This poster for Mary Ryan, Detective is a collage of photos touched up by an artist, and the result certainly did its job—it made us want to watch the film. We did that last night and saw a crime drama in which Marsha Hunt plays a cop who goes undercover as a prison inmate in order to unmask a jewel theft ring. As part of her prep she’s taught some lingo and how to pick pockets, and uses the latter instruction to make criminals go starry-eyed over her skillset. Once she gets the info she needs in prison, she’s released and maneuvers her way to the top of the theft ring, ending up on a farm where the head crook is a countrified old gent with an ingenious method for smuggling jewels.
Naturally, Hunt’s undercover role drags her in deeper than she or her superiors would like, as she disappears entirely from sight, inducing panic in her department. But she’ll come out okay—a safe ending is part of the package with mid-century crime flicks. The only question is how exactly the conclusion will play out. The poster should give you a hint. There’s nothing outstanding about this film, but there are also no major missteps. For a b-movie that’s called unmitigated success. After a special premiere in New York City in November 1949, Mary Ryan, Detective went into general release today in 1950. We have some production photos below, and you can see one more at this link.
