Created by Myron A. Nunes
Tom Neal (of Detour fame) starred as private eye RUSS ASHTON, head of The Ace Detective Agency, in two supposedly enjoyable quickie B-romps from 1947, The Case of the Baby-Sitter and The Hat-Box Mystery.
And I do mean quickies.
In The Hat-Box Mystery, one of Russ’ ops, Susan Hart (Pamela Blake), is given a camera concealed in a hat box, and assigned to secretly take a picture of a woman. When the woman is killed, Susan is charged with murder, so Russ and his less-than-useful assistant, Harvard, come to the rescue. It clocked in at 44 minutes
Even faster (41 minutes!) was The Case of the Baby-Sitter, which was released the next month. In this one, Russ is hired to “baby sit” the child of a Duke and a Duchess (George Meeker and Rebel Randell). In reality, however, the Duke and Duchess are jewel thieves, and the baby is a kidnap victim. What they really want is for Russ to protect them from a rival gang.
Much of the same cast is featured in both films, with Allen Jenkins and Pamela Blake appearing as Russ’ assistants.
FILMS
THE HAT BOX MYSTERY | Buy the DVD
(1947, Screen Art)
44 minutes
Premiere: June 12, 1947
Based on a story by Myron A. Nunes and Carl K. Hittleman
Screenplay by Carl K. Hittleman and Don Martin
Directed by Lambert Hillyer
Produced by Carl K. Hittleman
Executive producer: Maury Nunes
Starring Tom Neal as RUSS ASHTON
with Allen Jenkins as Harvard Quinlan
and Pamela Blake as Susan Hart
Also starring Virginia Sale. Edward Keane, Leonard Penn, Lona Andre, Zon Murray , Tom Kennedy, Jack Cheatham, William Ruhl, Al Hill, Bob Nunes- THE CASE OF THE BABY-SITTER | Buy the DVD
(1947, Screen Art)
41 minutes
Premiere: July 26, 1947
Based on a story by Myron A. Nunes
Screenplay by Carl K. Hittleman and Ande Lamb
Directed by Lambert Hillyer
Produced by Carl K. Hittleman
Executive producer: Maury Nunes
Starring Tom Neal as RUSS ASHTON
with Allen Jenkins as Harvard Quinlan
and Pamela Blake as Susan Hart
Also starring Virginia Sale, George Meeker, Rebel Randall, Keith Richards, Lona Andre, Crane Whitley, Eddie Kane, Mickey Simpson, Bill Kennedy, Polly Van, Tom Kennedy, Phil Arnold, and Joseph De La Cruz as “The Kidnapped Baby”
Report respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith. And a tip of the fedora to Dale Stoyer.
