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

[HawksFord]

12.
Step Down to Terror (1958) NEW — The third volume in Kino-Lorber’s Dark Side of Cinema XIII is this pale imitation of Shadow of a Doubt. It’s a game effort, but lacks the heart of the Hitchcock classic. Neither of us thought much of this one.
* *

13.
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) — After Step Down to Terror, we needed a rewatch of this classic starring Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright. There’s nothing I can see about this that hasn’t already been said better by someone else. It’s a dark tale about the horrors lurking beneath the surface of our society, and one of Hitchcock’s best.
* * * * 1/2

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

22) 11-19-23: "Strange Bargain" (1949) (TCM) 3/5 Stars
I've been meaning to watch "Strange Bargain" for several years, but never go around to doing so until this morning when I watched my recording of TCM's "Noir Alley" with Eddie Muller. I must say it's a pretty good "B" movie from RKO studio, a studio that Eddie Muller calls "The House of Noir" for their many "B" movie releases during the height of the film noir era. As to this movie, a meek bookkeeper gets himself involved in an insurance scam perpetuated by his broker boss so that his family can collect an expensive life insurance policy that he took out on himself because he's bankrupt. However, to ensure his family gets the insurance money, the cause of death can't be suicide, but has to be looked upon as murder. The bookkeeper commits some stupid acts throughout the film, but there are a few twists and turns that make this movie rather entertaining despite the implausibility and neatly wrap up film ending. The film's cast has Jeffrey Lynn as the bookkeeper, Martha Scott as his devoted wife, Henry/Harry Morgan as the astute police lieutenant and Katherine Emery as the grieving widow of the deceased broker. Eddie Muller does a nice job of talking about this movie and RKO studios so I highly recommend that those of us that can watch TCM, do so as TCM is playing it again this Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. ET. Also, this movie is on the TCM app until December 18th.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Indicator says these are noir so I'll list them.

Knock On Any Door (1947) ** 1/2

Nick Romano (John Derek) is a thug who has a long sheet with the police. He's picked up for the murder of a cop but he tells attorney Andrew Morton (Humphrey Bogart) that he's innocent so the lawyer decides to defend him.

Considering all of the talent involved, KNOCK ON ANY DOOR should have been much better than it actually is. It's really too bad that such a talented director and cast were wasted but everyone is at least good enough to keep the viewer slightly entertained but I think the film's biggest problem is the weak screenplay.

On the whole, I just thought there wasn't anything fresh with the screenplay. We've seen the "backstory" stuff done much better in other movies and we've seen better courtroom scenes. I thought Derek was really good in the lead role and he helps keep the viewer interested in what's going on. It was also nice seeing Bogart playing a somewhat different character and he does a nice job as well.

I do respect what they did with the ending.

Tokyo Joe (1949) ** 1/2

Joe Barrett (Humphrey Bogart) returns to Tokyo after WWII in hopes of re-starting his bar as well as getting back with his wife (Florence Marly). It doesn't take long for him to realize he's not wanted there and his wife is now with someone else.

This here was somewhat of a missed opportunity. I say that because the opening of the film is quite good and it's interesting to see how the Japanese were to Americans who were coming there after the war. I liked all the stuff dealing with Bogart trying to mix back in with his friends and I wish the entire film had been about this American trying to fit back in with a country he lived in but then fought against. Once the human smuggling kicks in we're just treated to a rather routine picture and I just didn't find there to be much excitement. Bogart is good as usual and it was great seeing Sessue Hayakawa back in action.

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

23) 11-19-23: "Laura" (1944) (Blu-ray) 5/5 Stars
One of my all-time favorite noirs that I try to revisit every 2-3 years. Am I the only one that thinks the woman with Dana Andrews on the above 2013 Blu-ray cover art doesn't look like Gene Tierney? Everyone participating in this "Noirvember Challenge" has surely seen this great movie once. If not, then you need to rectify that situation this month. Even though Clifton Webb was excellent as Waldo Lydecker in the movie, at times, I do wonder how Laird Cregar would've done with the role since he was the first choice for that part. Anyhow, the casting was perfect with Gene Tierney in the title role and Dana Andrews as the tough police lieutenant Mark McPherson. Vincent Price as the smarmy boyfriend and Judith Anderson as the jealous rich auntie were also excellent. I don't see a need to talk about the film's premise since it's so well known by most classic film buffs. However, there are a couple of plot holes in the movie, but you probably could say that about any movie. One of my favorite scenes in the entire movie has always been when Andrews punches Price in the gut. Price's reaction with Anderson is priceless.

