The world of pulp fiction writing could be the source of a lively, laugh-out-loud comedy, but Blonde Inspiration falls short of that mark. Blonde is not a bad film, but it's no more than average and doesn't take adequate advantage of its set-up. Or perhaps it's more accurate that the advantages it tries to take are not particularly successful. Indeed, Blonde at times seems to be going for a rather daffy, screwball-ish approach. There are moments that are decidedly off-kilter, and the effort is certainly appreciated; but effort and achievement are two very different things, and Blonde's attempts quickly become silly and eventually annoying. If only a few of them had really landed with an impact, one would have been willing to overlook the ones that made such thuds. Certainly much of the blame lies with the writers, but director Busby Berkeley also deserves to take the rap. Berkeley's work is curiously flat, displaying none of the marvelous invention one often finds in his innovative musical stagings. In the lead role, John Shelton is fine but nothing more; a stronger presence would have helped. Virginia Grey is considerably better, although hampered by the screenplay a bit; much the same could be said about the talented supporting players.
