Disappointing, to say the least. Most of the Columbia films, while not by any stretch great art, are passable enough B-entertainment, with good production values, fairly logical plots and some decent characters. This one has got to be one of the weakest of them all, though. It suffers not just from a sloppy, coincidence-laden plot that makes no sense at all, but also a narratively dubious, cringe-worthy bit where Blackie and Runt don black-face to avoid capture by the cops. Even in 1945, such broad, ethnic-based "humor" would have seemed, if not quite outdated, at least hopelessly old-fashioned. And while I can see Lt. Faraday's obsession with nailing Blackie for some crime (any crime!) being a fun running gag in these films, it's still an awful stretch for audiences to believe he honestly sees Blackie as a crazed killer.

Just when I thought that the "Boston Blackie" series couldn't get any better comes along this episode with a genuinely spooky performance by future film noir anti hero Steve Cochran. Known as "the man who sailed to Tahiti with an all girl crew" (and didn't return), Cochran had a brief leading man career and quite the off screen life, apparently. He's obvious damaged goods from the moment he's seen on screen, overhearing estranged uncle Harry Hayden describe him to Chester Morris's Boston Blackie. Sweet Nina Foch (in a wig straight out of a Val Lewton film) and brassy Iris Adrian add the feminine touch, although Adrian seems to be trying to swallow her own head as she talks. Sociopath Cochran sets off on a reign of terror with Boston Blackie accused of his crimes. There's no mystery, obviously, but in being presented as a thriller with horror elements (comedy inserted thanks to sidekick George E. Stone and cynical detective Richard Lane), and ending up with a film that is beautifully played out. Forgive the one sequence of Morris and Stone in horrible blackface, acting absolutely absurd. No indication of why Cochran is the way he is other than contemptuous relationships with his family is given, but in life, sometimes the eggs are just bad and no amount of psychology can explain it.

Boston Blackie's out to stop an escaped maniac on a killing spree. That is if Blackie can keep from being arrested by moronic Inspector Farraday, who has the wrong suspect as usual. Farraday couldn't find his rear end with both hands and a flashlight. Decent Boston Blackie movie where the series' reliably entertaining regular cast gets better than average support from the likes of Nina Foch, Steve Cochran, and adorable Iris Adrian. Despite dark subject matter, they still find time for some ill-conceived humor. One disappointing part of this movie was the offensive blackface gag where Blackie and Runt disguise themselves as black cleaning women to elude Farraday. This is the third time in the series Blackie uses this ruse. Even if you find it funny (I don't), it's tired and repetitive by this point.

Someone is killing women and framing Blackie in "Boston Blackie's Rendezvous" starring Chester Morris, George E. Stone, Richard Lane, Steve Cochran, and Nina Foch.Blackie is appealed to in the middle of the night by a man whose brother has escaped from the asylum. The man, Jimmy Cook (Steve Cochran) shows up at Blackie's later and refuses to turn himself in. He starts killing, picking up a woman at a Dime a Dance joint and then moving on to someone else who works there. He writes poetic letters to these women, so when he shows up at Sally Brown's (Foch) place, she's looking forward to meeting him.Chester Morris is always very good as Blackie - relaxed and funny, and George E. Stone makes a good if scared sidekick. And they both drive Inspector Farraday (Lane) nuts. However, this script left something to be desired. First of all, Blackie and the Runt go looking in their building for Cook disguised as black maids, complete with white lips like they were doing a minstrel show. That type of thing is cringe-worthy today.Also, the Foch character is suspicious of Blackie, thinking he's the killer, lets in Cochran and buys his whole line, even accompanying him to his place. She was definitely one sandwich short of a picnic.The film moves along quickly, with handsome Steve Cochran leaving much to be desired in an early performance, relying basically on making faces. Nina Foch was lovely, but her character wasn't fleshed out very well.Okay entry into the series.