 

[compson]

From director Robert Siodmak

27. Phantom Lady, 1944*
28. Christmas Holiday, 1944*
29. The Suspect, 1944
30. The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry, 1945*
31. The Spiral Staircase, 1946
32. The Killers, 1946
33. The Dark Mirror, 1946*
34. Cry of the City, 1948
35. Criss Cross, 1949*
36. The File on Thelma Jordan, 1949*

*first time viewing

Spoiler: Comments

In PHANTOM LADY (1944), two unhappy people meet at a bar and decide to go to a show together, subject to the woman’s condition that they remain nameless to each other. Afterwards, the man returns home to find three men from Homicide and the body of his murdered wife. Witnesses remember him but all deny that he was with a woman, ensuring his criminal conviction, while his beautiful assistant (Ella Raines) strives to establish his innocence. It feels like a Cornell Woolrich novel and was, and the movie throws in a classic Woolrich plot point near the end for good measure. Associate Producer Joan Harrison (a trusted Hitchcock assistant) was instrumental in the making of the movie, which established Siodmak as a director well suited to noir. The film moves at a steady pace to a suspenseful conclusion, and a scene with Elisha Cook Jr. banging the drums while eyeing Ella Raines was as close to pornography as legitimate studios got then.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY (1944), with Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin, sounds like a musical comedy, to be paired with Holiday Inn, perhaps. Fortunately, it’s not. A newly commissioned army lieutenant, stranded in New Orleans while on leave, meets Deanna Durbin in what is hinted to be a brothel. Through flashback, she relates her history with her husband (Gene Kelly), a convicted murderer (!), and his domineering mother. The screenplay was by Herman Mankiewicz, from a novel by Somerset Maugham. Durbin gives a credible performance, but Kelly demonstrates that he should have limited his work to musicals, and his performance drags the picture down. It’s oddly structured anyway. We have two attractive young people, but the man is there just to listen to the woman explain that she can’t help lovin’ dat man, who, incidentally, is a murderer.

THE SUSPECT (1944) is set in turn-of-the-century London, where Charles Laughton takes up with an attractive young woman (Raines again) before his shrewish wife dies falling down a staircase. Was her death a fortunate accident, or did Laughton murder her? We don’t know, but we pull for Laughton regardless. A Scotland Yard Inspector feels no such allegiance. Laughton, rarely off screen, successfully carries the movie, which tells its story well.

In THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF UNCLE HARRY (1945), George Sanders lives with his two sisters—one weirdly possessive, the other constantly complaining—plus an unpleasant housekeeper and an aging dog. He soon begins an affair with the beautiful and cosmopolitan Ella Raines (requiring a leap not as broad as that needed by her attraction to Charles Laughton in The Suspect, but enough to make one wonder if Universal’s casting directors were deluded middle-aged men), and in time, the movie takes a sinister turn. It’s another success for Siodmak; Joan Harrison produced. The ending was necessitated by the production code—the best of available options—but it’s presented so mischievously that it works.

Siodmak usually worked for Universal, but he made THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946) for RKO. In 1916, someone is killing young women who have “afflictions.” Dorothy McGuire is a young woman who lost her voice as a result of emotional trauma years earlier, who now works tending to an elderly matriarch (Ethel Barrymore) in a Victorian mansion. On a dark and stormy night, we know a killer is in the house (a bit too much of the killer is revealed, I think), and people begin falling away. It’s not as suspenseful as I expected; perhaps we’ve all seen too many endangered young women in movies. (To be fair, I saw this movie when I was a child but remembered none of it.) In any case, as the audio commentary points out, some of the imagery appears to have influenced Hitchcock.

Two out-of-town toughs enter a diner, in the age of diners before drive-ins and fast-food spots, planning to kill a customer. Nick Adams runs to warn “the Swede” and finds Burt Lancaster, in his first screen appearance, playing a man resigned to his fate. The first 12 minutes of THE KILLERS (1946) is a skilled and faithful dramatization of Hemingway’s story, which ends there. Twelve minutes is a short film, not a feature film, so the movie adds nearly 70 more. Edmond O’Brien plays an insurance investigator (nearly as ubiquitous as diners, apparently) interviewing various people who reminisce, Citizen Kane-style, about the Swede. We learn of a heist, a femme fatale (Ava Gardner), and various twists and turns. It’s not Hemingway, but it’s first-rate noir. The movie produced breakthroughs for both Lancaster and Gardner. John Huston was an uncredited contributor to the screenplay.

