Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

vincentlynch-moonoi On television, Lucy was Queen (although I much preferred her later television shows -- "Here's Lucy" and "The Lucy Show" -- over "I Love Lucy". But I was never particularly impressed with Lucy on the big screen. That's not to say there weren't a few films that I enjoyed, however. And then there's this little, almost forgotten gem.It's not a perfect film. But it's very intriguing. First, it's interesting that this is an early film of Douglas Sirk, who later directed films such as "Magnificent Obsession". And then there's the odd segment of the film when a crazy Boris Karloff makes Lucille think he's the killer; it's comic, even though this film is not a comedy, and it made me wish that we had seen Karloff in other roles that were not in the horror genre. The plot is a bit fantastic, but deliciously so -- young show girls are being killed in London, and one was the friend of Lucy. She becomes involved in Scotland Yard's efforts to hunt down the killer...as a sort of decoy. The film makes George Sanders appear to be the killer, even as he and Lucille fall in love, but I think you'll probably figure out who the real killer is fairly early in the film. So the fun isn't in realizing who the murderer is...the fun is how the characters unearth who the murderer is.George Sanders is excellent here...playing George Sanders; but that's how I (and I think we) liked him. The role is a tad bit challenging in that he has to appear his usual confident and suave self while feeling helpless as he is charged with serial murder with apparently irrefutable evidence.Lucille Ball is surprisingly good here in what is mostly a dramatic role. Quite convincing.Charles Coburn, one of my favorite character actors, is excellent and very entertaining as an inspector with Scotland Yard. It would be interesting to know why the segment with Boris Karloff was included in the film, but it is very entertaining.At first it seems as if Sir Cedric Hardwicke, as Sanders' assistant, has an almost minor role. But his climactic scene is extremely well done.One of my criticisms of the film involves the part of the plot involving Joseph Calleia and Alan Mowbray, which in many ways is little more than a distraction...but I guess that's what it was supposed to be. Wouldn't you know it -- Mowbray plays a butler, albeit a rather evil one this time around.George Zucco has a good turn as one of the officers, as does Alan Napier.An imperfect film that didn't find much of an audience when it was released, but I very much liked it. Sink handled the story in a way that was different enough to be a bit unique, even though the general story line is not that unusual. Recommended, though it probably won't end up on your DVD shelf.

GManfred This picture telegraphs every pivotal point in the story, so much so that it ceases to be in the upper echelon of mystery stories or film noir movies. It has a lot to recommend it, including a first-rate cast and a good premise, but lacks suspense and tension - and it telegraphs the unsatisfactory ending. It is a transparent picture which holds your interest to a point.Sandra (Lucille Ball) and her friend Lucy (!) are taxi dancers. Lucy answers a personal ad in the paper, hoping for a better job and more money, but she is never seen again. It so happens there is a murderer loose in London, preying on single girls, and Sandra goes to Scotland Yard to report her friend missing. Chief Insp. Temple (Chas. Coburn) overhears her story and enlists her as a decoy in the case."Lured" is a showcase for Lucille Ball. Dressed up for a nightclub date, she is breathtaking and never looked better. She is the nominal star of the film, and she is good. She just lacks gravitas for such a role, which should have gone to the likes of Ann Sheridan or even one of the Lane sisters. I disagree with a previous reviewer in that I found precious little chemistry between George Sanders and Ms. Ball and their relationship seemed forced. But as mentioned, the support cast is a fascinating mix with Sanders, George Zucco and Boris Karloff. They do their best to bring some menace to a movie which wanders off point and with too many red herrings for a higher rating.

st-shot In spite of some miscasting in key roles this mystery about a London serial killer never flags much in part to the energetic direction of Douglas Sirk. Sirk doesn't allow the viewer to rest a moment as he fills his scenes with sumptuous compositions of detail and action that give hint or distract from the murder trail. It is a work of superb craftsmanship and a very entertaining one at that.Sandra Carpenter (Lucille Ball) is a streetwise taxi dancer at a club in London whose co- worker and friend disappears raising suspicion she may be the latest victim of a well read serial killer partial to Baudelaire who enjoys taunting the police. She brings her concerns to police inspector Temple (Charles Coburn) who hires her on the spot to work undercover to trap the killer. She then gets involved with well known cad about town and prime suspect Robert Fleming (George Sanders) which totally confuses her handlers. Fleming is eventually charged with murder but Sandra remains torn.Lured is one suspenseful fun ride of a whodunnit with Sirk and top tier cinematographer William Daniels filling each scene with fluid, pertinent detail and camera movement that doesn't waste an inch of the frame. It does get convoluted in moments but even that can be rewarding as in the scene with Sandra believing she's luring the killer (a wonderful cameo by Boris Karloff) who instead turns out to be a demented eccentric into psycho drama. George Sanders as the rake is perfectly cast. Being one of the few actors capable of playing heel or hero convincingly he extends the guessing game. Cedric Hardwicke does exactly the opposite however with a tell tale staginess. It may be unfair to single out Lucille Ball as being miscast given the fact that their is no more famous a fictional character and actual person melding in entertainment history. What Daniels did for Garbo he does for Lucy (see) and she starts strong but then goes in and out with a wide eyed naive the rest of the way that doesn't fit a noir fatlale. Then again it may well have been Sirk's intention to give the film a lighthearted spirit while still making biting observations and giving a master class in mise en scene.

blanche-2 In a way, it's easy to see why Lucille Ball did not achieve mega movie stardom. By the time she was getting decent roles, she was in her thirties, and back in those days, that was getting long in the tooth. Though she was beautiful, she had the delivery of a character woman -- great comic timing and dry wit. I suspect Hollywood wasn't sure what to do with her -- too pretty for the Eve Arden roles, and not ingenue enough for the leading lady ones.In "Lured," Ball plays Sandra Carpenter, an American dancer living in London whose good friend and fellow dancer disappears after answering a personal ad. The police, led by Inspector Temple (Charles Coburn) have been frustrated by a series of poems they have been receiving before a murder of a young woman takes place. They feel helpless. When it turns out that Sandra's friend is a victim of the mad poet, the Harley asks Sandra to act as bait and answer suspect ads. They will be watching her at all times.Sandra has some strange adventures -- one with a whack job (Boris Karloff) who wants to paint her in costume, and then she is invited to a concert where her date does not show up. There, she meets wealthy Robert Fleming (George Sanders) who sweeps her off her feet. Could he be the killer? Could it be the strange doctor she meets? There are a few suspects.Well directed by Douglas Sirk, known later for his big glossy soap opera type films, "Lured" has suspense and atmosphere, though it moves from a mystery to a love story mid-script. However, the performances are very good - Lucy looks stunning in her gowns and she plays the down to earth, savvy young woman very well; George Sanders is smooth as silk, and the two have good chemistry. Sir Cedric Hardwicke gives a standout performance, and Coburn is excellent. "Alfred the Butler" from the Batman series, Alan Napier, is also in the film, as is George Zucco.Recommended. Very enjoyable. Just wish the emphasis had been more on the mystery.