Director Douglas Sirk was known for his “women’s pictures,” melodramas filled with noble women facing adversity. They included Magnificent Obsession (1954), All That Heaven Allows (1955), and Imitation of Life (1959). When first released they were panned, but later Sirk’s work became appreciated, and the films of directors Pedro Almodovar, John Waters ,and David Lynch all show his influence on them. With 1947’s Lured he tried his hand at film noir. The tone isn’t consistent, but it still possesses a lot to admire.
It stars Lucille Ball as Sandra Carpenter, a taxi dancer in London looking for better employment, who is conscripted to help the police capture a serial killer of young women. His stalking is done in personals ads which he uses to lure his victims. After murdering them, he sends the police poems about his victims in the style of Charles Baudelaire. He is given the moniker the Poet Killer. When fellow dancer Lucy (Tanis Chandler) goes missing, Sandra gets involved with Inspector Temple (Charles Coburn) of Scotland Yard. Testing her observational skills and noting her beauty, he decides to enlist her as a decoy to trap the killer. She is also assigned a man to shadow her, to make sure she is kept safe. His name is Officer Barrett and is played by George Zucco to sinister and comic effect.
Answering personals ads leads Sandra to some strange men. One of them is Charles van Druten (Boris Karloff), a demented fashion designer living in the past. Luckily Officer Barrett intervenes and saves her. Another ad brings her a job as a maid in a household that is a front for human trafficking. Along the way she meets debonair nightclub owner Robert Fleming (George Sanders), whom she previously had spoken with on the phone when looking for a better job. Sparks fly between the two with Ball showcasing her way with a wisecrack (that girl is going to go somewhere!). Fleming shares a house with his business partner Julian (Cedric Hardwicke), who is quite adept at fading into the background.
Sandra becomes engaged to Fleming, but at their engagement party she discovers some incriminating evidence that seems to implicate him. Fleming finds out that Sandra is working for the police and feels duped by her. Despite her protestations that she truly loves him, Fleming wants nothing to do with her. He is arrested as the Poet Killer and Lucy’s body is found in the Thames. Julian pledges to help Fleming prove his innocence. Inspector Temple begins to suspect Julian, but Julian informs him that Fleming has confessed. As for the ending, you must watch.
Ball is perfect as the very game Sandra and is costumed beautifully. Coburn adds solid support as Inspector Temple. Zucco, while looking menacing, brings an amusing touch as Sandra’s shadow. And Sanders is perfect doing George Sanders. There are two films happening on the screen; one is a dark, creepy thriller, and the other is a light comedy with clever banter. But that said, it is very entertaining.