In THE DARK MIRROR (1946), Olivia de Havilland plays twin sisters, one of whom is a suspect in a man’s murder—but which one? The police can’t charge either of the sisters, who surprisingly agree to be studied by a psychiatry professor who specializes in twins. The film reflects the mid-century confidence in ink blots and word association, but it’s an interesting study of sibling rivalry and the dynamics between sisters. Most of the scenes where de Havilland appears with herself are convincing. The film’s not at the level of some of Siodmak’s other movies in my view, but it’s a worthy effort. Nunnally Johnson wrote the screenplay and produced. Dimitri Tiomkin provided the score.

Universal loaned Siodmak out to 20th Century Fox to make CRY OF THE CITY (1948). Victor Mature is a New York homicide detective. Richard Conte, his childhood friend, is in custody after killing a policeman. At the end of the first act, Conte escapes. The willingness of several characters, mostly ordinary people, to violate the law is striking. Interspersed with location shots of Little Italy, we see Conte’s parents and young brother, Shelley Winters as a former girlfriend, and a crooked lawyer (no, they’re not all crooked), a crooked doctor, and a crooked nurse. Conte is a bad person who cares about only himself, and while we can see through him, we don’t completely despise him.

Back at Universal, Siodmak made the engrossing CRISS CROSS (1949), perhaps his best noir. The movie opens on the eve of a heist. After the operation is underway, we learn in flashback that Burt Lancaster returned to Los Angeles to his job with an armored car company and a poisonous relationship with his former wife (Yvonne De Carlo), which survived her marriage to a wealthy gangster (Dan Duryea). They all go in together on a plan to hold up Lancaster’s armored car. What could go wrong? This is not a movie like The Killers designed around the machinations of its plot, though they abound. Instead, it’s a movie about characters and specifically a man (Lancaster, so good here) not driven by self and a desire for fortune. It’s a special movie. Tony Curtis made his first screen appearance, on a dance floor, but without a line.

Siodmak made THE FILE ON THELMA JORDAN (1949) for Hal B. Wallas and Paramount. Barbara Stanwyck’s Thelma Jordan has recently moved in with her elderly aunt and begins an affair with an assistant district attorney (Wendell Corey) who has been pursuing her. A third of the way in, the aunt is shot and killed, but we don’t know if the killer was a prowler, Stanwyck’s ex, or Stanwyck herself. Suspicion inconveniently falls on Stanwyck, bad news for both her and her ADA paramour. The plot is predictable enough most of the way, but it’s a fun ride and I had no idea how the movie would end (a testament to my dimwittedness, perhaps). The movie could have accomplished what it needed to without one improbable plot turn, but I’ll overlook that. It’s a 1940s movie, after all, and a good one.

Earlier in the month, I watched and commented on TIME OUT OF MIND (1947) and DEPORTED (1950).

 

[Pete York]

13) Maigret Sets a Trap (1958) D: Jean Delannoy
A serial killer of women is on the loose and becomes so arrogant that he taunts police detective Maigret (Jean Gabin), which, let me tell you, is a bad idea. These Gabin/Maigret films are very entertaining, if not ground-breaking, and this one has perhaps some dated psychology but made up for in other areas like location and photography.

14) Back to the Wall (1958) D: Edouard Molinaro
A wealthy industrialist (Gerard Oury) finds out his wife (Jeanne Moreau) is having an affair, so he decides to get back at her by posing as an anonymous blackmailer and wacky hi-jinks ensue. Gotcha! It actually goes really bad, it's not a joking matter. You almost enjoy the husband deftly staying ahead of the plan. Bravura 15-minute opening scene and a great ending. The story turns on a detail I didn't necessarily buy, but, hey, people do act irrationally in these cases.

15) Obsession (1949) D: Edward Dmytryk
More infidelity fun. This time we have a husband (Robert Newton) so sick of being repeatedly cheated on by his wife (Sally Gray) that he finally snaps ("You've heard of the final straw?" he tells the other man) and seeks revenge via elaborate plot. This suffers from something similar to Dial 'M' for Murder, in that the other man (Phil Brown) is such a dork, you end up rooting for Newton. Naunton Wayne is the Scotland Yard detective whose questioning of Newton is so dry and polite in manner you'd hardly believe it was about murder. Interesting Nino Rota score.

