Chicago Deadline (1949)

In a cheap hotel room in Chicago's South Side, a hard nosed reporter (Alan Ladd) finds the body of a dead girl (Donna Reed). Her address book leads to a host of men seemingly frightened by her death but many claiming not to know her. The newspaperman is determined to find out about the girl and what lead to her lonely death. Based on the novel ONE WOMAN by Tiffany Thayer and directed by Lewis Allen (DESERT FURY). The ghost of LAURA hovers over this noirish crime mystery and despite a provocative narrative, the plot is often confusing. The reporter's pursuit of the truth never results in a completely satisfying revelation of the girl and who she was. Yes, we know more about her by the time the movie ends but not enough. Her story is told through flashbacks but they're colored by the people recollecting. Good try but no soap! With Arthur Kennedy, June Havoc, Irene Hervey, Shepperd Strudwick, Barry Kroeger, Marietta Canty and Margaret Field.