MovieChat Forums > The Blue Gardenia (1953) Discussion > Big plot hole. Beware -- big spolier as...

Big plot hole. Beware -- big spolier as to how case solved.

posted 16 years ago by chipe
15 replies | jump to latest

***BIG SPOILER TO ENTIRE MOVIE*********

With all the big talent that went into making this movie, I am surprised that they came up with such a huge PLOT HOLE in solving the crime. I hope that I am wrong somehow; if so, let me know via a "reply" here.

BACKGROUND:
(1) The Anne Baxter character went on a first date with Burr, got drunk, went to his apartment, fought off his advances, struck him with a poker, passes out. and then wakes up and leaves without looking about to see if Burr is there, dead or alive. Later she finds out that Burr was killed in the apartment with the poker, is afraid she had killed him, but doesn't remember.
(2) It happens that after Baxter left Burr's apartment, the real murderer (a jilted, pregnant woman) came by and killed Burr with the same poker because he wouldn't marry her.
(3) Burr was in the habit of playing musical records to his women friends. He liked playing the music of their first date. Baxter told Conte (who was helping her) that Burr played "The Blue Gardenia" music on her visit to his apartment, which was playing when she struck him with the poker. When Burr's pregnant "girlfriend" came by later that night, he tried to soothe her by playing a different music, the music he played on their first date.
(4) Late in the movie, Conte realizes that when Burr's body was found, "Blue Gardenia" was not in the record player; rather it was the other music for the pregnant "girlfriend." While this wouldn't help her in court, it was enough to convince Conte and Baxter that she almost certainly didn't murder Burr, that in any event someone (almost definitely Burr) changed the record after Baxter left the apartment that night. OK, good so far; I found that part neat.

PLOT HOLE:
The next action, which led to the discovery of the real murderer, is what I find very questionable and call a plot hole. Conte and the cops look at the record album cover of the second music (that Burr played for the pregnant "girlfriend") and see where Burr bought it -- the cover was stamped with the local store's name and address. There they discover and scare (just by their presence) the female store clerk (who turned out to be --hold onto your hats-- the pregnant "girlfriend"!) who sold the record to Burr and who killed him that night! Hard as I try, I can't imagine any investigator going to the record store in that situation. It would make just as much sense to go to the store where Burr bought the record player.

Again, if you disagree, let me know with reply to my post.

[–] Mr_McLaurel 16 years ago

It was the newspaperman that noticed the different music, and he had extra incentive to find the real killer since he was in love with Baxter.

As for the pregnant girlfriend's confession - it's easy for me to accept that she was as stressed out and worried about the murder as Baxter was, maybe moreso since she clearly remembered it. That explains the suicide attempt and the confession.

What's the Spanish for drunken bum?

[–] praygs 16 years ago

Heck, she even tried to call Conte to confess to being the Blue Gardenia but Conte wouldn't listen to her because her feet were too big.

[–] HillieBoliday 16 years ago

You are totally wrong on that one!

The Caller whose feets were too big, WAS NOT the pregnant murderess!

That caller was strictly looking for some attention and notoriety!

Conte, could tell that, I'm sure, just by virtue of his gut feelings
when it came to what was true or not.

"OOO...I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Molly-31 12 years ago

I'm more interested in why the police didn't find Pregnant Girlfriend's fingerprints on the murder weapon.

You've got me?! Who's got you?!

[–] truwarier 12 years ago

There was a scene where Burr's maid explained how she compromised much of the physical evidence, i.e. wiped down the poker and put it away, put the lady's shoes away in the closet, and a couple of other things. She was stodgy and surly and explaining how that's what she was there to do, cleaning up and doing chores, not finding bodies and playing detective.

[–] Molly-31 12 years ago

Oh, okay, thanks. I just didn't hear it then.

You've got me?! Who's got you?!

[–] dark_frances 12 years ago

Well it must have been their only lead at that moment (the policeman himself says "That's not much to go on", and later on "This is a wild goose chase, Casey. We aren't going to learn anything here"). There was a chance that the record wasn't Burr's, or that it had been a present given to him by the murderer. The discovery about the different record had been pretty striking, it must have been connected to the murder somehow, and short of asking everyone around "when did you hear Harry Prebble listen to this song?", going to the record shop was the only thing they could do.

Something else bothered me, namely the fact that "self-defense" had never even been considered, getting caught automatically meant prison for Baxter. Only excuse for this being the following line: "If a girl killed every man who got fresh with her, how much of the male population do you think there'd be left?".
Of course that the woman shouldn't have gone to his apartment, but that'd be like saying that if you get killed on a dark and dangerous street at night, then you are guilty for having gotten killed. That was an attempted sexual offense alright, and I sure hope that "attempting rape" and "getting fresh with a girl" didn't really mean the same back then... Didn't spoil my pleasure while watching this delightful movie, but I did find it a little grating.

there's a highway that is curling up like smoke above her shoulder

[–] mdonln 10 years ago

They didn't go to the record shop to find the murderer/ess, they went to get some information; to check on a lead. The fact the girl tried to kill herself when she heard the police wanted to speak with her is what made her a suspect. Later she confesses so that was that even though none of the other evidence pointed to her.