16) Never Let Go (1960) D: John Guillermin
An ineffectual loser (Richard Todd) has his new car stolen and blunders his way through an investigation, making bad move after bad move, but never quits trying to get it back, no matter the cost. This is notable for a pretty nasty performance from Peter Sellers as the head of the stolen car ring and he is excellent. There is a good scene between Todd and his wife (Elizabeth Sellars) where she's trying to tell him to stay out of it, leave it to the cops, and she starts listing all his past failures as a way of saying he's not up to this and you can see the moment he decides to see this insane crusade through. Really bold, brassy score from John Barry.

 

[dana martin]

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

View attachment 204321
23) 11-19-23: "Laura" (1944) (Blu-ray) 5/5 Stars
One of my all-time favorite noirs that I try to revisit every 2-3 years. Am I the only one that thinks the woman with Dana Andrews on the above 2013 Blu-ray cover art doesn't look like Gene Tierney? Everyone participating in this "Noirvember Challenge" has surely seen this great movie once. If not, then you need to rectify that situation this month. Even though Clifton Webb was excellent as Waldo Lydecker in the movie, at times, I do wonder how would've done with the role since he was the first choice for that part. Anyhow, the casting was perfect with Gene Tierney in the title role and Dana Andrews as the tough police lieutenant Mark McPherson. Vincent Price as the smarmy boyfriend and Judith Anderson as the jealous rich auntie were also excellent. I don't see a need to talk about the film's premise since it's so well known by most classic film buffs. However, there are a couple of plot holes in the movie, but you probably could say that about any movie. One of my favorite scenes in the entire movie has always been when Andrews punches Price in the gut. Price's reaction with Anderson is priceless.

I think there was some creative modifications to it, but you're right I would have liked to have seen what Laird Cregar could do that's the beauty of film there's so many options that could have happened.

 

[JasonRoer]

I know this isn't the proper area for this question, however, since it seems you are all such home theater fans, I want to ask about a projector/receiver. I'm upgrading my equipment next month.

I am waffling between the Epson LS 12000 and the Epson 5050ub. Both have the ultrablack tech I love, but the price is so substantially different with the 1200 2X the price of the 5050. As for receivers, I'm waffling between the Marantz Cinema 60 and Cinema 50.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these projectors/receivers? Thanks in advance.

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

24) 11-20-23: "Union Station" (1950) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
IMO, this 1950 movie has always been underrated since it was released. Perhaps, because the two lead actors William Holden and Nancy Olson started filming this movie just several days after filming was completed on their first movie pairing together. That movie was the iconic "Sunset Boulevard" which was released in August 1950. Union Station was released just a month later in September of that year. In this movie, a blind young woman is kidnapped and is being held hostage in exchange for $100,000 ransom. The Chicago Union Station is being used by the kidnappers to collect their money. Holden plays the train station's police lieutenant while Barry Fitzgerald plays a similar part as his role in "The Naked City" as a seasoned police inspector heading up the investigation. Nancy Olson works as the secretary for the kidnapped girl's father and is able to identify two of the kidnappers. Lyle Bettger really shines in this movie as the nasty kidnapper, who wouldn't hesitate to kill anybody that gets in his way. Jan Sterling has a small part playing his gun moll while Allene Roberts plays the kidnapping victim. Like many of these movies there are some implausible situations, but I think this movie is very effective in telling its story as well as how mean, criminals and policemen could be back in that era. Talk about police violating the constitutional rights to combat crime. The final act was well stage with some very tense moments and I must say that Allene Roberts screaming always got on my nerves during that film sequence. One more thing, this movie was directed by well-known cinematographer Rudolph Maté, who directed his share of movies including several film noirs like D.O.A., The Dark Past, Second Chance and The Green Glove. This film's screenplay was written by Sydney Boehm, who wrote too many film noirs to list here.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I know this isn't the proper area for this question, however, since it seems you are all such home theater fans, I want to ask about a projector/receiver. I'm upgrading my equipment next month.

I am waffling between the Epson LS 12000 and the Epson 5050ub. Both have the ultrablack tech I love, but the price is so substantially different with the 1200 2X the price of the 5050. As for receivers, I'm waffling between the Marantz Cinema 60 and Cinema 50.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these projectors/receivers? Thanks in advance.

