wrbtu Review of Blonde Ice

Blonde Ice (1948)

This is Not an Ice Skating Movie

[26 April 2003]

When I tell my friends the title of this movie, most of them say "Oh,

is that with Sonia What's-Her-Name?" No, it's not an ice skating

movie. The blonde in the title is one of the most chilling Femme

Fatales you'll ever see on screen. Leslie Brooks is excellent as a

woman with a strong hatred of men, based on her fatherÕs

desertion, which made her mother a Òhard workingÓ lady. There

are times in the film when I wanted to feel sorry for her, but that

emotion quickly turned to fear & dislike. Good all-around

performances from a group of familiar faces whose names are

just on the other side of familiar. Russ Vincent could be mistaken

for Lash LaRue, & in a moment of darkness might have been

Bogie himself. Fast paced, interesting, & plenty of ice make this a

winning suspense film. I believe Blonde Ice has some elements

of Film Noir, but not enough emphasis on darkness & shadows &

a lack of snappy dialog (except for about three spots where it gets

pretty vicious) make it more of a suspense melodrama than a true

Film Noir. DoesnÕt matter though, try to find it. I rate it 8/10.