Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 13: The Mystery of the Payroll

While most of the thirteen chapters of Brenda Starr, Reporter don’t deal with it, The Mystery of the Payroll is what the whole thing is supposedly about. And it gets solved in the last chapter. Though not really. I mean, it’s solved, but not satisfactorily. In fact, one of the big twists just raising more questions. Luckily, there’s no time to answer them because the serial is over.

After what should be an action-packed cliffhanger resolution (it isn’t, though there’s at least some action in a long shot), the story moves back to the newspaper office. Joan Woodbury is in trouble again with boss Frank Jaquet for disobeying copper Kane Richmond. Pretty soon, there’s a deus ex machina reveal and the wrap-up begins.

I suppose it’s efficiently executed; there’s quite a bit of wrapping up to do, even if none of it involves Woodbury. Given how poorly the serial leaves her, it’s probably better she didn’t get any of that material. It’s mostly Syd Saylor and William ‘Billy’ Benedict.

This chapter might be Benedict’s least annoying performance in the serial. He’s not a constant drag on the proceeding like usual. Or it might just be the “final chapter” energy.

Payroll is a disappointing end to a disappointing serial. It might have been nice, at least once, for Woodbury to take the titular Reporter job seriously instead of just being an adventurer.

Of course, the same goes for inept copper Richmond.

Brenda Starr, Reporter is a drag. Mystery of the Payroll might have been able to brace it after the last few chapters’ general competence. Unfortunately, it doesn’t.

CREDITS

Directed by Wallace Fox; screenplay by Ande Lamb and George H. Plympton, based on the comic strip by Dale Messick; director of photography, Ira H. Morgan; edited by Charles Henkel Jr.; music by Edward J. Kay; produced by Sam Katzman; released by Columbia Pictures.

Starring Joan Woodbury (Brenda Starr), Kane Richmond (Lt. Larry Farrell), Syd Saylor (Chuck Allen), George Meeker (Frank Smith), Wheeler Oakman (Heller), Cay Forester (Vera Harvey), Marion Burns (Zelda), Lottie Harrison (Abretha), Ernie Adams (Charlie), Jack Ingram (Kruger), Anthony Warde (Muller), John Merton (Joe Schultz), William ‘Billy’ Benedict (Pesky), and Joe Devlin (Sgt. Tim Brown).


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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 12: Murder at Night

Murder at Night features two murders at night. It doesn’t, however, have much night. Ira H. Morgan’s day-for-night photography is so inept, most of the action seems like it’s taking place late afternoon. The visual cues run contrary to the script, which has all the action taking place over hours.

So, basically, no one sleeps in Brenda Starr. Cousin Lottie Harrison stays up all night in case Joan Woodbury comes home and needs a meal cooked for her (and any guests).

Oddly enough, the script introduces a whole new element–there’s a mole for the bad guy at Woodbury’s newspaper. Woodbury doesn’t even know the bad guy’s identity. Everyone thinks George Meeker is on the up-and-up, not realizing he’s running a gang for the still unseen (and not really heard from lately) “Big Boss.”

There’s some energy from the finale chase scene, which does set up a real cliffhanger, but the chapter–penultimate or not–is more of the same from Brenda Starr. There are double-crosses, there are betrayals, there is repetitive dialogue. Practically all of Wheeler Oakman’s dialogue involves begging Woodbury to turn him over to the cops; she always refuses, with her reasons getting thinner as the chapter progresses.

The chapter also has a pointless flashback to another chapter. Time killer.

There’s a lot to wrap up in the final chapter–the “Big Boss,” the mole, the secret code (presumably the location of some stolen money)–and Starr needs to use all its remaining time wisely, which seems highly unlikely given the serial to this point.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 11: On the Spot

This chapter has Joan Woodbury not just getting out of a trap, she executes a great plan for it too. A surprising one. Not a lot of surprises in Brenda Starr, Reporter, so getting any of significance–even this late (On the Spot is the penultimate penultimate chapter)–is nice.

Overall, it’s not a bad chapter. Too much with idiot cop Joe Devlin. Starr’s either got condescending super-cop Kane Richmond (who hasn’t solved a single thing… though neither has Woodbury) or idiot Devlin. On the Spot gives Devlin the illusion of more to do, but then cuts away when it’s his turn.

Syd Saylor’s playing the same type of part–dimwit sidekick–but he’s at least good at it. And his character isn’t as much of a dimwit.

After the escape sequence, it’s all about Ernie Adams scheming until the cliffhanger. Of course Woodbury has inserted herself into that situation; she’s tried to call for back up, but William ‘Billy’ Benedict messes it up.

There are a lot of thin characters in Brenda Starr but Benedict’s got the worst. Whenever he shows up on screen, the serial becomes practically intolerable. I’m not sure if anyone could play the role of office numbskull with charm, but Benedict doesn’t.

Still, it’s a lot better of a chapter than the serial usually puts out.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 10: 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.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 9: 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 restained, Burns’s awesome. It’s all right.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 8: 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.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 7: 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.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 6: 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.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 5: 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.

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Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945, Wallace Fox), Chapter 4: 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.

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