You should get better responses moving your post to the appropriate hardware area. Let me know if you want me to move it for you?

 

[HawksFord]

14.
Road House (1948) NEW — How is it possible I’ve never seen this before? Richard Widmark owns a lodge somewhere near the Canadian border which he inherited from his father. Cornel Wilde is his life-long friend who manages the place and cleans up Widmark’s messes. Celeste Holm is the long-suffering casher. Ida Lupino arrives from Chicago to be the entertainer, and the sparks start to fly. The Kino Lorber release has an entertaining commentary by Kim Morgan and Eddie Muller, but I take issue with their disparagement of the Celeste Holm part. I found her story arc to be quite compelling and critical to the success of the story.
* * * *

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

25) 11-21-23: "Appointment with Danger" (1950) (Blu-ray) 3/5 Stars
Over last 50+ years, I have watched this movie a number of times. The plot line has some holes in it, but I always liked the cast and the acting performances. Again, the screenplay has several holes in it about a postal inspector/Ladd infiltrating a criminal gang that has committed murder and plans on robbing a postal delivery. However, the cast, particularly Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, Jan Sterling, Jack Webb and Harry Morgan make up for the script's shortcomings. I read one review in this thread that stated Ladd was miscast. I don't agree with that opinion because I thought he was pretty good in this role as a tough uncompromising law officer that has lost his humanity. Another thing, I thought Jan Sterling was excellent as Stewart's girlfriend and I loved that final film sequence she had with Ladd's character especially that last line of dialogue she said to Ladd. Calvert as a nun that could identify members of the criminal gang, played her character just fine, but I always had issues with how her character finally meets the criminal gang. I just never bought that coincidence. This 2023 Blu-ray is part of Imprint's Essential Film Noir Collection 4. The Jason Ney audio commentary is very informative while the video presentation derived from a 4K scan is good and is an improvement over Olive's 2012 Blu-ray. This title might be released again on Blu-ray by Kino as they just signed another deal with Paramount. Frank Tarzi has stated on a recent podcast that some titles that Olive previously released that recently undergone new scans would be candidates for their "Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema" boxsets.

26) 11-21-23: "One Way Street" (1950) (Blu-ray) 3.5/5 Stars
This is my 11th title that was a first time viewing of the 26 movies that I watched so far in this "Noirvember Challenge". A doctor/James Mason that lost his ethics and faith in humanity. He steals $200,000 as well as the girlfriend/Marta Toren from a psychotic killer/Dan Duryea. The couple hightails it to Mexico with the money as they try to disappear from Duryea and his gang picking up their trail. While hiding out in a small Mexican village in need of a medical care, the doctor regains what he has lost and falls in love with Toren. The movie has a fine supporting cast with Basil Ruysdael, William Conrad, Jack Elam, King Donovan and Rodolfo Acosta. The final 15 minutes of the film is probably the best part of the film with its ironic ending. The 2023 Blu-ray is part of Kino's "Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema: Volume XIV" boxset. The video presentation is very good, but I thought the audio commentary was just okay.

 

[John Stell]

Bold - Denotes first-time viewing

Rating - Out of a possible 4

14) 11/18/2023 Force of Evil (1948)

John Garfield is excellent as a crooked attorney who tries to protect his brother when a bold move by numbers racketeer might ruin him. Fast-paced with tense final shoot out. Final scene is both downbeat and optimistic. (Kino Blu Ray)

15) 11/19/2023 They Won't Believe Me (1947)

Adulterer Robert Montgomery takes the witness stand in his murder trial, explaining exactly what happened and why he is innocent of the charges. Engrossing account of unfaithful spouse and how circumstances led to his current predicament. A couple of neat twists along the way too. (Warner Archive Collection Blu Ray)

16) 11/19/2023 Sweet Smell of Success (1957) 1/2

“Cookie full of arsenic” press agent Tony Curtis is more than just in the pocket of gossip columnist Burt Lancaster, who enlists Curtis to deal with romance between Lancaster’s sister and jazz musician. Vicious psychological drama that takes a cynical look at the power of the press and its ability to destroy careers with one false story. (Criterion Blu Ray)

