The Blue Gardenia - A Perfect Film Noir

The Blue Gardenia (1953) is a perfect Film Noir. I say that because it has everything you'd want in the genre - LA scenery and atmosphere, slick guys in suits, spunky female roommates, a tragic heroine, an unusual but memorable villain and Nat King Cole singing the title song in a nightclub. Perfection.

The story follows three telephone operators who work in the same building and live in the same small studio apartment. Crystal (Ann Sothern), the mature wise-cracker, gets the bed, goofy Sally (Jeff Donnell; yes, she was a girl named Jeff) sleeps on the sofa and doe-eyed Norah (Anne Baxter) is relegated to the fainting couch.

Raymond Burr plays against type (and does it well) as Harry Prebble, a predatory artist who hangs out at the telephone company, sketching the women, and asking for their phone numbers if he finds them attractive.

Norah is jilted by her fiance, and foolishly goes out with Harry, who takes her to the Blue Gardenia nightclub and gets her soused on exotic alcoholic drinks. Then he takes her to his apartment and makes unwanted advances towards her. She sobers up long enough to hit him and escape.

The next day Norah is shocked to hear Harry was murdered and the cops are looking for a woman since Norah left her shoes at the crime scene.

In steps a newspaperman, Casey Mayo (Richard Conte). At first he's just looking for a sensational story but after hearing Norah's side of it, he tries to help her. 

Did Norah actually kill Harry? And if not, who did? The wrap-up is pretty dramatic but not completely unexpected if you've paid attention to the small scenes.

A great film to watch if you're alone and want to quietly immerse yourself in the lives of these fascinating characters.