"self-defense" had never even been considered

It's hard to claim self-defense when you're also claiming you don't remember exactly what happened. Even though Prebble was known to be a womanizer and groper, Norah can't say with any certainty that that's what happened that night.

It's also hard to claim self-defense when you flee the scene, burn evidence, and go into hiding. People who feel they were defending themselves usually don't have to be 'smoked' out.

The longer it takes someone to report a crime, the harder it is for police to uncover the truth. Rips on her dress, scratches and bruises on her body, the fact she ran off without her shoes all could have worked to her benefit but by the time she comes forward these same things can work against her.

That was an attempted sexual offense alright, and I sure hope that "attempting rape" and "getting fresh with a girl" didn't really mean the same back then...

Basically, yes, it pretty much means the same thing, then and now. If someone attempts something and there's nothing to stop them from going further, chances are, they'll probably go further than just the attempt.

These days women seem to get a pass for being drunk; as if that absolves them of all responsibility for their behavior or what happens to them. This makes me crazy and I'm a woman. No, I'm not saying anyone has the right to rape another person simply because they're drunk. That would be absurd. What I am saying is the odds change and it's that much more likely to happen. As we see in the movie, we are not helping our cause when we make ourselves vulnerable in a risky situation. When we choose to 'check out' we're leaving our safety in other people's hands and hope they'll do what's right. The fact is we're leaving our fate to no one in particular; that's the perfect opportunity for trouble.

Criminals tend to be opportunists. They're always looking for a chance to strike. It's up to us to limit those opportunities. It can be done. For instance, no one ever has the right to steal from us. That's a given but we still don't tempt or make it easy for them. We lock up our valuables; we're careful who we trust with our things; we don't flash wads of cash or jewelry around especially in certain areas; we don't leave money, credit cards, and other belongings exposed or unattended; and we safeguard passwords, PINs and other secure information. This is well understood for objects but when it comes to our bodies, some want to argue their right to 'let it all hang out.'

Of course, whether we take certain precautions or not, we could still be victimized; that does not change the fact we should proactively avoid that situation. In the movie, Norah being drunk does not cause Prebble to make a pass at her, but it is likely she would not have gone home alone with him and the pass wouldn't have escalated to an attempted rape and she wouldn't have had to use potentially deadly force to extricate herself from the situation.

[–] dark_frances 10 years ago

I don't deny the fact that people have to be careful to avoid dangerous situations.
Just that, if they for whatever reason ended up in a dangerous situation, and someone took advantage of it and committed a crime against them, the guilt still lies with the perpetrator.
Our fellow humans are not "natural phenomena". If you go out in the storm and you get hit by lightening, then the fault was all yours for not being careful. But a lightening does not hold responsibility, is not bound by all kinds of written and unwritten laws to us. It cannot be held accountable for its occurrence and for the consequences of that occurrence, it has neither obligations nor rights towards us.
Humans are not like the lightening, that's not how the various social laws regard them. That you made it easy for a thief or a rapist does not, in any way, excuse them for having performed an act on you they clearly knew to be against your will and against their rights. Otherwise it's a simple case of blaming the victim.

Again, I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to avoid dangerous situations as much as we can, just that if we find ourselves in such a situation, we are not inviting crime, and if a fellow human takes advantage of us then they are to blame, for they have betrayed the trust we (as a society) have implicitly bestowed upon them when we allowed them to roam freely among us. If someone has something of yours you didn't give them, then they took it from you, and for that they are accountable, regardless of whether you were careless, drunk or in any other way incapacitated.

there's a highway that is curling up like smoke above her shoulder

[–] joang863 10 years ago

Where did they say she was pregnant?

[–] rosarypliers 10 years ago

She says she's "in trouble". That's a dates euphemism for pregnant. Also, she says she cannot go through this alone and that's why she wants him to marry her. Pretty obvious.

You may cross-examine.

[–] bok602 9 years ago

Back then checking the record store could have worked as a viable avenue of investigation because, unlike today, record stores were as distinctive as any major boutique store. Each would appeal to a certain clientele and the staff would likely have remembered their customers.

It seemed common knowledge that Burr was a playboy and used music as the "signature" of his conquests, so inquiring at the record store - while a long short, admittedly - just might provide a description of the dame de'jeur he was with.

"If you don't know the answer -change the question."

[–] chipe 9 years ago

It was the music Burr played on his first dates. It would be a record he had hanging around his apartment. He presumably would have been alone when he bought the record, and possibly years or months before he entertained a girl with the record.

[–] bok602 9 years ago

That's a valid argument; however, the police don't know that and since it is the only solid clue they have, it would bear investigation.

What seemed more contrived to me is the fact that the murderess just happened to be the clerk at the record shop and even more contrived is the fact that - with nothing more than their presence - she attempts suicide.

"If you don't know the answer -change the question."