*** 3rd Annual HTF Noirvember Movie Challenge*** (1 Viewer)

[HawksFord]

19,
Appointment with a Shadow (1957) NEW — This was my favorite from the Dark Side of Cinema XIV collection. George Nader is excellent as an alcoholic reporter given one last chance if only he can stay sober long enough. Joanna Moore is his long-suffering girlfriend and Brian Keith is her brother, a police detective. Virginia Field is great as a gangster’s girlfriend.
* * * 1/2

 

[dana martin]

Day 28,29 : 28,29 Noirvember 2023

Work Sucks! Two Films, one may NOT be a Noir?

15. Johnny Guitar (OliveSignature) First Time Viewing * Eddie Muller says it not a Noir!*
Republic Pictures Corp. (Release Date Aug 23, 1954) Director: Nicholas Ray, Director of Photography: Harry Stradling

On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna (Joan Crawford) owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin' Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang. Another patron of Vienna's establishment is Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man's death, Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), Vienna's rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna's saloon -- even without proof of her wrongdoing.

OK so here's my conundrum, Eddie says that it's not a Noir after i saw it, found that little video clip online but I think it has enough elements, and I've always heard people rave about this. Honestly damn good film worth many rewatches how it's sat on the shelf for so long that I've never got to it I don't know. Joan is in top form as a woman persecuted and on the run and horrible things happen too so it's to me it's got enough Noir in it to work.
And even if it's not one if you've never seen this film do yourself a favor and give it a watch, if nothing else you will be thoroughly entertained !

Higest Reccomendation


16. The Long Wait (ClassicFlix) First Time Viewing
Parklane Pictures, Inc. (Release Date 26 May 1954) Director: Victor Saville, Director of Photography: Franz Planer

A man (Anthony Quinn) who has lost his memory and fingerprints returns home, where he's wanted for murder.

From the same team that brought you I, the Jury, Mickey Spillane gets a story that doesn't involve Mike hammer turned into a film, Anthony Quinn turns in a great performance as a hapless man who's lost his memory and may or may not be guilty of murder and theft. Making his way back to where all this happened out, without any recollection of it, gives him a clear focus to do some detective work to find out if he is guilty.

Highest Reccomendation

This Year has been fun, but work and family ate up a lot of time, in the middle, might be able to get one more title in before the most Noir'ish" thing that i will have seen in 30 days, Crawlspace under the house, needs looked at, before the real cold sets in.

 

[Robert Crawford]

These are my final two movies during this "Noirvember Challenge". I watched a total of 46 movies with 24 of them being first time viewings. See my summary for film grades with the movies in "Bold" being first time viewings:

45) 11-30-23: "Riot in Cell Block 11" (1954) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
This is what happens when the inmates of California penal institution are pushed too far. This is a tough, highly realistic prison film that doesn't mess around. Hardened convicts in the solidary confined cell block take four guards as hostages while demanding changes from the Governor regarding their living conditions. Directed by Don Siegel, this movie was filmed on location at Folsom prison. Neville Brand and Leo Gordon are leaders of this prison riot while Emile Meyer is cast against type that as the prison warden sympathetic to the prisoner demands. Several known character actors make up the rest of this cast. A really good movie ahead of its time. My main issue with this Criterion Blu-ray is the aspect ratio at 1.37 for a movie filmed in the 3rd quarter of 1953. I think it should have been widescreen at 1.66 or 1.85.

46) 11-30-23: "Forty Guns" (1957) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
For many years, I wasn't a big fan of this noir western directed by Sam Fuller. However, over the last 4-5 years, I've come to like it more during my last two viewings of it. Barbara Stanwyck is by far my favorite all-time actress, so it was strange for me to be lukewarm towards this movie. I think part of my reservations about this film was the closing film sequence. Another issue was the lack of those forty guns being used in the movie except for that great opening sequence. Imogen Sara Smith's featurette on this 2018 Criterion Blu-ray helped with my reassessment of this movie. I liked the basic story of a powerful woman rancher that ran an Arizona county with no challenges to her rule until the Bonnell brothers show up as federal marshals to arrest one of her forty guns for robbing the mail. Of course, the Bonnell brothers reminds me of the Earp brothers. Anyhow, Stanwyck with her petite stature and at 50 years of age dominates this movie with her acting style. Talk about an actress that can remain still and actively listened to other actors as she shares a scene with them. Barry Sullivan was fine as the oldest Bonnell brother, but I always thought John Ericson as Stanwyck's younger brother was the weak link of the cast. This western noir isn't as good as another Stanwyck film "The Furies". However, I think "Forty Guns" is a good film that I've come to appreciate more today than when I first watched it decades ago.

