A rare entry in the Boston Blackie series where he is not accused of murder. Instead, this time he's accused of robbery as he tries to help his friend Arthur (Lloyd Corrigan) who has gotten mixed up with a pretty blonde and a gang of crooks. Obsessive Inspector Farraday and his sidekick Sgt. Matthews follow Blackie all the way to Hollywood. What is this "jurisdiction" you speak of? Despite the title, there's nothing distinctly "Hollywood" about this. There are no movie star cameos or mysteries on film sets or anything of that sort. In addition to Chester Morris and the enjoyable regular cast, there's some nice support from Forrest Tucker, William Wright, and pretty Constance Worth. It's an entertaining entry in the series, though not one of the best. More comedy than usual. Blackie once again disguises himself as an old man. Better than blackface, I suppose.

Boston Blackie and sidekick Runt as they're about to go to Florida on a vacation get a transcontinental call from their good friend, playboy Lloyd Corrigan. Get $60,000.00 from a safe in his apartment and bring it to California. Corrigan has a couple of hoods pointing guns at him as he makes this call and of course Chester Morris thinks something is up. So Morris and George Stone get the money and make the trip with NYC cops trailing them because they think he's involved in a nice jewel heist also having taken place in California.Columbia was doing both the Boston Blackie and Lone Wolf series at the same time and the plots were pretty interchangeable. Both retired master criminals, both with helpful sidekicks, both living good and no visible means of support, and both with cops constantly questioning them every time some notorious crime breaks at which they're always innocent. My own theory is that they lived off the proceeds of their previous criminal lives, the money having been laundered clean and untraceable. Just what were Blackie and the Runt vacationing from?In this Lloyd Corrigan who's a good hearted and empty headed soul with too much money to burn always finds someone to help him burn it, usually of the female variety. That was Corrigan's function in all the Blackie films he did. Columbia starlet Constance Worth fulfills the function here, she's a poor man's Rita Hayworth.Corrigan does have himself peripherally involved in the stealing of a legendary jewel, it's up to Morris and Stone to get him out of the jackpot if they can just shake loose from NYPD's not so finest Richard Lane and Walter Sande. They do it as usual with aplomb.This one is a nicely paced Blackie entry that also features an up and coming Forrest Tucker as one of the hoods. This is a good one for a potential Blackie fan to be introduced to.

It's more like "Blackie Goes to a Hotel in Los Angeles", rather than Blackie Goes Hollywood. Didn't get much of a Hollywood impression from this film. The pace is fast, it is a well edited movie, but the script here is just not quite up to the usual high "Blackie" quality. Also, some of the physical stuff (in and out of doorways, up and down stairs, etc.) is directed rather poorly, but is performed with a lot of energy and verve by the cast.Chester Morris is watchable with his usual good acting as Blackie. Richard Lane and Walter Sande do a great job as the bumbling police. Constance Worth is attractively untrustworthy as the girl involved.The ensemble cast keeps this watchable and it moves along briskly, overcoming the weak script.

As you have already read by the person who has only seen this one film in the Boston Blacke series, they are not in the A budget class. Look a little closer and you'll see some up and coming actor, namely Forrest Tucker (Whipper). Who cares if it's not an A picture. These films are fun to watch! And by the way, the original writer of the Boston Blackie series was an opium addict and did time in prison. He began writing in prison and when he got out his stories were bought and changed for the movies. Columbia pictures had a hit on it's hands. Not all the movies made back then were Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, if it weren't for Boston Blackie and his antics Columbia would have probably gone bankrupt a long time ago. Most movies made even today aren't worth the time and money, but every now and then the movie makers get it right and it works. Open your mind and enjoy a fun film. Any Boston Blackie movie is fun to watch.