Black Dahlia

Plot synopsis:
On January 15, 1947, LAPD Detectives Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert and Lee Blanchard investigate the murder and dismemberment of Elizabeth Short, soon dubbed "The Black Dahlia" by the press. Bucky learns that Elizabeth was an aspiring actress who appeared in a pornographic film. Through his investigation, Bucky learns that Elizabeth liked to hang out with lesbians. He goes to a lesbian nightclub and meets Madeleine Linscott, who looks very much like Elizabeth. Madeleine, who comes from a prominent family, tells Bucky that she was 'very close' with Elizabeth but asks him to keep her name out of the papers. In exchange for his silence, she promises him sexual favors. Continuing his relationship with Madeleine, Bucky meets her wealthy parents, Emmett and Ramona.
Bucky's partner, Lee, also becomes obsessed with Elizabeth's murder. Lee's obsession leads him to become erratic and abusive towards his long-time girlfriend Kay Lake, who is also one of Bucky's close friends. After Lee and Bucky have a nasty argument about a previous case, Bucky goes to Lee and Kay's to apologize, only to learn from Kay that Lee was responding to a tip about a recently released convict, Bobby DeWitt. Bucky goes to the location and gets into an altercation with DeWitt in the atrium of the building. DeWitt is gunned down by Lee, standing on the stairs across the atrium. Bucky sees a man sneak up behind Lee, and wrap a rope around Lee's neck. Lee fights back while Bucky, paralyzed with shock, watches from across the atrium as a second shadowy figure steps out and slits Lee's throat. Lee and the man holding the rope fall over the railing to their deaths several floors below. It is then that Bucky is helped by Millard and Morrie Friedman, a friend of Lee's whom Bucky saw with Lee at the New Year's party in 1946.
Dealing with the grief of losing Lee propels Bucky and Kay into a sexual encounter. The next morning, Bucky finds money from a bank robbery hidden in Lee and Kay's bathroom. Kay reveals that she had been DeWitt's girlfriend, that DeWitt had mistreated her, and that DeWitt had done the bank robbery; stealing a large sum of money from one of "Bugsy" Siegel's nightclubs. Lee had rescued Kay and stolen DeWitt's bank robbery money. Lee needed to kill DeWitt now that he was out of prison; leading to the encounter that resulted in Lee's death. Bucky leaves, furious with Lee and Kay for their actions and lies. He returns to Madeleine's family mansion and continues his intense relationship with her. Kay is furious when she discovers the relationship, especially with the fact that Madeleine bears a striking resemblance to the same girl Lee obsessed over before he was killed, and leaves the scene.
Watching an old movie one night, Bucky notices that a bedroom scene matches the set in Elizabeth's pornographic film. The credits at the end of the film includes the statement "Special Thanks to Emmett Linscott", Madeleine's father. Bucky's search for answers leads him to an incomplete housing project that Madeleine's father had started just below the Hollywoodland sign. In one of the empty houses, Bucky recognizes the set that was used to film Elizabeth's pornographic movie. In a barn on the property, Bucky finds where Elizabeth was killed and her body butchered, as well as a drawing of a man with a Glasgow smile. The drawing resembles a painting in Madeleine's family home and matches the disfiguring smile carved into Elizabeth's face during her murder.
Bucky confronts Madeleine and her father in their home, accusing them of murdering Elizabeth. Madeleine's mother Ramona reveals that she was the one to kill Elizabeth, who looked so much like Madeleine. She confesses first that Madeleine was not fathered by Emmett but rather by his best friend, George. She further reveals that George had been on set when Elizabeth's pornographic film was made, becoming infatuated with her. Finally, she felt that Elizabeth looked too much like Madeleine, was bothered that George was going to have sex with someone who looked like his own daughter, and decided to kill Elizabeth first. Upon finishing her confession, Ramona kills herself.
A few days later, remembering something Lee had said during the investigation, Bucky visits Madeleine's sister Martha with some questions. He learns that Lee knew about the lesbian relationship between Madeleine and Elizabeth and was blackmailing Madeleine's father to keep it secret. Bucky finds Madeleine at a seedy motel, and she admits to being the one who slit Lee's throat. Although she insists that Bucky wants to have sex with her rather than kill her, he tells her she is wrong and shoots her dead. Bucky goes to Kay's house. Kay tells him to come in and closes the door.

Tags: murder

Review:
The Greatest Game Ever.
Hopefully some lucky person who hasn't experienced this game yet will read my comments and go out and purchase it.
