Tonight's Movie: Hold That Blonde! (1945) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

HOLD THAT BLONDE! (1945) is a sprightly comedy releasing this week on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

I was unfamiliar with this Paramount Pictures film, which casts Eddie Bracken as Ogden, a wealthy kleptomaniac.

When Ogden chances to meet Sally (Veronica Lake), who's being blackmailed to steal a famous necklace, it's a match made in heaven. The instantly smitten Ogden wants to prevent Sally from stealing the necklace and marry her instead.

Indeed, Ogden's psychiatrist (George Zucco) says true love will cure Ogden's compulsion to steal!

A bunch of people on both sides of the law are circling around the necklace, including Police Inspector Callahan (Albert Dekker). Ogden and Sally throw the suspicious Callahan off the track by claiming to be newly married.

The story becomes pretty manic, including the amusing presence of Willie Best as Ogden's loyal (to a point) valet Willie. This being a comedy, all's well that ends well!

The movie flies by in just 76 minutes, energetically directed by George Marshall. I wasn't sure what to expect, especially as I love Lake but only tolerate Bracken, and I quite enjoyed it.

Bracken and Lake have good chemistry, and there are a number of genuinely funny moments, especially a prolonged sequence with Bracken hiding from the bad guys under a hotel table. 

No surprise since I'm a fan, but I found Lake quite charming, especially in the scene where she shocks Ogden by pretending to be married, for the benefit of the police detective.  

The movie was written by Earl Baldwin, E. Edwin Moran, and Walter DeLeon based on a play by Paul Armstrong. It was shot in black and white by Daniel L. Fapp.

The supporting cast includes Donald MacBride, Norma Varden, Lewis L. Russell, Frank Fenton, Ralph Peters, and Ralph Dunn. Don't blink and you can spot the world's busiest extra, Bess Flowers, as a dinner guest.

The print is for the most part excellent, though there's one scene towards the end where some vertical lines suddenly pop up. Sound quality is also strong.

The extras consist of a commentary track by Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff, plus a gallery of eight trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

I had a good time watching this and especially appreciate that Kino Lorber has made Veronica Lake movies such as this, THE HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN (1944), and SAIGON (1947) available for home viewing at long last.

I'll be crossing my fingers that other hard-to-see Lake films, such as MISS SUSIE SLAGLE'S (1946) and THE SAINTED SISTERS (1948), will also find their way to Blu-ray!

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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