Crawdaddy's "Random Thoughts" about Home Video, Film & TV (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

Noir Alley​

WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER was made in 1948 during the peak of Joseph Cotten's career. It was released in 1950 to take advantage of the publicity surrounding THE THIRD MAN which reunited Cotten with his co-star Alida Valli.

See it Saturday and Sunday on #NoirAlley.

 

[Matt Hough]

Looking forward to it!

 

[Robert Crawford]

This weekend's "Noir Alley" movie is "Walk Softly, Stranger" (1950) starring Joseph Cotton, Valli, Spring Byington, Paul Stewart, Jack Paar and John McIntire. Robert Stevenson directed this RKO movie in 1948, but Howard Hughes, who owned RKO didn't released it until 1950. It's been over three years since I last watched this movie so I'll probably watch my 2012 DVD again some time during Saturday.


Updated TCM's Noir Alley 2022/2023 Schedule:

04-02-22: Pitfall
04-09-22: Bob le flambeur
04-16-22: Night and the City
04-23-22: The Window
04-30-22: Johnny Angel
05-07-22: No Man of Her Own
05-14-22: The Killer is Loose
05-21-22: My Name is Julia Ross
05-28-22: Bad Day at Black Rock
06-04-22: Out of the Past
06-11-22: The Guilty
06-18-22: House of Strangers Thieves' Highway
06-25-22: Down Three Dark Streets
07-02-22: The Strange One
07-09-22: Hide Tide
07-16-22: Scarlet Street
07-23-22: 5 Against the House
07-30-22: Raw Deal
09-03-22: Hit and Run
09-10-22: Obsession
09-17-22: The Naked Street
09-24-22: I Love Trouble
10-01-22: The Red House
10-08-22: The Phenix City Story
10-15-22: The Argyle Secrets
10-22-22: Cage of Evil
10-29-22: El Vampiro Negro
11-05-22: City of Fear
11-12-22: Tension
11-19-22: The Unfaithful
11-26-22: Death of a Cyclist
12-03-22: Decoy
12-10-22: Walk Softly, Stranger
12-17-22: Mr. Soft Touch
01-07-23: Don't Bother to Knock
01-14-23: Thunder Road
01-21-23: The Two Mrs. Carrolls
01-28-23: Highway 301
02-04-23: Hangover Square
02-11-23: Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
02-18-23: Lightning Strikes Twice
02-25-23: Hunt the Man Down

 

[Matt Hough]

I don't remember ever seeing it, so looking forward to it as usual. The cast is full of wonderful actors.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't remember ever seeing it, so looking forward to it as usual. The cast is full of wonderful actors.

It's a pretty good movie until the ending. Eddie's comments were dead on. Also, it's already on the TCM app.

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes, I was really enjoying the movie and kept thinking, "what was Eddie talking about?" when I got to that bonkers coda. Yes, either ending it with Cotten getting into the car or with the horrific accident and the finding of the letter and money in the teapot would have made this a four-star film! But that nutso ending dropped it a full star! Cotten's character was one of the most unusual I've ever seen in a movie - so low key and able to roll with the punches as he fleshes out his fake persona early on. Really impressive.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Noir Alley​

After being betrayed, a gangster hangs out in a settlement house while seeking revenge in MR. SOFT TOUCH ('49).

Join us for the final #NoirAlley film of the year hosted by Eddie Muller, next Saturday and Sunday.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes, I was really enjoying the movie and kept thinking, "what was Eddie talking about?" when I got to that bonkers coda. Yes, either ending it with Cotten getting into the car or with the horrific accident and the finding of the letter and money in the teapot would have made this a four-star film! But that nutso ending dropped it a full star! Cotten's character was one of the most unusual I've ever seen in a movie - so low key and able to roll with the punches as he fleshes out his fake persona early on. Really impressive.

Yeah, if the ending was more poignant then my film grade would've been 4/5 stars. With that silly and happy ending my grade is 3/5 stars.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yeah, I agree with Eddie about "Count the Hours" which I just watched for the first time in the last year or so on TCM.

I'm getting old as it was "The Lawless" (1950) that I was thinking about seeing for the first time on TCM. I've never seen "Count the Hours". Has anybody else seen it? Has it played on TCM?

 

[Robin9]

Yeah, I agree with Eddie about "Count the Hours" which I just watched for the first time in the last year or so on TCM.

I'm getting old as it was "The Lawless" (1950) that I was thinking about seeing for the first time on TCM. I've never seen "Count the Hours". Has anybody else seen it? Has it played on TCM?

I have the Warner Archive DVD-R of Count The Hours. It's high time I re-watched it because I don't remember much about the film. I do recommend all film noir/crime movie enthusiasts to watch this movie because it was directed by Don Siegel and photographed by John Alton. As we have one member here who dislikes Teresa Wright, I should point out that she plays the female lead.