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

27) 11-22-23: "Sleep, My Love" (1948) (Blu-ray) 3.5/5 Stars
Retired silent film star Mary Pickford produced this noirish "woman in distress" movie in which we have another husband gaslighting his wife into insanity. What I found most interesting is that Don Ameche played against type as the devilish husband trying to drive his rich wife/Claudette Colbert into insanity so that she kills herself so he can inherit her fortune and therefore run off with his sluttish model girlfriend/Hazel Brooks. For several years, I'd meant to watch this movie, but never did until yesterday afternoon. I finally decided to watch the 2014 Olive Blu-ray. I wasn't disappointed, though, I thought the movie was maybe 10-15 minutes too long. Anyhow, Robert Cummings has a huge role in this movie as a person that becomes concerned about Colbert which was a good thing for her. George Coulouris, Rita Johnson, Queenie Smith and Keye Luke are also in the cast along with Raymond Burr, who for once, played a "good" guy as a police detective. The film's ending was well executed so kudos to Douglas Sirk. Though, Sirk was mainly known for his melodramas, he also directed some fine film noirs besides this movie such as Shockproof, Lured, A Scandal in Paris and Thunder on the Hill.

28) 11-22-23: "Ruthless" (1948) (Blu-ray) 3.5/5 Stars
I liked and was very entertained by this 1948 movie from Eagle-Lion about a ruthless "SOB" in which Zachary Scott made a career of playing in several movies. The one thing I had a problem with this movie is that it didn't do a good enough job explaining how a sweet nice young man turned into a man, who didn't mind stepping over anybody that got in his way while accumulating his fortune on Wall Street. Also, I think Sydney Greenstreet gave one of his best acting performances as one of the steppingstones for Scott's character. Some people might think he overacted, but I thought he was great in this movie. Louis Hayward plays Scott's childhood friend and former best friend and business partner that loved the man, but also grew to despise him for being such a rotten human being. Diana Lynn plays a dual role as two women that Scott was infatuated with and perhaps loved. The movie is mainly told in flashbacks, it does remind you a bit of Citizen Kane. For a "B" movie directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, I thought the production values were pretty elegant and fascinating for a movie that didn't have a huge budget but did have a great cast of actors. One more thing, Raymond Burr was in this movie too, playing Scott's no-good father in which, his parents basically abandoned him which was the root cause of Scott's moral decline as an adult. Martha Vickers plays another of Scott's victims as he used her and her family to climb the social and financial ladder before betraying them. This first film viewing was via 2013 Blu-ray from Olive.

 

[HawksFord]

15.
Woman in Hiding (1950) — There are a lot of things to like about this film with Ida Lupino on the run fleeing her new husband (Stephen McNally) and Howard Duff as the drifter who takes an interest in her. Unfortunately, McNally’s character is underdeveloped which hurts the entire premise of the film. One of the highlights is an appearance by Joe Besser as a drum-beating conventioneer. As a kid, I was always disappointed when the Three Stooges program would show a Joe Besser short instead of one with Curly or Shemp. Now, I take great delight whenever I see him show up in a movie.
* * 1/2

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

29) 11-23-23: "Blonde Ice" (1948) (Blu-ray) 2.5/5 Stars
This was my second viewing of this "B" movie that received a Blu-ray release from Classicflix earlier this year. Anyhow, I didn't like it back in August when I received the Blu-ray. I thought the film was mediocre at best with some awful acting and dialogue. I decided to give it another chance by watching it again earlier this morning. Unfortunately, my second viewing wasn't much better for me. Some of the dialogue still wasn't good and neither were the acting performances of the lead actors. Furthermore, the resolution of the crimes committed in this film still bothered me because it didn't make any sense to me as it almost looked like there were some missing lines of dialogue not captured on film or was cut from the movie.

30) 11-23-23: "Angel Face" (1952) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
After Thanksgiving dinner, we watched the 2023 Warner Archive Blu-ray that I received back in June. I thought the video presentation was excellent of this Howard Hughes produced RKO film noir. The 2007 DVD pales in comparison to this Blu-ray. I always loved this movie and thought the ending helps distinguishes this movie from other film noirs produced during that film era. However, Robert Mitchum's character was really a dope! Jean Simmons in that black wig really shines as the psychotic rich girl that is infatuated with Mitchum's character. I highly recommend this movie as well as Eddie Muller's commentary on this film. Eddie's commentary is excellent with many back stories about the filming of this movie as to how it pertains to Robert Mitchum, Jean Simmons, Howard Hughes and Otto Preminger, who directed the movie. Both Hughes and Preminger treated Simmons very poorly for reasons I won't reveal here. When you play back the audio commentary, it will be on the SD version of the movie instead of the 1080p version on the Blu-ray. The audio commentary was originally on the 2007 DVD, and it had some missing frames which would've caused some sync issues with the corrected Blu-ray.

