Rent Blonde Ice (1948)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Gorgeous Claire Cummings sneaks away from her wedding to millionaire Carl Hanneman for a moment on the terrace - long enough for a passionate embrace with ex-boyfriend Les Burns, the man she still desires. Her social climbing has left a wake of jilted men, heartlessly discarded once she decides they no longer fit her plans for upward mobility. Carl is found dead less than a week after their wedding. The police determine that it's a case of suicide, leaving Claire a very wealthy widow. A would-be blackmailer and a second husband turn up dead, but the dim-witted police detectives are totally taken in when Claire frames her old pal, Les. A stubborn criminal psychologist is determined to unravel the truth behind the trail of corpses. This sexy film-noir thriller features a strong supporting cast including Russ Vincent as the low-life aviator/blackmailer. Director Jack Bernhard (Appointment with Murder, Decoy) found his perfect femme fatale in actress Leslie Brooks, whose icy good looks and seductive moves are utterly convincing. - Actors:
- Robert Paige, Leslie Brooks, Russ Vincent, Michael Whalen, James Griffith, Emory Parnell, Walter Sande, John Holland, Mildred Coles, Selmer Jackson, David Leonard, Jack Del Rio, Brandon Beach, James Carlisle, Joe Garcio, Kay Garrett, Julie Gibson, Sam Harris, Carl M. Leviness, King Lockwood
- Directors:
- Jack Bernhard
- Producers:
- Martin Mooney
- Writers:
- Kenneth Gamet, Whitman Chambers, Dick Irving Hyland, Raymond L. Schrock
- Studio:
- Alpha Video
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance, Thrillers
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Reviews (1) of Blonde Ice
Cold Blonde, Hot Lead - Blonde Ice review by griggs
Some femme fatales seduce you into ruin; this one just talks you into boredom. Leslie Brooks plays Claire Cummings, a society columnist with a moral compass spinning like a roulette wheel, but Blonde Ice telegraphs every turn as if afraid you’ll miss the obvious.
The budget is bare-bones, the interiors look rented by the hour, and the supporting cast could be replaced by coat racks without much difference. Claire’s “master plans” are blunt instruments, and the big reveals land with all the impact of a damp postcard.
Jack Bernhard’s direction keeps it moving, but only towards an ending you can see three reels away. Brooks works hard to sell it, but the material keeps short-changing her. For a noir about ruthless ambition, it’s oddly toothless—more tap water than ice.