Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch10 – A Double-Cross Backfires

Brenda Starr is rallying in its last third–A Double-Cross Backfires is a solid serial chapter. Sure, Joan Woodbury gets interviewing and kidnapped duty, but there’s some good action and some actual suspense.

The chapter opens in Marion Burns’s house–rigged for her psychic scam–and no one except Burns can find their way through it. Lots of curtains, false walls, all sorts of stuff. Perfect location for a thrilling shootout, even if Fox’s direction is boring.

And Burns is rather good. She’s underutilized, but at least she’s underutilized in a supporting role as opposed to Woodbury, who’s underutilized in the ostensible lead part.

The action scene has Kane Richmond chasing a bad guy’s cab and then climbing a roof to duke it out with him. Again, not great direction from Fox, but good enough to get it through. Richmond’s still a condescending jackass overall, however.

Maybe the most salient factor in the rallying is Ernie Adams. He’s a stoolie who all of a sudden has a bunch more to do. Adams knows how to act a scene where the director isn’t going to give him anything. He’s a delight.

So, Backfires doesn’t.

I just wish Brenda Starr had this level of energy and inventiveness (and the strong supporting cast–not the tiresome cops and newspaper sidekicks) throughout.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch09 – Dark Magic

Dark Magic fully introduces Marion Burns’s psychic character. She showed up at the end of last chapter, but she really didn’t get much to do outside her act. The act, which has everyone panicked this chapter, involves her accusing bad guy Jack Ingram of murder. Then all the lights go out and she, her assistant (Wheeler Oakman in disguise) and Ingram all disappear.

It’s not entirely clear how those events warrant a police investigation, but Kane Richmond sure is going to try to make them.

The chapter opens with him dismissing Joan Woodbury as usual, but maybe for the first time since he agreed they’d share information. They don’t. He strong-arms her for information or just tries to get her fired.

Newspaper editor Frank Jaquet doesn’t back Woodbury up at all. Though, to be fair, it’s not clear she’s a particularly good reporter. Brenda Starr, Reporter is noticeably lacking any evidence of Woodbury’s journalistic skills. Her investigating skills aren’t terrible, though she does get suckered here.

Burns is the best performance in Brenda Starr so far. She’s sick of being lackey to Oakman and Ernie Adams; she (rightly) doesn’t trust them. Leads to some desperate measures, which Fox doesn’t direct well, but Burns still manages the scenes.

As Brenda Starr captures go, it’s not terrible. Syd Saylor’s amusing this time, William ‘Billy’ Benedict’s restrained, Burns’s awesome. It’s all right.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch08 – Killer at Large

Yes, there’s a Killer at Large, but there are lots of them. The entire gang out bad guys is loose. Brenda Starr’s has all bad ideas when it comes to titling.

And, you know, scenes. There’s a scene between lowlifes Ernie Adams and Wheeler Oakman and the conversation repeats itself. It’s almost surreal, the exposition starting again immediately once Oakman finishes with the initial delivery. Maybe if Adams were getting Oakman to confirm what he’s saying, but he’s not.

In addition to Adams and Oakman gabbing, there’s another scenes with Frank Meeker and his gang. None of the criminals seem particularly motivated, which is kind of fine; the less time thinking about Brenda Starr, the better.

Woodbury starts the episode a damsel in distress. She ends it going to a night club with the rest of the cast. They’re not sitting together, but screenwriters Ande Lamb and George H. Plympton really want to get everyone together.

Not for narrative purposes, unfortunately, just time wasting ones.

The chapter doesn’t even try with a cliffhanger though. Cliffhangers aren’t Brenda Starr’s thing.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch07 – Hideout of Terror

There’s a hideout in Hideout of Terror, but there’s no actual terror in that hideout.

Most of the chapter is kidnapped Joan Woodbury being traded between kidnappers. First it’s Jack Ingram, then he gets nabbed by Wheeler Oakman. Ingram gets most of the chapter’s action–he’s got to leave Woodbury in the Hideout to get orders from boss George Meeker–followed by doofuses Syd Saylor and Joe Devlin.

