Although he had been under contract for a number of years, Raymond Chandler still hadn't found his "write" niche at his home studio, Paramount.
True, his assignment to "The Unseen" (1945), seemed ideal - at least on paper.
Based on a book by Ethel Lina White (who wrote the original novels for both Hitchcock's Lady Vanishes and Siodmak's Spiral Staircase), the movie somehow ended up as more of a lightweight ghost story than mystery-suspense.
Spooks were not Chandler's forte, but he was brought into the picture to give the supernatural proceedings a bit of rationality.
Chandler did his best, but complained to all who'd listen that it was time the studio used his talents in the right direction. Finally, the contractee's voice was heard by studio management. Given the go-ahead for an original suspense thriller, Chandler set to work on "The Blue Dahlia" (1946).
It's tempting to write that "The Unseen" was unseen, but that would not be true. The movie was reasonably successful. Not big money, mind you, but enough to keep the wheels turning!
True, his assignment to "The Unseen" (1945), seemed ideal - at least on paper.
Based on a book by Ethel Lina White (who wrote the original novels for both Hitchcock's Lady Vanishes and Siodmak's Spiral Staircase), the movie somehow ended up as more of a lightweight ghost story than mystery-suspense.
Spooks were not Chandler's forte, but he was brought into the picture to give the supernatural proceedings a bit of rationality.
Chandler did his best, but complained to all who'd listen that it was time the studio used his talents in the right direction. Finally, the contractee's voice was heard by studio management. Given the go-ahead for an original suspense thriller, Chandler set to work on "The Blue Dahlia" (1946).
It's tempting to write that "The Unseen" was unseen, but that would not be true. The movie was reasonably successful. Not big money, mind you, but enough to keep the wheels turning!