KAOS: When a man gets too complicated, he's unhappy. And when he's unhappy, his luck runs out

TIRED OLD QUEEN AT THE MOVIES

In their third noir together, the romantic team of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake unravel a murder mystery in George Marshall's The Blue Dahlia (1946).

Raymond Chandler's only original screenplay is set in LA near the end of the war. Ladd plays a returning veteran, with a faithless wife, who's murdered, leaving him to try and beat the wrap. Helping Ladd along the way is Veronica Lake who is short, sultry and wise. He also get's sterling support from William Bendix, as a buddy suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, Howard De Silva as a sleazy nightclub owner and gorgeous Doris Dowling as his trampy, murdered spouse. The action is fast, the atmosphere murky, the dialogue snappy and the ending a surprise. The Blue Dahlia is quintessential film noir to brighten the dark days of Autumn. Steve Hayes