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Detour. Yeah, don't go picking up the Wicked Witch of the West. I don't buy the alternate theory, though. If they wanted to tell that story, they could have. As it is, this one is a little half-baked. Why even bring up the elder Haskell dying if you're not going to somehow use that, or play out...

Kiss of Death. First rate. Compelling story and good performances. Loved seeing Brian Donlevy play the bookish Asst. DA after his wild turn as The Great McGinty. Yeah I was impressed with Victor Mature here, as well. And we all know the real Noir ending.

Tomorrow Is Another Day. Worth watching again, even with that sappy ending. Any film that can build a Hitchcock-level suspense sequence around a car-carrier is okay in my book. Now where's that Steve Cochran mysterious fatal cruise Noir?

And they never explained why Joe had to leave New York, which I suppose was just a device, but it was central to what Bonita had on him (other than unmotivated cliché fixation, as you point out).

Suspense. Noir on Ice. The only real suspense was waiting for the premise or plot to show up (it took at least 45 minutes). I felt Sullivan's performance was really ham-fisted and anything but subtle. In fact, the only good performances were from the side players, whom, yes would have been...

Kiss Me Deadly. Not much to say here since I have the Criterion BD. Why does this only get two stars on the TV menu channel? Granted, it's not much of a narrative; only Hammer rummaging around kissing women (or being kissed, actually), slapping men, and with the mysterious box as a McGuffin...

Fear. So was that a 8mm print? I was with the story until the end, of course, but that was ridiculous.

Nightfall. Widescreen, crisp picture, Stirling Silliphant script; what's not to like? I'm starting to sync with Muller's observations when I see the "Chekhov's Snowplow." But was expecting a little Fargo action there (blood spraying). Not so in sync when I was about to make a comment about Aldo...

The Seventh Victim. Sufficiently creepy. I don't know why Kim Hunter was directed to go through most of the film emotionless, but it dragged things early on. The shower scene no doubt was seen by Joseph Stefano or Hitch. And that ending. Wow. Smart not to end on emotionless Mary and Mr. Cleaver...

Macao. Predictable but enjoyable. Everyone with the smartass dialogue. Then you find out in the exit notes from Muller that Mitchum and Russell improvised much of their dialogue. Okay, I get that, but what did you need six writers for? Well, the story is pretty good, and Bendix does a great job...

Destination Murder. I could have done without this one, as well. The dialogue and presentation were stiffer than a three-day-old corpse. Sometimes the only thing that makes a Noir worth watching are Muller's insights in the intro and exit. He could have saved his breath on this one; even those...

Thanks for posting that. Overall, it sounds like things never really changed for screenwriters in Hollywood. Perhaps more feared (because content was always king) than respected. My term was mostly in the 80s, where an Eszterhas could get an auction studio price for a screenplay in excess of $3...

The Racket. This one didn't do anything for me, unfortunately. I felt like (and I guess not alone) that Mitchum was horribly miscast and is just walking through the role (though he does give that impression sometimes when he's not). This said, though Mitchum is a favorite of mine ever since I...

Yes, "Zero Hour" and some of those other stern-faced appearances in films around that time. I was being a bit facetious about Lewis getting the quote from this film, but rather that it was used this early, and maybe before. It was just fun to hear it from Willie.

Where the Sidewalk Ends. First class story and Noir. I can't believe I haven't seen this before (hey, at this stage, maybe I have), but I never blinked or drifted away. And it just wasn't Gene Tierney pouting her lips at the camera while she pretended to sleep. It is a beautifully-crafted film...

A lot of classic horror films, including the B-list that fed our fears as youngsters.

They Won''t Believe Me. Good story, which is what you would expect from anything Joan Harrison touched. I've been watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents again lately and the choices of short stories or even novels to adapt are always entertaining. And they really are Noirs, with the caveat that...

I was thinking actor Glenn Ford was pretty square and maybe not sure what director Vidor was doing with him and Macready, but this account says different: This scene is infused with homoromantic dialogue. I have already established Ballin as a gay man, and I believe Johnny to be bisexual...

Gilda. So, sue me, I've never watched this entire film before. And I wish I heard Muller's interpretation before I watched this screening. Because I'm watching this more probably like his 13-year old naïve self and I'm just whiffing by the obvious subtext. It makes absolute sense in that...

You know you're not watching the most compelling movie when all you can think while they are driving in a convertible on the Pacific Coast Highway is why doesn't Zachary Scott's hat blow off?

Danger Signal. Okay, this screening belongs on the Lifetime channel more than Noir Alley. It's a woman's picture through and through with all the bite taken out of it. And yes, that's the most ridiculous and convenient ending just about ever in film. No, this plot is not even a shadow of a...

Night Editor. Not a moment wasted in this tidy little Noir. I was totally entertained. There's no nuance or complexity to any of the characters (that fawning, so very understanding wife!), but who cares, it's all moving plot no fat. Is there a more sadistic and unrepentant femme fatale? Maybe...

The Hunchback of Notre Dame. My No-Noir-Alley B&W TCM viewing was this classic I hadn't seen since I can remember. Man, does the camera love Maureen O'Hara's face. I lost count of the extreme close ups of her. What a deliberate Beauty and the Beast contrast to Charles Laughton's Quasimodo...

Executive Suite. My no-Noir Alley B&W viewing this week is a film I would have had no interest in if I hadn't spent some time in my career in corporate America. There you find a tribal and political reality that you either fall in line with or buck. It's why I still watch Survivor . The...

The Day the Earth Caught Fire. My alternative no Noir Alley B&W (and sepia-toned) viewing today was this less-viewed classic that would make a superb double bill with The Day the Earth Stood Still (original). Both are smart sci-fi tales perfectly told, but I would give the edge to this film for...

The Birdman of Alcatraz. My no Noir Alley B&W viewing for this afternoon. This is the perfect film for watching during a lockdown under a pandemic. You are reminded of a sense of infinite patience, as well as appreciating the tiny little rewarding details of a very limited routine. Hey, I can...

Meet John Doe. Well, with no Noir Alley, I had to satisfy my Sunday afternoon B&W movie fix with another presentation by TCM of a Barbara Stanwyck film by Frank Capra. Essentially, this is an anti-noir film of pure idealism. But one that also goes to some pretty dark places at the end when you...

The Breaking Point. Worth seeing again (and again). What a great little story, perfectly acted and directed. Spoilers ahead, but if you haven't seen this film already, shame on you. I can't think of another Noir where the 'hero' lives and yet the ending breaks your heart. Such a courageous...

Barbara Stanwyck was my father's favorite actress, and I always questioned why as a kid going "you mean that lady on The Big Valley?" I didn't get it. Now I know.

Three Strangers. Good'un. A very original story (and structure), but the ending is a bit Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Oh, well, if you're going to nick, nick from yourself. I also couldn't help but imagine Bogart as Johnny West throughout. What a different spin on the character that would have...