Though Saylor proves a lot smarter than Devlin, which isn’t a surprise. They’re trying to find Woodbury, but only know her car is missing. Eventually main copper Kane Richmond gets involved but he’s no more effective than anyone else. The purpose of Hideout is to stall long enough for Woodbury to get to her mark for the cliffhanger.

Eventually there a shootouts and fisticuffs and chase scenes and an abandoned mine (where Woodbury needs to get). But Woodbury gets almost no lines in the chapter and, even when she’s in the action being pursued, the chapter follows the pursuers.

Makes one forget why the serial’s called Brenda Starr, given how little Woodbury actually gets to do. But if it weren’t called Brenda Starr, it’d just be Bland Columbia Serial, so maybe not.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch06 – Man Hunt

Man Hunt is exasperating. All of it. Copper Kane Richmond, who didn’t have the most fantastic part of the previous chapter’s cliffhanger, gets all the resolution. When the story gets back to Joan Woodbury, her initial shock has worn off and she’s just trying to get Wheeler Oakman to leave her alone. Oakman’s holding Woodbury and cousin Lottie Harrison captive, but he’s not too violent a guy. He just wants the information Woodbury has and it belongs to him after all.

Only he’s not too bright and lets Woodbury get a message along to Syd Saylor. Now, most of Brenda Starr to this point has established Saylor himself isn’t too bright, yet Saylor is able to save the day.

Just long enough for Woodbury to regroup and get kidnapped again.

There’s some more with Richmond, who’s getting to be even more of a yawn and he was an abject bore from chapter one, and villain George Meeker. There are hints the “Big Boss”–the one who only communicates over the radio–might have some secrets he doesn’t want his underlings to know about.

Sounds like a good story for Woodbury; too bad she’s just playing hostage, traded between various elements.

In addition to Saylor getting a moment, which works out (even if it’s Saylor the hero, not Saylor the goof), but William ‘Billy’ Benedict also gets a bit and he’s just too much.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch05 – The Big Boss Speaks

The Big Boss Speaks does not feature a scene where the Big Boss speaking over the two-way radio setup sets off the cliffhanger. Actually, the part of the chapter where the Big Boss does speak has absolutely nothing important to do with the plot. Except in how wrong the Big Boss is about predicting Joan Woodbury’s behavior.

This chapter of Brenda Starr is the one where Woodbury gives up and decides to cooperate with the police. Not even her editor (Frank Jaquet) can believe it. Woodbury’s decision comes right after main copper Kane Richmond accuses her of being an unprofessional, delusional liar. And after the scene where Richmond flubs a line and Fox didn’t do another take (or he did and Richmond’s one flub is the best it got).

So not a particularly thrilling chapter as far as Woodbury’s agency goes.

There is a conversation where Woodbury and Richmond decide they’re going to work together, which turns out to be Richmond taking Woodbury’s leads and Woodbury just going home for the night, but Speaks focuses on Syd Saylor and Joe Devlin having a painful comedy sequence.

Not a good chapter. But it does move fairly well. Brenda Starr gets by a lot on Woodbury’s likability, even if the script doesn’t show her much respect.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch04 – A Ghost Walks

Unfortunately, most of A Ghost Walks is missing. What remains–some audio, a couple stills–isn’t really enough to sustain the narrative. After the cliffhanger resolution (not too noisy and apparently not injurious to Joan Woodbury), there’s some treading water while cops Kane Richmond and Joe Devlin catch up to Woodbury and Syd Saylor.

Woodbury and Saylor leave the cops to wrap-up the cliffhanger resolve and head out to investigate a clue. It’s a clue the cops would want, but Woodbury keeps to herself.

There’s a little with Lottie Harrison–turns out Woodbury is throwing cousin Harrison a birthday party only she keeps going out to work on the story.

More than half the chapter is lost, though the subsequent chapter’s recap suggests there’s a big reveal at the end of Walks but as the cliffhanger.

I suppose if a chapter of a serial is going to be lost, it’s best it’s a bridging chapter.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch03 – Taken for a Ride

Taken for a Ride’s opening cliffhanger resolution isn’t particularly exciting–in fact, giving so much information about what’s going on outside the situation to resolve the cliffhanger makes it all procedural, instead of suspenseful–but it still almost leads to a good shootout.

