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No Orchids for Miss Blandish (film)

No Orchids for Miss Blandish
No Orchids for Miss Blandish film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
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
Production
company
Tudor-Alliance
Distributed by Renown Pictures Corporation (UK)
RKO Radio Pictures (US)
Release date
  • 13 April 1948 (1948-04-13)
Running time
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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