 

[Malcolm R]

I started off with good intentions, but the month got away from me with some other life stuff going on. Only got to four, but they were all pretty good. Mystery Street was my fave of this batch. All were first-time views.

1. The Criminal (1960)
2. Mystery Street (1950) 1/2
3. The Maltese Falcon (1941) 1/2
4. Where Danger Lives (1950)

 

[dana martin]

These are my final two movies during this "Noirvember Challenge". I watched a total of 46 movies with 24 of them being first time viewings. See my summary for film grades with the movies in "Bold" being first time viewings:

View attachment 205133
45) 11-30-23: "Riot in Cell Block 11" (1954) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
This is what happens when the inmates of California penal institution are pushed too far. This is a tough, highly realistic prison film that doesn't mess around. Hardened convicts in the solidary confined cell block take four guards as hostages while demanding changes from the Governor regarding their living conditions. Directed by Don Siegel, this movie was filmed on location at Folsom prison. Neville Brand and Leo Gordon are leaders of this prison riot while Emile Meyer is cast against type that as the prison warden sympathetic to the prisoner demands. Several known character actors make up the rest of this cast. A really good movie ahead of its time. My main issue with this Criterion Blu-ray is the aspect ratio at 1.37 for a movie filmed in the 3rd quarter of 1953. I think it should have been widescreen at 1.66 or 1.85.

View attachment 205134
46) 11-30-23: "Forty Guns" (1957) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
For many years, I wasn't a big fan of this noir western directed by Sam Fuller. However, over the last 4-5 years, I've come to like it more during my last two viewings of it. Barbara Stanwyck is by far my favorite all-time actress, so it was strange for me to be lukewarm towards this movie. I think part of my reservations about this film was the closing film sequence. Another issue was the lack of those forty guns being used in the movie except for that great opening sequence. Imogen Sara Smith's featurette on this 2018 Criterion Blu-ray helped with my reassessment of this movie. I liked the basic story of a powerful woman rancher that ran an Arizona county with no challenges to her rule until the Bonnell brothers show up as federal marshals to arrest one of her forty guns for robbing the mail. Of course, the Bonnell brothers reminds me of the Earp brothers. Anyhow, Stanwyck with her petite stature and at 50 years of age dominates this movie with her acting style. Talk about an actress that can remain still and actively listened to other actors as she shares a scene with them. Barry Sullivan was fine as the oldest Bonnell brother, but I always thought John Ericson as Stanwyck's younger brother was the weak link of the cast. This western noir isn't as good as another Stanwyck film "The Furies". However, I think "Forty Guns" is a good film that I've come to appreciate more today than when I first watched it decades ago.

Well you just named the two that are going to kick off next year for me a double dose of Barbara Stanwick The Furies and Forty Guns. Worn out and exhausted from way to much time at work, so i took half the night off and came home a little early. Not digging anything off the shelf tonight.
Put the TV on Movies! Channel. They're showing 1942's Whistle Stop with Ava Gardner and George Raft that ends right at midnight, never seen it before so that closes out the month that's going to be my last film for the month. Odd to find out that it's in the public domain.

