Sandra Carpenter (Lucille Ball) is an American who came to London to perform in a show but now is working as a taxi dancer.
She is upset to find out that a friend, a dancer named Lucy Barnard
(Tanis Chandler), is missing and believed to be the latest victim of the
notorious "Poet Killer," who lures victims with ads in the newspaper's
personal columns and sends poems to taunt the police. Scotland YardInspector
Harley Temple (Charles Coburn) asks if Sandra would be willing to work
undercover to help find her missing friend and the killer. He sees
first-hand how observant she is and gives her a temporary police
identification card and a gun. Sandra is asked to answer personal ads,
with a Yard officer named H.R. Barrett (George Zucco) always nearby,
just in case.
By coincidence she meets the dashing man-about-town nightclub owner
Robert Fleming (George Sanders), who at first wished to hire her for his
stage revue but now wants to pursue a romance. In the meantime, Sandra
answers an ad placed by Charles van Druten (Boris Karloff), a former
fashion designer who is now mentally imbalanced. Her bodyguard Barrett
has to come to her rescue.
She also needs to be saved, this time by Fleming, from a mysterious
figure named Mr. Moryani (Joseph Calleia). He apparently recruits young
women and whisks them off to South America by offering them a promising
opportunity in a new land while, in reality, having something more
sinister in mind.
Fleming shares a stately home with Julian Wilde (Sir Cedric
Hardwicke), his business partner and best friend. Fleming ultimately
does win Sandra's heart, even becoming engaged to her. Inspector Temple
thanks her for her efforts and even agrees to come to their engagement
party.
During the party at the beautiful home where she will soon live,
however, Sandra accidentally discovers evidence that links Fleming to
the Poet Killer's crimes, including a distinctive bracelet worn by her
friend Lucy.
Fleming is placed under arrest. Circumstantial evidence mounts up,
although he adamantly denies any involvement in the crime. Sandra
believes him, but the Yard does not.
Lucy's body is found in the river. Wilde assures his incarcerated
friend that he will hire the best possible attorney and do everything
possible to clear him. It occurs to Inspector Temple that it is actually
Wilde who fancies poetry and is in a position to have been the killer.
Just before he can flee, Wilde is visited by Sandra at home. He is
secretly obsessed with her, just as he possibly was with the other women
he abducted. Wilde at first expresses his desire for Sandra, then
removes his scarf and prepares to strangle her. Scotland Yard's men
break through the windows to rescue her just in time.
Fleming is set free, and he and Sandra toast with champagne to better days ahead.
On August 6, 1911, Lucille Désirée Ball was born, and so was a star.
She would get into modeling at first and then eventually show
business in 1933, and she would do plenty of uncredited work before
moving into more substantial roles. But it wasn’t until 1951 when she
and then husband of 11 years, Desi Arnaz, came into homes everywhere on I Love Lucy. The show would span six years and 181 episodes, and remains popular to this very day.
Lucy would eventually move on to other ventures—The Lucy Show (156 episodes); Here’s Lucy (143 episodes)—but none would have the lasting effect that I Love Lucy
had and will continue to have on generations to come. Even in black and
white, you could almost see that iconic fiery red hair bursting through
your television screen.
Lucille Ball sadly passed away too soon in 1989 at the age of 77, but
nevertheless, we celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday
today.
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an
American actress whose career spanned three decades from 1943 to 1975.
She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in the 1949 film Pinky in which she played the leading role. She was also noted for her ability in ice skating.
Early life
Crain was born in Barstow, California,
to George A. Crain, a school teacher, and Loretta Carr; she was of
Irish heritage on her mother's side, and of English and distant French
descent on her father's.She moved to Los Angeles, California, as a young child.
An excellent ice skater, Crain first attracted attention when she was crowned Miss Pan Pacific at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. Later, while still in high school, she was asked to make a screen test opposite Orson Welles. She did not get the part, but in 1943, at age 18, she appeared in a bit part in the film The Gang's All Here.
At the top of her stardom, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Crain
was nicknamed 'Hollywood's Number One party girl', and she was quoted
saying that she was invited to at least 200 parties a year.
Against her mother's wishes, on December 31, 1946, Crain married Paul Brinkman, a former RKO Picturescontract player credited as Paul Brooks. The first of their seven children was born the following April.
During the early 1950s, Crain was earning approximately $3,500 per week. Crain and her husband bought a large home for their growing family on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, California. The home can be seen and is described by Bette Davis in candid footage of a driving sequence in the film The Star (1952).
