Out of the Blue (1947 film)

Plot

Arthur Earthleigh (George Brent) lives in an apartment in Greenwich Village where he is dominated by his wife Mae (Carole Landis) and annoyed by Rabelais, the German Shepherd owned by his neighbour, artist and swinging bachelor David (Turhan Bey). David has a constant parade of attractive women visiting his apartment to pose for him. He currently is being visited by Deborah (Virginia Mayo) who wants David's champion Rabelais to breed with her dog.

When his wife goes off to visit her sister, Arthur visits a bar where he's picked up by interior decorator Olive (Ann Dvorak) who comes home with him. Olive has a taste for brandy that she insists alleviates her heart condition but makes her tipsy. Arthur orders the reluctant Olive to leave, but Olive enters the guest room unbeknownst to Arthur. Waking up the next day Arthur discovers Olive has not only spent the night but redecorated the room. In attempting to get her to leave he knocks Olive down to the floor where he thinks she has died.

The film has Olive's 'body' moved about by David who uses Arthur's fear of having killed Olive to blackmail him into changing his mind about having a court order ordering David to get rid of his dog. Meanwhile, a serial killer is stalking the Village with two elderly snoopers (Elizabeth Patterson and Julia Dean) believing Olive is his victim. Adding to Arthur's troubles is his wife returning.

Cast

Production

Mystery writer Vera Caspary's had a percentage deal with Eagle-Lion Films. She also wrote the screenplay for her Bedelia in England the previous year which was also produced by her future husband Isadore Goldsmith. Her original short story for Out of the Blue appeared in Today's Woman magazine in September 1947. Hadda Brooks sings the title song in a nightclub.