Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

bkoganbing The Phantom Thief has Boston Blackie and The Runt helping out yet another pal from stir with a burglary problem. Three bodies later including Murray Alper's their friend and they're up to their necks in it. The supremely inept police Richard Lane and Frank Sully get involved once again, but Blackie solves the caper. Would you expect anything else.The series was clearly running out of gas with this episode. The main problem in this film was how George E. Stone could be so dumb in this film. Remember while he's Chester Morris's faithful retainer, Stone is also an a crook and he ought to know about the fake medium racket and the gags they use for the marks. It made no sense to get as hysterical as he did.This by the way was George E. Stone's farewell to the Boston Blackie series. He was a remarkable player doing everything from the Runt to some good drama with playing Edward G. Robinson's retainer in Little Caesar to one of the big shot gamblers who catches Frank Sinatra cheating in The Man With The Golden Arm.As for Blackie who knows carnival tricks in a New York minute it's not long revealed that the real victim of spiritualist Marvin Miller is Jeff Donnell another society dame in distress. Without going into the story let's say Donnell has some real bad taste in men.The Runt is loyal to Blackie, but not as dumb as he's made out here.

blanche-2 In "The Phantom Thief," Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) is as usual blamed for anything that goes wrong on Inspector Farraday's (Richard Lane) watch. This time, as he attempts to help a friend of the Runt's (George E. Stone) return some jewels he didn't mean to steal, Blackie finds himself involved with a phony medium (Marvin Miller), blackmail, and murder, all the while trying to hide from Farraday, sometimes in plain sight.Not a bad entry into the series, with Jeff Donnell, who was actually a character actress, playing a duped, wealthy woman with rotten taste in men. She handles her part well, considering she usually played a bubbly, wisecracking friend. Marvin Miller, with dark makeup and that sonorous voice, is effective as the medium. Boomers may remember him as John Beresford Tipton's go-to Mr. Anthony on "The Millionaire." Unfortunately he never made it to my house.Chester Morris is charming and funny as Blackie, but this time he's not particularly ably assisted by The Runt, who is terrified of all those disembodied hands and skeletons at the séance.Fast-moving and entertaining.

MartinHafer I have now seen every Boston Blackie film with Chester Morris but one and I can say that the series is a very mixed bag. Though the films started off extremely well (blending a nice mixture of action and comedy), they also suffered terribly from repetitive plots. It was as if Columbia Pictures could have cared less that in EVERY episode you have the ignorant Inspector Farraday and his idiotic Sergeant accusing Blackie of whatever crimes are committed--even though in every movie it turns out that not only is Blackie innocent but he solves the crime himself. This schtick gets pretty old after a while and no cop can be half as stupid as Farraday or his sub-human assistant. Plus, plot elements are often recycled (such as two movies where Blackie performs a magic show at a prison and a prisoner uses this to escape, stolen jewels again and again as well as Blackie and Runt dressing up as Black cleaning ladies, etc., etc., etc.). Forutately, aside from the moronic inspector and sidekick, this film IS different and doesn't have that recycled feel to it--with a nifty plot involving a phony psychic and, of course, a murder! The usual good acting and fast pace are of course present and make for an enjoyable romp.

Neil Doyle The Runt tries to help a friend accused of stealing stolen jewelry and that's how the plot of this Blackie entry starts. Naturally, the police are one step behind Blackie when the plot advances to include a Dr. Nejino who runs seances and has a lovely assistant, model DUSTY ANDERSON who towers over the rest of the cast. It seems the doctor badly wants to get his hands on the stolen necklace.Dr. Nejino invites Blackie to attend one of his seances so he can witness the effect it has on one of his eccentric women patients (JEFF DONNELL). It turns out that she's had a relationship with Dr. Nejino and wants her stolen necklace back.The script has Blackie and Inspector Farraday exchanging comic quips and sarcasm over the dead body of Blackie's friend who has been stabbed to death at the seance--one of the story's many unrealistic touches where clever lines rule the day no matter what the situation. The same thing happens with the next murder victim.It's formula stuff again, with Blackie and The Runt being falsely accused of having something to do with two murders and having to prove their innocence.GEORGE E. STONE is more annoying than usual as the wimpy Runt, especially during the scene at the seance. DUSTY ANDERSON gives a limp performance as Nejino's pretty assistant and the rest of the cast is strictly by the numbers.The formula was wearing thin long before this entry was released, but I suppose these films had a certain appeal for audiences when they played the lower half of a double feature bill.