Claire Cummings (Leslie Brooks) is a pretty reporter for a San Francisco paper who leaves when she marries a wealthy older man (John Holland) who quickly dumps her when he realizes what a tramp she is. When he ends up dead, an apparent suicide, Cummings prepares to take over his estate and move back onto her former lover (Robert Paige) but blackmail threatens her plans, and murder seems the only way out. A wise psychiatrist (David Leonard) senses she knows more than she's telling, and unravels not only the string of murders that have been occurring, but the psychological make-up of this blonde ice, definite proof of what Claire herself refers to the danger of the female of the species.
In spite of a great set-up, the presence of possibly an extremely interesting femme fatal, and the psychological study of a truly dangerous creature, "Blonde Ice" features a plot that melts into obviousness pretty much the minute it starts with its one-dimensional characters and a screenplay that is truly unexciting. What makes the great femme fatals of film noir so riveting was the fact that in spite of their dangerous natures, they did show some vulnerabilities that managed to come out in bits and pieces even though you couldn't trust them with an ounce of sincerity. Brooks is a mediocre actress that was obviously set up to be a rival to Lana Turner after her success in film noir, but lacks the softness of Turner and is truly out of her element in leading roles.
In spite of a great set-up, the presence of possibly an extremely interesting femme fatal, and the psychological study of a truly dangerous creature, "Blonde Ice" features a plot that melts into obviousness pretty much the minute it starts with its one-dimensional characters and a screenplay that is truly unexciting. What makes the great femme fatals of film noir so riveting was the fact that in spite of their dangerous natures, they did show some vulnerabilities that managed to come out in bits and pieces even though you couldn't trust them with an ounce of sincerity. Brooks is a mediocre actress that was obviously set up to be a rival to Lana Turner after her success in film noir, but lacks the softness of Turner and is truly out of her element in leading roles.