 

[HawksFord]

16.
Detective Story (1951) — An excellent noir directed by William Wyler and featuring Kirk Douglas, William Bendix, and Eleanor Parker. It’s based on a play, but it doesn’t feel stage bound despite the fact that almost all the action takes place within the detective room of a NYC police precinct. The production code forced a change that slightly weakens the story, but Wyler works around it in a way that makes clear what is really going on despite the language used.
* * * *

 

[Robert Crawford]

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

31) 11-24-23: "Seven Days to Noon" (1950) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
After reading a couple of somewhat lukewarm reviews in this thread about this classic film, I was kind of worried that I wouldn't enjoy my first viewing of it. However, that wasn't the case as I was totally engrossed in this movie as I found the moral dilemma involving a scientist's change of mind regarding nuclear weapons quite fascinating and topical considering the release of Oppenheimer just months ago. The threat for the usage of a weapon of mass destruction to force a government to change its weapons policy was an original idea in 1950. Sure, it wasn't as suspenseful as what some might have expected, but I thought the storyline/writing was very good and the acting performances quite good as well. This film might be cliche to some people, but considering it was the first film to touch on this subject matter, I think it should be recognized for blazing the trail for so many copycat films over the last several decades. I wish the 2019 Kino Blu-ray had an audio commentary for this ground-breaking movie. Highly recommended!

32) 11-24-23: "No Orchids for Miss Blandish" (1948) (Blu-ray) 2/5 Stars
Now, for this next example of UK cinema from a prior film era, I must say this movie doesn't come close to measuring up to Seven Hours to Noon. It's so bad, I actually found some enjoyment out of the humorous film sequences in this movie from the American accents, corny dialogue, bad acting performances and movie scenes staged on the cheap. I always heard this movie was awful and those reviews hit the nail on the head. This British effort in making an American crime film was terrible from beginning to end. However, I laughed out loud more than a few times because the movie was so bad, I found it laughable, and I did get some enjoyment of watching this movie play out. The film's premise revolves around a sheltered rich girl kidnapped by some gangsters for her jewelry that ends up falling in love with one of them, who is definitely a social path killer. Most of the cast is British except for American actor Jack La Rue, who plays the gangster the kidnapped heiress falls for. I found the Brit actors over-the-top American accents pretty funny as the film played on. Anyhow, I bought this 2019 Indicator Blu-ray release last year during an Indicator sale. There are two different film versions on this Blu-ray. Today, I watched the British version. One day I will watch the American version called Black Dice.

 

[compson]

This is it for me. I’m ready to watch something else now. I’ve seen a total of 42 movies, 38 of which I watched for the first time.

KL Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema II, III, and IV

37. Thunder On the Hill, 1954*
38. The Price of Fear, 1956*
39. The Female Animal, 1958*
40. The Sleeping City, 1950*
41. Calcutta, 1946*
42. Six Bridges to Cross, 1955*

Earlier in the month, I watched and commented on the three other movies from these sets. Here are my comments on these six.

Spoiler: Comments

In THUNDER ON THE HILL (1951), Ann Blyth’s transportation to be hanged following a murder conviction is disrupted by a flood, leaving her temporarily stranded at a convent and hospital, where the kindly Claudette Colbert is a sister. That faintly ludicrous setup establishes the tone for the movie, an enjoyable if easily solved mystery with broadly drawn characters and a slight air of make-believe. Douglas Sirk directed, shooting the movie in living black and white.

The plot of THE PRICE OF FEAR (1956) is a bit complicated. A man buys someone’s interest in a dog track business, much to the consternation of the business’s co-owner. A woman hits a pedestrian and when she pulls over to call police, the aggrieved dog track co-owner hops in her car and steals it. The now previous co-owner is standing out behind a bar when someone drives by and shoots and kills him. And that’s all in the first 12 minutes. The rest of the movie, similarly complicated and unconvincing, manipulates the plot as needed and features a couple with no on-screen chemistry supposedly falling for each other. The movie feels as if it was made by a collection of people with limited talent. It’s not very good.

