Inspector Faraday are the only two actors to play the same role in all movies. When Chester Morris was once asked why he did all the Boston Blackie movies his response was that he got to play the lead. Overall the Boston Blackie films are great to watch though once you get to the few movies in the series the plot start to get week. And before I forget the transfer to DVD with the two Whistler movies are horrible. Overall the Boston Blackie film collection gets an AAA+++.DVDsMeet Boston Blackie – 2/20/41 60 minutesConfessions of Boston Blackie – 12/8/41 65 minutesAlias Boston Blacke – 4/2/42 67 minutesBoston Blackie Goes Hollywood - 11/5/42 67 minutesAfter Midnight with Boston Blackie – 3/18/43 64 minutesThe Chance of a Lifetime – 10/26/43 65 minutesOne Mysterious Night – 10/21/44 61 minutesBoston Blackie Booked on Suspicion – 5/10/45 66 minutesBoston Blackie’s Rendezvous – 7/5/45 63 minutesA Close Call for Boston Blackie – 1/24/46 60 minutesThe Phantom Thief – 5/2/46 64 minutesBoston Blackie and the Law – 12/12/46 69 minutesTrapped by Boston Blackie – 5/13/48 66 minutesBoston Blackie Chinese Venture – 3/2/49 59 minutesThe Thirteenth Hour – 2/6/47 64 minutesThe Return of the Whistler – 3/18/48 62 minutes
K**
Happy to have found
Happy That I found the complete collection at a reasonable price.
P**F
The compilation is made up from the best available surviving film elements
I was pleased to add this to my small collection of historic Hollywood B-movie series.
M**G
Wonderful
Product wonderful. Seller wonderful. Life is wonderful! Just wonderful 😊
D**Y
Five Stars
Nice film series. Excellent production from seller.
M**D
Hear yor ears, the gunfire and action are terrific.
Chester Morris made a great Boston Blackie, loved every film, hoping for more businessin the near future.
A**N
Five Stars
loved it wish he made more
M**L
Love the Series
If you like Boston Blackie you will love this collection. The collection is quality and I have little to complain about. The first couple of episodes are a little less polished, as compared to the remaining ones, but still very enjoyable. I wish he had made a few more or at least full length feature movies.I wonder why?
Trustpilot
5 days ago
1 month ago
