Those expecting Lured to be another one of Sirk's ultra-kitchy melodramas are going to be in for a disappointment. It is a melodrama, but it's a pretty restrained one, mostly a generic thriller, and a forgettable one at that.
The movie is about a British serial killer who is stalking and killing young girls. The British police recruit a young American show girl named Sandra (Lucille Ball) to act as a live bait for the killer (although they have plenty of qualified policewomen, they claim that none of them are pretty enough). After several false alarms, she meets someone who appears to be the culprit-a rich guy (George Sanders). But unfortunately she falls for the rich guy- he couldn't really be the murderer, could he?
Aside from a few scenes towards the beginning that reveal a surprising level of feminine perspective for a 40's film, most of the few deviations from the expected are in terms of casting. It's certainly odd to see comedienne Ball (who go on to great fame as the title character on the TV show I Love Lucy) in a dramatic part, although oddly she doesn't depart that much from her usual persona. The highlight of the film is a cameo appearance by Boris Karloff, who has fun with his usual villain persona. Although Sirk tries to get the audience to think he's the culprit, he's really just crazed old man who talks to his bulldog and is obsessed with the 1890's. After seeing Karloff in so many thankless parts it's nice to see something that exploits his gift for comedy.
But aside from that brief moment, the movie is your standard thriller material. Unless you are a hardcore Sirk nut, you can skip it.
Lured (1947)