Feature1947·44m·4.5

The Hat Box Mystery

Like-a-Jack-in-the-Box----Murder jumped out and claimed its Victim!

CrimeComedyMystery

Susan Hart, assistant to private detective Russ Ashton, is given a camera concealed in a hat box and assigned to take a picture of a woman. A gun is accidentally hidden in the box and the woman is killed. Susan is charged with murder, but Russ and his less-than-useful associate, Harvard, get on the case.

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Cast

Tom Neal

Russ Ashton

Pamela Blake

Susan Hart

Allen Jenkins

'Harvard'

Virginia Sale

Veronica Hoopler

Leonard Penn

Stevens, aka John Moreland

Olga Andre

Marie Moreland

Tom Kennedy

Policeman Murphy

Al Hill

Flint

Edward Keane

District Attorney

Zon Murray

Joe

A. Robert Nunes

Witness (As Bob Nunes)

Jack Cheatham

Policeman

Steve Clark

Telephone Re-Connect Man (uncredited)

William Ruhl

Blackmailer (uncredited)

Details

Status
Released
Original language
English
Languages
English
Budget
Revenue
Age rating
Quality
4K UHD · HDR10 · Dolby Vision
Production
Robert L. Lippert ProductionsScreen Art Pictures Corp.

Crew

Director

Lambert Hillyer

Writers

Maury Nunes, Carl K. Hittleman, Don Martin, Carl K. Hittleman

William Glasgow

Production Design

Arthur A. Brooks

Editor

Gallery

Reviews

CinemaSerf

7/7/2022

5.0

Pamela Blake is "Susan", the assistant to PI Tom Neal ("Russ") whose business has rather hit the skids. Whilst he is away, she takes on a case trying to prove infidelity and using a hat box that, ostensibly, conceals a harmless camera she follows her target. Unfortunately, her snaps have a fatal consequence and she is charged with murder. It falls to "Russ" and his hapless helper "Harvard" (Allen Jenkins) to get to the bottom of it before "Susan" is toast. It's all just a routine B-drama with little jeopardy or menace, but it does have quite a few quite engaging scenes between "Harvard" and waitress "Veronica" (Virginia Sale) who offers him her body but he'd rather have a goose-burger.... It's short and sweet, and though pretty unremarkable, it does pass 45 minutes easily enough.