Who Is the Black Dahlia? (1975): Cast & Plot
Who Is the Black Dahlia? is a 1975 crime drama directed by Joseph Pevney, starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Sgt. Harry Hansen, Lucie Arnaz and Ronny Cox. It runs 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 40m (100 min)
- Director
- Joseph Pevney
- Original language
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English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Who Is the Black Dahlia? About?
The premise of Who Is the Black Dahlia? without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 1947 Los Angeles, a police detective tries to solve the shocking and grisly murder of 22-year-old aspiring actress Elizabeth Short.
Who Is the Black Dahlia? Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- murder victim
- anonymous caller
- woman of mystery
- breaking the fourth wall
- discovering a dead body
- police detective
- morgue
- exsanguinate
- unreliable narrator
- voice over narration by lead character
- unsolved murder
- father daughter relationship
+38 more Show fewer
- voice over letter
- classic cars
- nonlinear timeline
- oxford saddle shoes
- living with grandmother
- sailor
- pick up line
- everyday life during wartime
- fighting over a girl
- newspaper headlines
- lie detector
- soldier
- telex
- underage drinking
- arrest
- fingerprints
- bunk beds
- rooming house
- suitcase
- telephone call from a phone booth
- 1947
- tattooed woman
- address book
- doctor
- running from police
- adult son lives with his mother
- enigma
- false confession
- hotel lobby
- bus station
- cold case
- yellow cab
- detective
- aspiring actress
- actress
- police
- investigation
- black dahlia
Who Is the Black Dahlia? Cast & Characters
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. leads the cast as Sgt. Harry Hansen, with Lucie Arnaz as Elizabeth Short and Ronny Cox as Sgt. Finis Brown. Directed by Joseph Pevney; 29 actors are credited in all.
- Director Joseph Pevney
-
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Sgt. Harry Hansen - Lucie Arnaz as Elizabeth Short
-
Ronny Cox as Sgt. Finis Brown - Rick Jason as Miles Harmonder
Also Starring in Who Is the Black Dahlia?
· 25 more- Linden Chiles Dr. Wallace Coppin
- Sid Haig Tattoo Artist
- John Fiedler PX Manager
- Donna Mills Susan Winters
- Brooke Adams Diane Fowler
- Henry Jones Lee Jones
- Henry Beckman Traveling Salesman
- Mercedes McCambridge Grandmother
- Tom Bosley Bevo Means
- Macdonald Carey Capt. Jack Donahoe
- Lee de Broux Casting Man
- June Lockhart Mrs. Fowler
- Ted Gehring A. Redfield
- Timothy Scott Counterman
- Gloria DeHaven Police Matron
- Don Keefer Jimmy Richardson
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Lana Wood Boarder
- Frank Maxwell Mr. Short
- James McCallion Man in the Car (uncredited)
- Nora Marlowe Woman in the Car (uncredited)
- Murray MacLeod Soldier on Highway
- John Fink Reporter
- David Knapp Naval Officer
- Randolph Roberts 1st Sailor
- Hollis Irving Murder Confessor (uncredited)
More from Joseph Pevney
More films directed by Joseph Pevney, best-rated first: Man of a Thousand Faces, Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women, The Night of the Grizzly and The Plunderers.
Who Is the Black Dahlia? Plot Summary
What happens in Who Is the Black Dahlia? from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a haunting voice-over, Sergeant Harry Hansen recounts the chilling beginning of a notorious murder case. On January 15, 1947, Hansen and Sergeant Finis Brown were called to investigate a gruesome find—a mutilated, bisected corpse of an unidentified young woman discovered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. The victim had been carefully sliced in half with surgical precision, and all her blood had been drained from her body, suggesting the involvement of someone with medical or mortuary expertise. This grisly discovery quickly made headlines, capturing the city’s and nation’s attention, as reporters franticly sought details about the killer and the victim.
Full summary
The whole story of Who Is the Black Dahlia?, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Who Is the Black Dahlia??
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In what year was the Black Dahlia's murder case investigated in the film?
Cars in Who Is the Black Dahlia?
11 cars on screen, including the 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster and the 1947 Ford Super De Luxe.
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1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Main role -
1947 Ford Super De Luxe Important role -
1938 Chevrolet Master De Luxe Minor role -
1946 De Soto De Luxe Minor role
Seen Who Is the Black Dahlia??
Movies Like Who Is the Black Dahlia?
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Black Dahlia, The Black Dahlia and The Blue Dahlia.
Who Is the Black Dahlia? FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Who Is the Black Dahlia?, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Who Is the Black Dahlia??
Who Is the Black Dahlia? runs 1 hour 40 minutes (100 minutes).
When was Who Is the Black Dahlia? released?
Who Is the Black Dahlia? was released on March 1, 1975.
Who directed Who Is the Black Dahlia??
Who Is the Black Dahlia? was directed by Joseph Pevney.
More films by Joseph Pevney Who is in the cast of Who Is the Black Dahlia??
Who Is the Black Dahlia? stars Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Sgt. Harry Hansen, Lucie Arnaz as Elizabeth Short and Ronny Cox as Sgt. Finis Brown, among 29 credited actors.
Does Who Is the Black Dahlia? have a post-credit scene?
No. Who Is the Black Dahlia? has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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