Joan Woodbury and Syd Saylor (who can be dashing and heroic when he needs to be, which is one of Brenda Starr’s best developments) are pinned down inside a warehouse. Gangsters are shooting at them. What can they do? Well, Woodbury pulls a snubnosed revolver and shoots back.

It’d be awesome if the action didn’t cut to cops Kane Richmond and Joe Devlin trying to get into the warehouse.

Wasted potential, though Saylor does get an amusing moment.

The rest of Taken for a Ride has Woodbury and Richmond–independently–trying to figure out how singer Cay Forester fits into the gangsters’ plot. It comes right after Richmond condescends to Woodbury about her job performance as a reporter; even though Richmond is the romantic lead, he’s an unlikable jackass.

All of the audio for the second half of Ride is lost. So, the exact details of the plot are a tad mysterious. The cliffhanger setup in Ride is pretty cool; it’s maybe the first time Charles Henkel Jr.’s editing impresses.

The chapter also brings in Lottie Harrison as Woodbury’s cousin and roommate. She does better than William ‘Billy’ Benedict’s annoying newsboy. Though it’s probably not Benedict’s fault as much as director Fox’s or the screenwriters’.

Taken for a Ride keeps Brenda Starr moving well enough; the chapter never veers off track. Opening with Benedict’s tediously acted scene ends up helping it. Everything else is a step up.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch02 – The Blazing Trap

The Blazing Trap opens with a lengthy lead-in to the cliffhanger resolve. Even though the resolve is pretty easy, it’s kind of cool how much context Brenda Starr gives its resolution. It doesn’t feel like a quick wrap up, it feels like a part of the story.

After it’s over, though, the chapter speeds headfirst into a boring finish. Joan Woodbury, once again, foolishly investigates something without letting the cops know. Last time there were tragic consequences. Who knows what will happen this time. Assuming Brenda Starr doesn’t die in the second chapter.

But that boring finish isn’t just because there’s a weak cliffhanger. It’s everything in the second half of the chapter. The first half hinges on Syd Saylor being funny as Woodbury’s meandering photographer. It doesn’t not work, but at least Blazing is trying.

Then the next scene, when Woodbury and Saylor check in with newspaper editor Frank Jaquet, has some snappy dialogue. It seems like Blazing might be headed somewhere. Somewhere good, not somewhere boring.

Woodbury interviews a night club singer (Cay Forester), who has some connection to the unseen villain–The Big Boss. Then Woodbury gets in trouble investigating a lead. Shouldn’t be boring, somehow manages to be boring.

Woodbury’s fine, she just isn’t compelling enough to save the serial.

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945) ch01 – Hot News!

Brenda Starr, Reporter is all action. Sure, there’s some scenes of lead Joan Woodbury sitting at her desk, but she’s just waiting to hear about more action.

The chapter starts with a building on fire. Woodbury and her photographer, Syd Saylor, drive out from the newspaper office, racing to get there faster than the cops. The cops are Kane Richmond and Joe Devlin. Richmond’s the good-looking one and Woodbury’s de facto love interest. Devlin’s the dopey comic relief. He and Saylor–Woodbury’s dopey comic relief–have a bet going on who gets to crime scenes faster, reporters or cops. It leads to some silliness around the burning building, which ought to be terrifying but isn’t.

Ande Lamb and George H. Plympton’s script has thin exposition and broad humor. About half the runtime is spent on mid-level villain George Meeker–there’s an unseen, unknown “Big Boss” who speaks to his thugs in paternal, private radio addresses. Woodbury and Richmond get the other half, with a little more time going to Woodbury.

Jack Ingram plays one of Meeker’s thugs. He doesn’t like Woodbury snooping.

Hot News moves pretty well. Woodbury keeps a straight-face through Saylor’s nonsense, which doesn’t work for the humor but does make Woodbury more sympathetic.

It’s okay. Nothing particularly great (or even good), but nothing concerning either.

Fox’s direction could be a bit more lively, however. And Ira H. Morgan’s photography is a bore.