Crime By Night (1944)

Starring Jane Wyman, Jerome Cowan, Faye Emerson, Charles Lang, Eleanor Parker
Directed by William Clemens
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A private detective and his helpful secretary try to clear their client of the murder of his ex-father-in-law, and discover a wealth of other suspects during their investigation.

Although the characters have different names, this mystery is very similar to the previous year's Find The Blackmailer, which also starred Cowan as a detective and Emerson as a beautiful suspect, although Jane Wyman fills the role of the secretary that Marjorie Hoshelle played in the earlier film.  The first half of the film is well-scripted and compelling, introducing us to well-defined characters, including the less than honest sheriff running for re-election, the daughter of the victim who has secrets to hide, her boyfriend with a nasty disposition who sings at the local hotel, and the agent who represents the singer but used to manage Cowan's client.   The latter half however seems to wrap things up a little too quickly, making the murderer's identity all too clear before Cowan springs his trap.  Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film and Cowan and Wyman have good chemistry.

Find The Blackmailer (1943)

Starring Jerome Cowan, Faye Emerson, Gene Lockhart, Marjorie Hoshelle, Robert Kent
Directed by D. Ross Lederman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A private eye is hired by a politician to seize a talking crow used by his blackmailer, but the detective finds the blackmailer murdered, and the crow missing.

Although written like a hard-boiled mystery, the film has such an emphasis on comedy, and the plot's so convoluted, it plays more like a parody of the genre.  Cowan is perfectly cast in the lead role as smarmy detective D.L. Trees, and Lockhart is convincing as the ironically honest mayoral candidate whose deception of his fiancee has landed him in trouble with his conniving brother-in-law to be.  It's not the funniest film of its type, but the cast, playing all the film noir archetypes from cynical detective to femme fatale to dimwitted thugs, all appear to be having great fun in their roles, and the effect is infectious.