Boston Blackie, the suave crook-turned-detective created by pulp writer Jack Boyle, had been popping up sporadically in films for nearly two decades by the time Columbia launched its "Boston Blackie" series in 1941. Chester Morris stars as the title character, Horatio "Boston Blackie" Black, as a former professional thief now working as a sort of freelance adventurer/detective. Blackie, just barely on the right side of the law, preferred not to get too involved with the police. "Meet Boston Blackie" is the first of fourteen Boston Blackie films that began the new adventures of Boston Blackie. The series evolves Blackie from a thief and underworld criminal into a new character that turns out to be very interesting and entertaining. Richard Lane, who plays Boston's long-suffering Inspector Farraday, was the only other character in all fourteen of the Boston Blackie movies. George E. Stone, playing Blackie's sidekick, his dim-witted crony The Runt, was not in the first or last film but was in all the others. Charles Wagenheim played The Runt in the first film and Sid Tomack in the last. Another of the reoccurring fun characters is the irrepressible Arthur Manleder, the adventurous millionaire played by Lloyd Corrigan in some of the films. Boston Blackie was one of Columbia's most profitable film series.
 

MOVIES LIST:

Meet Boston Blackie (1941)
This is the first movie in the Boston Blackie series. Boston Blackie tangles with mystery, women and murder to smash a foreign spy ring in a Coney Island freak show.

Confessions of Boston Blackie (1941)
This is the second movie in the Boston Blackie series. Boston Blackie is on the trail of stolen treasure and gets caught up in a crossfire of bullets and women.

Alias Boston Blackie (1942)
This is the third movie in the Boston Blackie series. Blackie tracks down an escaped convict so he can prove the man is innocent.

Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)
This is the fourth movie in the Boston Blackie series. When he's framed for robbery, a reformed thief takes off to find the real culprit.

After Midnight With Boston Blackie (1943)
This is the fifth movie in the Boston Blackie series. A reformed thief gets himself arrested fetching some jewels for a friend.

The Chance of a Lifetime (1943)
This is the sixth movie in the Boston Blackie series. An ex-thief helps some fellow ex-cons adjust to life as defense workers, only to get involved with a robbery investigation.

One Mysterious Night (1944)
This is the seventh in the Boston Blackie series. Blackie, wipe that smile off your face. You have an appointment with death.

Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (1945)
This is the eighth movie in the Boston Blackie series. A reformed thief accidentally sells a phony first edition of Dickens, which triggers a murder.

Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945)
This is the ninth in the Boston Blackie series and is considered one of the best. Blackie hunts for an escaped lunatic on a murder spree.

A Close Call For Boston Blackie (1946)
This is the tenth movie in the Boston Blackie series. Blackie is framed for murder by a beautiful dame.

The Phantom Thief (1946)
This is the eleventh movie in the Boston Blackie series. Murder, stolen jewels, sinister seances, ghostly apparitions and Blackie trying to stop a murderous blackmailer.

Boston Blackie and the Law (1946)
This is the twelfth movie in the Boston Blackie series. A reformed thief brings a magic show to a woman's prison and gets mixed up in an escape.

Trapped by Boston Blackie (1948)
This is the thirteenth movie in the Boston Blackie series. When a friend is murdered, Blackie helps the widow keep the family detective agency open by volunteering to work guard duty at a society party...little realizing he'll be blamed when a valuable necklace is stolen!

Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture (1949)
This is the fourteenth movie in the Boston Blackie series. Blackie is seen leaving a Chinese laundry where the proprietor has been murdered, and must track down the real killer in Chinatown.

 

These films were originally produced long before the advent of High Definition TV, therefore they are best viewed on a small screen. HD TVs tend to stretch and skew the picture. Set your HD TV on 4:3 aspect ratio. (That was the old TV format). Please do not expect DVD or Commercial level DVDs from these films. Email us for any additional info.
 

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These movies are in the public domain.
Thousands of Hollywood motion pictures are in the Public Domain because they were released without Copyright Notices, never registered with the Library of Congress, had improper or late registrations; or were not properly renewed under the old requirements for films made before 1964.
The status of films registered from 1929 through 1956 is noted in 3 volumes of Copyright Catalogs of motion picture registrations published by the Library of Congress.