Review of The Blue Gardenia

In Los Angeles, on the day of her birthday, the telephone operator Norah Larkin (Anne Baxter) decides to celebrate dining alone at home, with the picture of his beloved fiancé, a soldier overseas, and reading his last letter for her. In the letter he tells that he met a Japanese nurse and he wanted to get married with her. Norah, completely upset, accepts to blind date the Don Juan and photographer of calendar girls Harry Prebble (Raymond Burr). They go to the Blue Gardenia Club, and Norah drinks six strong cocktails Polynesian Pearl Divers and gets completely drunk. Harry takes her to his apartment and tries to force Norah to have sex, and she uses a poker to hit Harry on the head. On the next morning, she wakes-up in her apartment with her two roommates, but she can not remember what happened. When she reads the newspaper, she finds that Harry is dead and the police has her handkerchief, her high heels and her blue gardenia and is chasing the woman that killed the famous wolf Harry. When she reads in the newspaper that the journalist Casey Mayo (Richard Conte) is offering his support, exchanging per an exclusive interview, Norah decides to call him.

"The Blue Gardenia" is a very simple story, but credible based on the behavior of the women of the 50's. Anne Baxter, a couple of years after "All About Eve", has another great performance in the role of a desperate woman that is not sure that is innocent and is completely lost, needing a friend to help her. The cinematography is excellent, and in addition the viewer has a chance to see Nat King Cole singing "Blue Gardenia", certainly a plus in this good movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Gardênia Azul" ("The Blue Gardenia")