In his book "The Detective in Hollywood" Jon Tuska cites director Edward Dmytryk as reminiscing that actor Chester Morris loved doing magician's card tricks on set during the Boston Blackie pictures.
Twelfth of fourteen "Boston Blackie" films starring Chester Morris released by Columbia Pictures from 1941 to 1949.
According to a contemporary publicity story from Columbia, Chester Morris, being an amateur magician, obtained permission from the Magician's Association to reveal how the sawing a woman in half trick is done. However, the trick is not in the final print.