I actually saw it the other day inside a big bin of ugly and timeworn clearance software that nobody really wants.
I tell you, it hurt me to see a game of this nature dumped into some crate of obsolete things.
It is old but I probably play through the game at least once every month- it's that fascinating and good.
I guess the experience of playing Black Dahlia is like being totally immersed inside a mystery movie.
I have great nostalgia for the 1940s era and the game is set entirely within this time and all the characters are dressed sharply and speak cleverly in the quick and slightly queer way of the period.
The lead is played by a very charming man, Darren Eliker, and you take charge of him in a way and you really start to feel like your traveling all over the place with this guy, or as this guy I should say, and it's excellent fun.
I implore you to try out this game.
I only wish they would make more like it, FMV style.
There are hardly any decent adventure games being made with animation let alone with actors.
I was told that a game like Black Dahlia simply costs too much to make, basically the same as shooting a film.
Yet, it would be obvious to anyone who plays the game the work and quality that's gone into it on every level.
I think the story's really great too and that plays a big part in its appeal.
In fact, I would love to see this game turned into a feature film- like it almost is already..
Great mystery cinematic PC game..
This is one of the greatest games so few people have played.
It's a mystery game that involves Nazi plots, a mysterious gem, and the Torso killings of 1940s Cleveland.
It got great reviews and has very good graphics quality.
Eight CDs long!
Worth it; even if you cheat you still feel like you acomplished a lot by beating it..
It was very pretty.
And then it sucked.
No, seriously.
We are Jim Pearson, vastly amusing and not bad to look at, but does seem to think he's Indiana Jones.
They told us our mission was to discover the vast subterfuge of Nazi-ism in Cleveland, but in reality, we get to play with psychics, runes, crotchety insane ex-detectives (played by Dennis Hopper in all his crotchetyness), wannabe actresses, and a slimeball named Dick.
The point is actually to find the Black Dahlia, a mystical stone which contains all sorts of swirling evilness.
This should be simple.
The puzzles are extremely finicky.
Casual gamers should get the walkthrough, lest they find themselves sitting there asking, "How the heck am I supposed to know that?!?" 2.
The graphics are fantastic.
They do occasionally have that live-action blue screen artificial feel.
3. The story was "inspired by actual events".
The actuality only went so far as the fact that there really was a Torso Killer, and the Black Dahlia did exist...only it was a SHE and not a STONE.
4. The ending(s).
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!
It felt like so much effort and oh so very little payoff.
We want to rewrite it.
Better things can happen.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't play it, though.
Just be prepared.This would make a fabulous pulp novel.
More so than an adventure game..
a great game.
This game is a blast!
It's very long, but very cool, about 1/2 of it is short film segments, which makes the story way more interesting.
There are tons of puzzles, but if you don't want to solve them, just find a cheat sheet, the games is still awesome without solving everything yourself.
The lead (Jim) is very good, and cute.
;)  I recommend this game to anyone who likes higher-minded fare than shootem-ups..
I loved it..
The first game I ever played, I am in my 50's.
I had just gotten a computer and had never played any video games so it was my first experience.
I thought the whole thing was great.
Everything was new to me, I had nothing in my own experiences to compare it with.
I was really into it, then my computer locked up and I would have to start all over again until I got the knack of saving where I was at.
The Easter Eggs were fun.
When I could no longer move forward I did find a cheater.
That made it even more fun.
This kind of story is something a person my age can really get into, I had not found any up until I got Black Dahlia that even interested me at all.
Are there more games like this, or are there any in the works?
I would like to try them..
storyline better than "Seven".
I have played this game several times and it never gets boring.
The plot is wonderful.
If you like fmv games, then this one you will love.
The acting is good, the graphics are beautiful and there are some special effects which are simply superb.
Dennis Hopper and Teri Garr just appear briefly in the game.
If you bought this game just because you are a Dennis Hopper fan, you don't have to be disappointed, because this is one storyline which is even better than "Seven".
To give a little indication of what to expect.
The producers of "Ripper" have outdone themselves.
They have created a better game with better actors.
Buy this game.
If you are a movie buff like me, then this is one interactive movie you have to own..
Great, but difficult, game with a good storyline.
This game is more a movie with puzzles in between than an adventure.The story is superb, it spans almost 10 years and there are locations in the USA and Germany.
The plot revolves around a black gem, the Black Dahlia, that has mystical powers, and an ancient brotherhood of knights.