 

[Matt Hough]

I don't believe I've seen it, but I hope to this weekend!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have the Warner Archive DVD-R of Count The Hours. It's high time I re-watched it because I don't remember much about the film. I do recommend all film noir/crime movie enthusiasts to watch this movie because it was directed by Don Siegel and photographed by John Alton. As we have one member here who dislikes Teresa Wight, I should point out that she plays the female lead.

It's not I because Teresa Wright is a favorite of mine.

 

[Robin9]

It's not I because Teresa Wright is a favorite of mine.

I mis-spelt her name! Shame on me! I've now corrected my typo.

I re-watched the disc and I can understand why I didn't remember much about the film. It's a fairly routine story with a few plot holes. It has Dolores Moran whom I like a lot. The film was produced by Benedict Bogeaus who made several films in the 1950s with John Alton on camera and Louis Forbes for the music. He re-used Dolores Moran in one of them, a McCarthyite western starring John Payne.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The latest episode of "Ask Eddie":

 

[Robert Crawford]

The latest episode of "Ask Eddie":

I really enjoyed this Ask Eddie episode, particularly, when they were talking about "Western Noir" and then the different film adaptations of "The Maltese Falcon". I need to revisit "Satan Met a Lady". I totally agree with Eddie's comments about the 1931 versus 1941 film versions.

 

[Matt Hough]

I really enjoyed this Ask Eddie episode, particularly, when they were talking about "Western Noir" and then the different film adaptations of "The Maltese Falcon". I need to revisit "Satan Met a Lady". I totally agree with Eddie's comments about the 1931 versus 1941 film versions.

Satan Met a Lady is a sad state of affairs, and this is coming from a great Bette Davis fan. Amazing that anyone would ever want to touch the property again after that fiasco. But I'm glad Huston did since I think it's a masterpiece.

 

[Matt Hough]

I watched the 1931 version again tonight to refresh it in my mind. The plot and characters are all there, but the atmosphere of murky mystery is almost totally absent. Nothing comes close to the 1941 version.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This weekend's "Noir Alley" movie is "Mr. Soft Touch" (1949) starring Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes, John Ireland, Beulah Bondi and Percy Kilbride. One of my favorite Glenn Ford movies that has a Christmas theme to it. I hate the poster art because Keyes plays opposite of the image they show of her on the poster. I'll probably pull out my 2014 DVD to watch some time today. Another movie I would buy instantly if released on Blu-ray. Eddie knew Keyes so I wonder if he's going to tell a story about her and Ford's romantic relationship. Ford was a known ladykiller and had many affairs with his leading ladies.


This poster of a scene in the movie cracks me up all the time.

Updated TCM's Noir Alley 2022/2023 Schedule:

04-02-22: Pitfall
04-09-22: Bob le flambeur
04-16-22: Night and the City
04-23-22: The Window
04-30-22: Johnny Angel
05-07-22: No Man of Her Own
05-14-22: The Killer is Loose
05-21-22: My Name is Julia Ross
05-28-22: Bad Day at Black Rock
06-04-22: Out of the Past
06-11-22: The Guilty
06-18-22: House of Strangers Thieves' Highway
06-25-22: Down Three Dark Streets
07-02-22: The Strange One
07-09-22: Hide Tide
07-16-22: Scarlet Street
07-23-22: 5 Against the House
07-30-22: Raw Deal
09-03-22: Hit and Run
09-10-22: Obsession
09-17-22: The Naked Street
09-24-22: I Love Trouble
10-01-22: The Red House
10-08-22: The Phenix City Story
10-15-22: The Argyle Secrets
10-22-22: Cage of Evil
10-29-22: El Vampiro Negro
11-05-22: City of Fear
11-12-22: Tension
11-19-22: The Unfaithful
11-26-22: Death of a Cyclist
12-03-22: Decoy
12-10-22: Walk Softly, Stranger
12-17-22: Mr. Soft Touch
01-07-23: Don't Bother to Knock
01-14-23: Thunder Road
01-21-23: The Two Mrs. Carrolls
01-28-23: Highway 301
02-04-23: Hangover Square
02-11-23: Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
02-18-23: Lightning Strikes Twice
02-25-23: Hunt the Man Down

 

[Robert Crawford]

Noir Alley​

MR. SOFT TOUCH ('49), a fast-paced, entertaining genre hybrid, has the interesting distinction of having not one, but two directors behind the camera: Gordon Douglas and Henry Levin.

See it Saturday and Sunday on #NoirAlley hosted by Eddie Muller.

Noir Alley​

Fans of Glenn Ford will enjoy his touching role as Joe Miracle in this unsung and rarely seen holiday gem co-starring Evelyn Keyes. See MR. SOFT TOUCH ('49) Saturday and Sunday on #NoirAlley hosted by Eddie Muller.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched the 1931 version again tonight to refresh it in my mind. The plot and characters are all there, but the atmosphere of murky mystery is almost totally absent. Nothing comes close to the 1941 version.

As Eddie stated, Sam Spade in silk pajamas doesn't cut it. Bogart nailed that role while Ricardo Cortez was too elegant in that role.