Society columnist Claire Cummings (Leslie Brooks) may have lawfully wed wealthy businessman Carl Hanneman (John Holland), but it’s obvious that she’s still carrying a torch for her ex-boyfriend and fellow newspaper colleague Les Burns (Robert Paige). Problems arise when Carl learns that his wife still has feelings for her old flame, and he declares his intention to divorce Claire and cut her off without a dime.

When Carl turns up dead, Claire’s tight alibi throws the police off her scent and allows her to rekindle her romance with Les, despite his (and his co-workers’) suspicion that she may be responsible for her husband’s murder. Incapable of warmth or gratitude, Claire soon steps out on Les and sets her sights on another rich conquest (Michael Whalen) who, odds are, doesn’t have long to live.

With striking good-looks and acting chops that rise well above the film’s B-noir pedigree, Leslie Brooks brings to life one of the most calculating and cold-hearted femme fatales in classic film history in her portrayal as Claire in Blonde Ice. Robert Paige and Michael Whalen co-star with solid support provided by James Griffith (in his film debut), Walter Sande, Emory Parnell, John Holland, Selmer Jackson, Mildred Coles, David Leonard and Russ Vincent (who later married Brooks in 1950—a union that lasted until his death in 2001).

For thoughts on Blonde Ice, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/_GZkJ0C44NA?t=3144]

Video Quality

Blonde Ice makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to ClassicFlix with a 1080p master from a restoration of 35mm elements courtesy of the BFI National Archive which looks rather nice. The black-and-white photography shot by George Robinson sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact and resolved favorably. Throughout the runtime, there is very little in the way of density fluctuations outside of a handful of softer shots and opticals. Those who watch a good number of classic movies may be able to tell this is not derived from the original camera negative, but this is not a poor presentation by any means.

The transfer shows off a strong amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Take a gander at the detail on display within the clothing and production design. Black levels are mostly deep with no blatant occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is firmly defined, and the track experiences little in the way of damage outside of a few moments here and there. ClassicFlix has done some very good work that will be appreciated by classic noir fans.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that has some issues but holds up well for what is asked of it. There are also certain exchanges of dialogue that sound a bit hollow, but typically it sounds natural and clear. Dialogue and background noises exist in harmony with all competing elements, even when some of the busier moments can become a bit soupy. The music is mostly stable when it comes to fidelity with only fleeting harsh inflections. Outside of some brief moments of age-related wear and tear, ClassicFlix has done a good job to provide a stable experience for this one. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Trailers: There are trailers provided for Black Magic, I, The Jury, Michael Shayne Mysteries, Raw Deal and T-Men.

Final Thoughts

Blonde Ice is a pretty serviceable film noir which does not come anywhere close to shaking up the genre. The performances are compelling and some of the twists and turns are satisfying, yet it all feels pretty expected. The brief runtime is a blessing as you never feel as if the narrative is stretched out to unnatural lengths. Fans of the genre will enjoy this one quite a bit, but casual audiences may not find much to latch onto. ClassicFlix has released a Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation and nothing in the way of special features. Recommended

Blonde Ice is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.