Throw in some Nazis and you have a true Indiana Jones type of story.
The actors are ok.
Darren Eliker delivers a good performance as the main character Jim Pearson, and there are cameos by Dennis Hopper and Teri Garr.
The acting is sometimes a bit cheesy, but that gives the movie a real B-movie feel.The puzzles are moderately difficult and occasionally nearly impossible, so I would recommend playing the game with a walkthrough (but don't use it too quickly!).The game is fairly long (8 CD-ROMS!), so it will keep you occupied for quite a while.
Definitely recommended, especially for the good story and atmosphere!.
A unique take on the Black Dahlia case!.
This game is a unique take on the Black Dahlia case.
For those unaware, the nickname "Black Dahlia" was given to Elizabeth Short, a young woman murdered in 1947.
To date, the case remains an unsolved mystery.More interestingly, however, is the fact that the first half of the game features an alternative take on the notorious Torso murders from Cleveland, Ohio in the 1930s.The player takes on the role of Jim Pearson, an agent working for the COI, a Federal government agency created just before America entered World War II.
The remit of the COI (in the game at least) is to investigate Americans who the Federal government suspects may be spies working for the Nazis.As anyone will expect, a simple plot soon develops rapidly and the player becomes an investigator rather than a mere "Fed" agent.
The investigations take the player right into the heart of World War II and witness some alternative (albeit fictional) insights into the events and motivations behind this disturbing chapter in world history.Gameplay consists mainly of solving puzzles and interacting with other characters in the game.
Whilst it is evident that puzzles have been designed carefully to fit neatly and logically into the storyline there are some that seemingly defy logic.
It is recommended that those playing the game for the first time have a walkthrough, strategy guide or at least a hint sheet handy just in case they reach a point where further progression seems too difficult.
Those familiar with the developer's previous venture, RIPPER, will understand what to expect as far as the gameplay goes.Most of the game is rendered in Full Motion Video (FMV), with some computer rendered images for background.
Video cut scenes are played when the player interacts with another character.
Again, those familiar with the developer's previous venture, RIPPER, will know what to expect.Just as RIPPER did an excellent job of creating a view of the future (2040s), so too BLACK DAHLIA does an equally excellent job in re-creating the 1940s setting.
The gameplay begins in 1941 and runs through 1947.First-rate talent in the form of Dennis Hopper and Teri Garr make the gameplay experience even more enjoyable, despite their characters being not quite as memorable as supporting characters in RIPPER.
But it is the superb leading performance by Darren Eliker as the main character, Jim Pearson, that really carries BLACK DAHLIA.
Unlike Jake Quinlan in RIPPER, Jim Pearson has a much more overt sense of humour and delivers many great lines with sarcastic wit.
As such, his character is easier to connect with.Special mention should be given to David Whalen, who gives a superb performance as Dick Winslow, a very smarmy FBI agent.
He steals every scene he's in and makes those scenes compelling viewing (even for those who do not like the game as a whole).The game was originally released on 8 CDs and is now long out of print.
Fortunately, it can easily be purchased from online auctions and trading websites without paying too much.
Hopefully, some company will take advantage of the DVD medium to re-release this game on a single disc.The game maintains a very good balance of mystery, suspense, tension, action, drama, intrigue and comedy to ensure it obtains a status as a classic of video gaming.I highly recommend this game to anyone interested in murder mysteries, the developer's previous games, the Indiana Jones franchise or FMV gaming..
For the love of god DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME.
Being a video game enthusiast i've often pondered what were the best and worst endings to a video game I've ever seen.
Deciding on the best would take some time, but as far as the worst goes i don't have to rack my brain for very long before I remember that I once played thru a little known PC game called Black Dahlia.
I use the word 'played' loosely because about after the 3rd puzzle the game becomes so damn difficult I had to seek internet walkthroughs from that point on to the horrific end of the game.
On a difficulty scale i would rate this game a Migraine.
Seriously I doubt anyone including the people that have posted their thoughts here before me have went through this game without seeking some type of help online.
Having Hopper and Garr make cameos was just a marketing ploy they lend little if anything to the game.
For it's time i guess the graphics were pretty good and the setting is just perfect for a great FMV video game but these people really blew it.
In fact I think the company must have gone belly up in the final days of production and the office janitor went ahead and decided how the game would end.
I used to love FMV games and i still do but in the year 2005 they have pretty much been phased out.
I'm still always on the look out for FMV games i may have missed over the years and on the off chance you're on the lookout too stay the hell away from this one!