Before being forever associated with melodrama, acclaimed director Douglas Sirk dabbled in other genres. LURED, a good example of this, is a witty and stylish thriller about a serial killer terrorizing the streets of London. Lucille Ball stars as Sandra, a sassy and beautiful taxi dancer, who decides to assist the police after her best friend becomes the latest victim of the Poet Killer, a mysterious murderer who lures women through classified ads. Sandra launches on an endless quest, answering every suspicious ad in the paper in search of the elusive killer, whose only clues are enigmatic poems based on the poetry of Beaudelaire. En route to the real killer, Sandra encounters a ridiculous cast of ominous characters, from an insane dressmaker (played by an arch and hilarious Boris Karloff) and a shady character who traffics in white slavery. The killer still eludes Sandra and the Scotland Yard, and her growing affection for the stylish nightclub owner Robert Flemming proves to bring more complications than she imagines, leading to a surprising and ingenious climax. Ball is sharp and glamorous as the unwitting detective and Sirk's swift and fast-paced direction melds humor with suspense to created a highly entertaining thriller.