No Orchids for Miss Blandish (film)
| No Orchids for Miss Blandish | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | St John Legh Clowes |
| Produced by | St John Legh Clowes |
| Written by | St John Legh Clowes |
| Screenplay by | St John L. Clowes |
| Story by |
James Hadley Chase Robert Nesbitt 1942 (play) |
| Based on | 1939 book by James Hadley Chase |
| Starring |
Jack La Rue Hugh McDermott Linden Travers Walter Crisham |
| Music by | George Melachrino |
| Cinematography | Gerald Gibbs |
| Edited by | Manuel del Campo |
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Production
company |
Tudor-Alliance
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| Distributed by | Renown Pictures Corporation (UK) RKO Radio Pictures (US) |
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Release date
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Running time
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102 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $800,000 |
No Orchids for Miss Blandish (US re-release title Black Dice) is a 1948 British gangster film adapted and directed by St. John Legh Clowes from the novel of the same name by James Hadley Chase. It stars Jack La Rue, Hugh McDermott and Linden Travers (reprising her title role from the West End play by Chase and Robert Nesbitt), with unbilled early appearances from Sid James, as a barman, and Walter Gotell, as a nightclub doorman. Due to the film's strong violence and sexual content for its time, amongst other reasons, a number of critics have called it one of the worst films ever made.
Miss Blandish (Linden Travers), a sheltered heiress, is targeted for a simple robbery by a cheap thug who ultimately involves two groups of rival gangsters, their goal being her diamond jewellery worth $100,000. The robbery is botched when Riley (Richard Nielson) kills her bridegroom and the three would-be robbers decide to kidnap Miss Blandish for ransom instead (her father is worth $100 million).
The three original kidnappers are killed, and Blandish ends up the captive of the Bailey gang. Her father puts a private detective on the case. The rival Grisson gang, led by Ma Grisson (Lilli Molnar), intends to collect the ransom and kill Blandish rather than take the risk of releasing her. Meanwhile, Slim Grisson (Jack La Rue) and Blandish fall in love and plan on running off together.
Blandish sends the diamonds to her father with a note saying she is in love with Slim, but he refuses to believe it. Ma Grisson is shot by rival gangsters when she cannot get Slim to the phone. The police surround the cabin where Slim and Miss Blandish are holed up and gun Slim down, "rescuing" the kidnap victim and returning her safely home. She throws herself from her balcony over the loss of Slim.
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Wikipedia