Mary Ryan, Detective
Director: Abby Berlin
Year: 1949
Rating: 6.0
An unusual B cop film for its time as the main
character is a female policewoman. There were not many of those back then,
especially as the one carrying the film. It has the feel of a potential series
by Columbia (a title similar to Nancy Drew, Detective and Ellery Queen, Master
Detective) but that may have hit a roadblock when the McCarthy hearings went
after her and her husband for their liberal activism years before. Until
1949 she was in a fair share of films - mainly B's but she was also one of
the Bennett sisters in Pride and Prejudice, in The Human Comedy and The Raw
Deal. After McCarthy had her blackballed she only made a few more films but
TV was more willing to take her on. Born in 1917, she is apparently still
alive! I guess she got the last laugh on all those assholes.
It is a very straightforward film of police work. Nothing fancy but enjoyable
enough. Hunt as Mary Ryan is charming and on the right side of vivacious.
And she is completely respected by her fellow cops which again is nice to
see in a film from that era - no mocking her, no looking down on her, no
jokes at her expense - she is just another cop. The film also has no comic
relief really other than a man with a turkey near the end - odd in that the
director Abby Berlin is mainly known for his Blondie films. But he keeps
the hijinks to a minimum. Thankfully.
Ryan is responsible for capturing two lady thieves who use a child for the
jewel pick-up. But they want the boss so send Mary undercover into jail to
wheedle information from the one who didn't see her. This leads her into
joining a robbery ring where she has to do her share. She hides out at a
turkey farm with a lovable old couple who would kill her in an instant if
they knew she was a cop. Her captain is John Litel who I run into often -
just recently as Nancy Drew's father, June Vincent is one of the two lady
thieves and Chester Clute is the man with a turkey.