In THE FEMALE ANIMAL (1958), Hedy Lamarr plays a movie starlet who takes up with a younger extra (George Nader) and then hires him as caretaker of her beach house. Jane Powell plays her adopted daughter, who also has an eye for the muscular Nader. The movie is thin gruel as drama or romance, and although Powell often acts as if she’s in a comedy, the movie’s not funny. It plays like an imitation of Sunset Boulevard crossed with Mildred Pierce, but no one would mistake it for the real thing. It was shot in CinemaScope in black and white by DP Russell Matty. In its release, the movie was the top half of a double bill; the B picture was Touch of Evil, also shot by Matty. Maybe Touch of Evil attracted so little attention because everyone left before it started.

A young doctor in THE SLEEPING CITY (1950) is shot in the head and killed. He was troubled by something, but no one, including the nurse he dated (Coleen Gray), professes to know what it was. The police send three men in to work undercover, with Richard Conte posing as an intern. The movie moves slowly, with Conte making no progress for some time, failing to ask questions in response to a comment no detective would have overlooked. The movie was filmed in Bellevue Hospital and has a semi-documentary feel, but many of the actors, including the man playing Conte’s boss, feel like amateurs. Indeed, aside from a couple of nice shots, including the murder at the beginning of the film, the whole movie has an amateurish feel. The director, George Sherman, went on to do television work, including 12 episodes of Daniel Boone.

Alan Ladd and William Bendix play pilots whose pilot buddy is found murdered in CALCUTTA (1946). Ladd investigates and finds a web of illicit activity. The actress who plays the dead man’s fiancée, Gail Russell, gives a weak performance, and her scenes with Ladd are awkward. That flaw is deadly to a good, if unexceptional, mystery in a foreign locale.

In SIX BRIDGES TO CROSS (1955), a patrolman (George Nader again) befriends a juvenile gang leader (Sal Mineo) after shooting him in the scrotum. (Mineo is surprisingly understanding.) Mineo instantly ages into Tony Curtis, who, in time, lands in prison. He gets out and expands his criminal enterprise, while Nader rises in the police department. Curtis vows to go straight, and we find out whether he means it or is just pulling his latest job. This movie should be better than it is. It’s based in part on the Brink’s robbery in Boston in 1950, and the screenplay is by Sydney Boehm, who had previously written the screenplay for The Big Heat. Curtis’s character is interesting, but Nader isn’t very good and I never believed the two men had a relationship. A scene with a grand jury is cringe-inducing. The movie opens with an out-of-place romantic-sounding tune from Henry Mancini, sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. Director Joseph Pevney began his career with Shakedown in 1950, but much of his work was for television.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Through November 24th, I've watched 34 movies with 17 of them being first time viewings. See my summary for film grades with the movies in "Bold" being first time viewings:

33) 11-24-23: "The Night has Eyes" (1942) (Blu-ray) 3.5/5 Stars
Another nice little thriller/mystery from the UK starring James Mason, Joyce Howard, Wilfrid Lawson and Mary Clare. Two schoolteachers on holiday travel to the Yorkshire Moors, where a friend of theirs disappeared a year ago. There during a bad storm they meet a mysterious man, who gives them shelter for the night at his estate. The man is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and suffers from a severe case of PTSD. One of the teachers falls in love with him, but eventually suspects he might have been involved in her friend's disappearance. The movie kind of reminds you of a Sherlock Holmes type mystery. This was another first time viewing as I purchased this Classicflix Blu-ray earlier this year. I purposedly withheld watching it because I wanted to watch it in November for this challenge. I'm glad I did so.

34) 11-24-23: "The House of the Seven Gables" (1940) (Blu-ray) 4/5 Stars
Here is another movie that I have been well aware of for many years, yet I never took the time to watch the 2007 DVD nor when I purchased the iTunes HD digital back in 2018. I bought this Kino Blu-ray in 2019, and still didn't watch it until today. This movie is derived from the Nathaniel Hawthrone novel of the same name. However, I believe the movie's plot is different than the novel. This gothic movie is about one brother falsely accusing his brother of murdering their father so he can inherit the family's estate. Furthermore, this New England family has a history of greed that goes back generations. After the brother spends decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit, he is released from prison and comes back home to seek vengeance. For a change, Vincent Price plays the good brother. As to George Sanders, he plays the bad brother with his usual smugness. IMO, the actor I was really impressed with was Margaret Lindsey, who plays their distant cousin, who is in love with Price and dutifully waits for his return. Lindsey transforms from a delightful young woman into a middle-aged woman filled with bitterness and contempt towards Sanders. A nice acting performance on her part.