 

[dana martin]

Day 30 : 30 Noirvember 2023

18. Whistle Stop (Movies! Network : Noir to Die For) First Time Viewing
Nero Films, Inc. (Release Date Jan 25, 1946) Director: Léonide Moguy, Director of Photography: Russell Metty

After living for years in Chicago, Mary (Ava Gardner) travels back to the tiny hamlet where she grew up. There she reconnects with her old flame, the hapless Kenny (George Raft), and discovers that, in the years since they last met, he has developed a crippling gambling addiction. When debonair hotelier Lew (Tom Conway) takes an interest in Mary, she welcomes the successful man's advances -- only to find herself trapped between two jealous suitors who would kill for her.

OK, my impressions after watching the film and this will probably be the most harshly critical assessment of anything I've done this entire month. It has a cast George Raft, Ava Gardner, Victor McLaughlin and Tom Conway, check. It has a director, and a director of photography, who's no slouch and has some really great credits to his repertoire. But for everything that it has going for it, it still seems like it's missing something in 1942 Ava Gardner did two film noirs one's an absolute classic (The Killers), this is the other one. Fresh faced gorgeous, just something missing. George Raft no longer at Warners seems sleepy in his performance.

For everything that this should have going for it, cast, director, cinematographer… the story or source material is the one thing going against it. This could have been one of the classics that people discuss. I'll still give it a recommendation. It’s an entertaining film, but moments just fall flat.

Recommended

Until Next Year!

 

[Pete York]

I did get two more in, I wanted to do 20, so yay.

20) Lady on a Train (1945) D: Charles David
Fun mystery with Deanna Durbin as a dizzy socialite who witnesses a murder through the window of her train and pluckily goes about trying to solve who did it. She manages to get a mystery writer (David Bruce) to help her, much to his frequent detriment. But they have kind of a cute relationship. I don't know about noir, but it is nicely shot by Woody Bredell (particularly the finale in a warehouse) and does have Dan Duryea as a possible murderer. That's pretty noir, right? And of all odd things, in the midst of this little lighthearted movie, there's this perverse suggested sexual relationship between

Spoiler

Ralph Bellamy

and his elderly aunt!

21) Christmas Holiday (1944) D: Robert Siodmak
A soldier (Dean Harens) goes on a holiday break thinking he's going to marry his girl back home but at the last second gets a 'Dear John' letter. He decides to go home anyway to confront her but is waylaid by bad weather. At least, that's what you think the movie is going to be since it spends time setting this up. Instead it's nice girl Deanna Durbin (she's great) falling in love with wastrel Gene Kelly (he's okay), and he can't stop being a wastrel and she can't stop loving him and their obvious downfall follows. Gale Sondergaard is his enabling, smothering mother. More great Bredell photography and a great, stand-out scene at a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass.

 

[benbess]

See my summary for film grades with the movies in "Bold" being first time viewings:


View attachment 203299
07) 11-07-23: "This Gun for Hire (1942) (Blu-ray) 5/5 Stars
There is nothing more to be said about this 1942 movie except to say it was one of the movies that gave rise to the film noir movement along with "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "High Sierra" (1941). On the Blu-ray cover art, you will notice that Veronica Lake and Robert Preston got top billing, though, the movie is known to be the film in which Alan Ladd's stardom was lit for all to see, similar to what happened for Bogart in those two other movies I already referenced in this post. The film's terrific cast also includes Laird Cregar, Marc Lawrence and Tully Marshall. Like the inferior "Lucky Jordan" this movie was directed by Frank Tuttle. Ladd was great in this movie as Phillip Raven, a cold-blooded killer that has a soft spot for young kids and cats while dealing with double-crossing spies and running from the police. The 2019 Blu-ray from Shout! Factory was derived from a recent 4K scan of the original film elements. The video presentation is excellent and includes an audio commentary from film historians Alan K. Rode and Steve Mitchell that is entertaining as well as informative. In closing, this was one of the first crime dramas I watched back in the mid-1960s on a NYC TV station. Over several decades, it has remained one of my all-time favorite film noirs.

Just watched my new blu-ray of this movie for the first time. As RC says above, This Gun for Hire is really good. I was on the edge of my seat for parts of it, and I could feel the influence on later movies I've seen, up to and including The Fugitive with Harrison Ford. My rating for This Gun for Hire is an A-, or maybe even an A.