Eugene J. Forde's Dressed to Kill is one of the most enjoyable B-movies I've ever seen. And I mean "B-movie" in its technical definition, not the figurative one which seems to have engulfed all low-budget, super-stylized films from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Dressed to Kill was almost certainly intended to play as the second part of a double feature. But the film is still incredibly fresh and delightful, mostly due to how it doesn't take itself too seriously. At times it almost plays like a parody of serious detective films. It seems like nearly everybody is in on the joke: the owner of the hotel where the central double murder takes place tells the detective to not have the bodies removed through the lobby “this time;” the detective chomps on a celery stick pilfered from the murder scene while investigating it; frantic shenanigans involving a ticking time bomb, a police officer, and a delivery boy are had. Rich humor, great supporting characters, and excellent cinematography make this film one for the books...even if there is a heaping helping of "unfortunate" racial stereotypes.
7/10
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