The marriage was rocky for some years. In the mid-1950s, Crain obtained an interlocutory
divorce decree, each spouse claiming the other had been unfaithful (she
also claimed Brinkman had been abusive), but the couple reconciled on
the eve of their 11th wedding anniversary.
In the early 1960s she was one of many conservative actors who spent their time fervently fighting for the Republican cause. Others included James Stewart, Walter Pidgeon, Donna Reed, Jerry Lewis, Wendell Corey, and Troy Donahue.
Crain and her husband remained married, although they lived separately in Santa Barbara, California, until Brinkman's death in October 2003.
Crain died a few months later and it was later confirmed that the cause was a heart attack.Crain's funeral Mass was held at the Old Santa Barbara Mission.
Crain is buried in the Brinkman family plot at Santa Barbara Cemetery.
The Brinkmans were survived by five adult children, including Paul
Brinkman Jr., a television executive, most known for his work on the
television series JAG.
Legacy
Crain's career is fully documented by a collection of memorabilia about her assembled by Charles J. Finlay, a longtime publicist at 20th Century Fox. The Jeanne Crain Collection resides at the Cinema Archives at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. These archives also hold the papers of Ingrid Bergman, Frank Capra, Clint Eastwood and others.
Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
1943 The Gang's All Here Chorus Girl/Pool Party Guest uncredited
1944 Home in Indiana 'Char' Bruce
In the Meantime, Darling Margaret 'Maggie' Preston
Winged Victory Helen
1945 State Fair Margy Frake a.k.a. Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair
also Soundtrack
Leave Her to Heaven Ruth Berent
1946 Centennial Summer Julia Rogers also Soundtrack
Margie Marjorie 'Margie' MacDuff also Soundtrack
1948 You Were Meant for Me Peggy Mayhew
Apartment for Peggy Peggy Taylor also Soundtrack
1949 A Letter to Three Wives Deborah Bishop
The Fan Lady Margaret 'Meg' Windermere a.k.a. Lady Windermere's Fan
Pinky Patricia 'Pinky' Johnson Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
1950 Cheaper by the Dozen Ann Gilbreth
I'll Get By Jeanne Crain uncredited
Cameo appearance
1951 Take Care of My Little Girl Elizabeth 'Liz' Erickson
People Will Talk Deborah Higgins
The Model and the Marriage Broker Kitty Bennett
1952 Belles on Their Toes Ann Gilbreth a.k.a. Belles on Their Toes: The Further Adventures of the Gilbreth Family
O. Henry's Full House Della Young Segment The Gift of the Magi
1953 Dangerous Crossing Ruth Stanton Bowman
Vicki Jill Lynn
City of Bad Men Linda Culligan
1954 Duel in the Jungle Marian Taylor
1955 Man Without a Star Reed Bowman
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Connie Jones/Mitzi Jones also Soundtrack
The Second Greatest Sex Liza McClure also Soundtrack
1956 The Fastest Gun Alive Dora Temple
1957 The Tattered Dress Diane Blane
The Joker Is Wild Letty Page a.k.a. All the Way
1960 Guns of the Timberland Laura Riley
1961 Twenty Plus Two Linda Foster a.k.a. It Started in Tokyo
Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile Tenet/Nefertiti Original title: Nefertiti, regina del Nilo
1962 Madison Avenue Peggy Shannon
Pontius Pilate Claudia Procula Original title: Ponzio Pilato
1963 Invasion 1700 Helen Original title: Col ferro e col fuoco
a.k.a. Daggers of Blood
a.k.a. With Fire and Sword
1967 Hot Rods to Hell Peg Phillips a.k.a. 52 Miles to Terror
1971 The Night God Screamed Fanny Pierce a.k.a. Scream
1972 Skyjacked Mrs. Clara Shaw a.k.a. Sky Terror
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1955 Star Stage Nancy 1 episode
1956 The Ford Television Theatre Joyce Randall 1 episode
1958 Playhouse 90 Daisy Buchanan 1 episode
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Ruth Elliot 1 episode
1959 Meet Me in St. Louis Rose Smith TV movie
Goodyear Theatre Lila Babrek Barnes 1 episode
Riverboat Laura Sutton 1 episode
1960-62 G.E. True Theater Hope/Marion Miller 3 episodes
1963 The Dick Powell Theatre Elsie 1 episode
1964-65 Burke's Law Amy Booth / Lorraine Turner / Polly Martin 3 episodes
1968 The Danny Thomas Hour Frances Merrill 1 episode
The Name of the Game Mrs. McKendricks 1 episode
1972 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Lily MacMurdy 1 episode