the killer


Isn't the killer one of the women who called Casey Mayo on the phone "pretending" to be the Blue Gardenia? The woman who was nervously puffing her cigarette in bed… the woman whose feet were, unfortunately, too big?

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NO, NO, NO!!! The killer was the woman who DID call Harry Preeble {R. Burr} when he was at the phone company during the 1st 15 minutes of the film. The character you are speaking of WAS seen in the montage when Casey's "LETTER TO AN UNKNOWN MURDERESS" was published in The Chronicle.

Is that clear?!?!

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The real killer, who kept phoning Harry Prebble, wanted him to marry her because she was pregnant. The actress who played her, Ruth Story, was the real life wife of Richard Conte.
I loved this film and it's one of my favorite Anne Baxter pictures. Loved that apartment too! So 50's!!

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I immediately guessed the lady was pregnant,that she was going to kill him and that he was going to atack Ann Baxter.I guess I've see too many mysteries and this was an easy one.The was not a very good film.Raymond Burr as the irresistable ladie killer.Put him on the "hardly" list with Clifton Webb who was a ladies man in "Laura" and Barbara's Standwyck's husband in the "Titanic" movie.The premise of the innocent person being unconcious while the real killer comes in and commits the crime and leaves has been done in countless movies and tv shows.I saw it coming a mile away.

At the end the police brought Anne Baxter to the bedside of the real killer so she could HEAR her confession?? She didn't say anything about Anne Baxter and she was already telling that she did it. Was she already in jail in the sick ward or or was Anne Baxter removed from jail and bought to the regular hospital? Why??


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I was wondering the same thing! Why would they parade Anne (at this point in custody for the murder) through this sick woman's room? Also Anne's "sigh of relief" reaction for the photographers at the end, made me want to pimp-slap her!

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The police brought Anne Baxter, the accused, to the hospital to hear the deathbed confession. It was assumed that the woman was going to confess. That was the purpose of Anne being there. You can still be a lady killer without having exceptional good looks. There are ways, like with money, gifts, charisma, nightlife. That's what made Raymond Burr's character so popular with the ladies.

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Burr's character was NOT an irresistible lady-killer, just devilishly persistent and a smooth talker. Note his instructions to the bartender about not sparing the rum. Men who women find irresistible seldom need to get their targets completely sloshed in order to get laid. And remember that Prebble, when drawing the young lady at the beginning of the film, was trying hard to get the phone number that she volunteered to Casey Mayo with ease.

It seemed to me that Clifton Webb's character in "Laura" was absolutely flaming. I don't remember Stanwyck's husband in "Titanic."

But your other points, I agree with.

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rubyredjewelsays > I immediately guessed the lady was pregnant,that she was going to kill him
I commend you on having figured it out. I'm usually good at that myself, but this time I didn't see it coming. I knew Norah hadn't killed Prebble but I couldn't imagine who had. Rose never even came to mind.

The premise of the innocent person being unconcious while the real killer comes in and commits the crime and leaves has been done in countless movies and tv shows.
By the time Rose arrives, Norah's gone. Prebble's the one who was knocked out. If Norah had still been there she probably would have been the one who ended up dead; instead of, or along with, Prebble.

Anne Baxter to the bedside of the real killer so she could HEAR her confession??
I notice a lot of odd things in old movies; especially in regards to the law and law enforcement. I can never tell if that's how things actually were back then or if the audiences were so unsophisticated; so unaware of the law they'd believe just about anything.

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Norah was still there, you can see her on the ground when Prebble makes Rose by-pass the living room and go directly into the studio.

You may cross-examine.

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No, that doesn't work. When Rose was identified as the killer I wondered about that; when was she there? I remembered the maid said the record was still playing when she got there. That's what gave them the idea a second woman was there and what sent them to the record store.

Norah remembered what was on when she passed out, if something new was playing when she woke up, she would likely have remembered that. We have to assume she was a little more lucid after her 'nap' than before.

Blue Gardenia must have stopped playing while she was passed out. We didn't hear anything when she left. Subsequent to that, Rose arrives, Prebble gets up or vice versa and Rose ends up killing him.

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Re-watch it, if you don't trust me. You can clearly see her passed out on the ground when Rose is about to go into the living room, but Prebble directs her into the studio (which can be accessed through the living room) because he doesn't want her to find Norah.

You may cross-examine.

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rosarypliers says > Prebble directs her into the studio (which can be accessed through the living room) because he doesn't want her to find Norah
Yes, Prebble hesitates to let Rose in and he directs her to the other room but is that to hide the fact Norah’s there? No, I'm sure of it. Had Norah still been there, Prebble wouldn’t have let Rose in at all. He knew why Rose was there, to pressure him; he wouldn’t have wanted Norah to potentially overhear that.

Once Rose comes in, he makes no attempt to calm or quiet her down; to control her movements; or to rush her out the door which he would have done to keep her from seeing Rachel lying on the floor and to keep her from rousing Norah. Instead, he puts on a record and tells her after it’s done she has to go. If I’m not mistaken, it takes about twenty minutes, or more, for one side of a record to play.

Prebble also mentions he had been working on a fire that’s why he has the poker in his hand. That's where Norah had been, in front of the fireplace. If she was still there, would he have been working on a fire? Would he have just let her sleep it off after she had hit him so violently? It's doubtful. Also, if she had been there, she couldn't have run out while they were in the next room because she would have been noticed. Rose was in the studio part of the room which is visible from the living room area and the path to the front door. If we assume she was there and left after Rose kills Prebble, we would have seen the poker on the floor when she ran out. Rose drops it in front of the door on her way out.

Prebble had reason to steer Rose away from the living room for reasons that did not include Norah being there. The glass over the fireplace was broken so shattered glass would have been on the floor. Norah left behind her hat and shoes and the room was in disarray following their tussle. Rose would have asked him what happened. He also had a lot on his mind because he had attacked Norah. He didn't know whether or not she'd tell someone, file a complaint. If she did, she could tarnish his reputation, cost him jobs or money, but, for him, probably the most worrisome is she works at the place where he gets most of his women. She could dry up his supply.

You can clearly see her passed out on the ground when Rose is about to go into the living room
Per your suggestion, I did re-watch Rose’s confession flashback; not the whole movie. When Rose comes in, the shot is filmed from the vantage point of the living room looking out; in other words, from the exact spot where Norah would be if she was still there. That would make it impossible to see her in the shot. I'm not sure what you saw but I watched it several times and never once saw Norah.

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I believe that these two characters were different.

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I saw this film the total opposite as you did. It was a terrific film noir of the 1950's and Anne Baxter's performance was one of her most memorabile. I'd give it a 9/10.

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I will debate the "film noir" label. Melodrama, yes, true film noir, no. Once again, this genre gets jumbled up.

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