Hotellmysteriet (1944)

I mostly know Jean Parker from movies of the early 1930s (LITTLE WOMEN springs to mind) and I mostly associate her with teary-eyed victims of tragedy or sweet young romantic interests. Bland supporting roles in mostly dramatic pictures. The sweet daughter, the poor sister, the hometown sweetheart. DETECTIVE KITTY O'DAY (1944) showcases Parker as a comedienne. She goes for broke in the name of comedy and I was impressed. Jean Parker is the whole show.

Made for B-level Monogram Pictures, DETECTIVE KITTY O'DAY is an inconsequential hour-long comedy-mystery programmer. There are no big names in the cast. The most recognizable actor after Parker is Edward Gargan, in the dumb police sidekick role he'd played countless times at the major studios. Veda Ann Borg lends sex appeal to the supporting cast.

Kitty O'Day (Jean Parker) is a secretary who drags her boyfriend Johnny (Peter Cookson) around as she tries to solve her boss's murder. Every time the police run into the amateur sleuths a dead body turns up.

Parker, pretty as always, handles the comedy with aplomb. Kitty O'Day is plucky and bright, in her own silly screwball way. She delivers zingers with a smile, uses accents and props, faints, crawls on the ground, and even wears a disguise. With Johnny along for the ride, the investigation is full of slip-ups, goofs, and misunderstandings, but Kitty somehow seems to land on the right track.

For the sake of comedy the script allows for some lapses in logic, but they are easily overlooked. The film is enjoyable silliness from start to finish. Strictly a low-budget, small-time affair, but Jean Parker is fun to watch at the center of it all. It's neat seeing a different side to the actress a decade after the 1930s roles I know best.