Grand Central Murder

A traditional whodunit, scripted at a breathless pace by Peter Ruric from Sue MacVeigh's novel, with private eye Van Heflin solving the murder of a golddigging actress (Dane) under the nose of a biliously dim cop (Levene). After a couple of scenes edgily and excitingly staged amid the rolling stock at Grand Central Station, the suspects are assembled at police HQ. Fortunately, they're a lively bunch, and their stories keep the action jumping in unexpected directions by way of a series of intriguing flashbacks. The resolution stemming from a reconstruction of the murder is a little flat, but the rest makes for an enjoyable B movie: good performances, tolerably witty dialogue, excellent camerawork (George Folsey), and a pleasant leavening of both comedy and hard-boiled thriller.