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

[Robert Crawford]

This weekend's "Noir Alley" movie is "This Side of the Law" (1950) starring Kent Smith, Viveca Lindfors, Robert Douglas, Janis Paige and John Alvin. Directed by Richard L. Bare. I've never seen this Warner film noir even though WA released it on DVD-R back in 2010. I'm looking forward to watching another new movie that I'm totally unfamiliar with.

Updated TCM's Noir Alley 2025 Schedule:


01-04-25: Suspense
01-11-25: Deadline at Dawn
01-18-25: Without Pity
01-25-25: Woman on the Run
03-08-25: The Velvet Touch
03-15-25: Gun Crazy
03-22-25: Clash by Night
03-29-25: Count the Hours
04-05-25: The Narrow Margin
04-12-25: The Steel Trap
04-19-25: The Set-Up
04-26-25: The Prowler
05-03-25: Riff Raff (1947)
05-10-25: The Killers (1946)
05-17-25: Touchez pas au grisbi
05-24-25: Cornered
05-31-25: The Big Steal
06-07-25: The Undercover Man
06-14-25: Crack-Up (1946)
06-21-25: Pale Flower
06-28-25: Sorry, Wrong Number
07-05-25: This Side of the Law
07-12-25: The Gangster
07-19-25: Intruder in the Dust
07-26-25: Rififi
09-06-25: He Ran All the Way
09-13-25: Sudden Fear
09-20-25: The Murderers are Among Us
09-27-25: Berlin Express
10-04-25: The Big Street
10-11-25: New York Confidential
10-18-25: Black Tuesday
10-25-25: Southside 1-1000
11-01-25: The Great Jewel Robbery
11-08-25: Blind Spot
11-15-25: High and Low
11-22-25: The Strip
11-29-25: Postmark for Danger
12-06-25: Cry of the City
12-13-25: TBA
12-27-25: Odd Man Out

 

[Robert Crawford]

I finally sat down and watched Henry Fonda's film debut in "The Farmer Takes a Wife" (1935) with Janet Gaynor, Charles Bickford, Slim Summerville and Andy Devine. I've had the DVD in my collection for 12 years but never got around to watching it. Yesterday, I decided to watch Movies Anywhere HD digital presentation which wasn't the best with some missing frames. I've been meaning to watch this dated romantic comedy for many years. I found Janet Gaynor's character a little annoying by the end of the film when she should have realized much earlier that Fonda's character was a good man that would make her happy. I never seen the Erie Canal and this movie gave me the itch to visit it. The Canal must be beautiful in the Fall. Anyhow, my film grade is 3/5 Stars.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Next up is "Come Next Spring" (1956) starring Steve Cochran, Ann Sheridan Walter Brennan.

 

[Matt Hough]

I don't believe I've ever seen This Side of the Law either, so I'll be front and center at lunchtime tomorrow.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I enjoyed watching this family drama with Steve Cochran playing against type as an alcoholic returning to his family farm, nine years after abandoning them with his wife Ann Sheridan raising their two kids played by Sherry Jackson and Richard Eyer. Walter Brennan plays a sharecropper and friend of the family with Sonny Tufts playing a rival for Sheridan's affections. I blind bought this iTunes HD digital about six years ago. Cochran is quite good in this role as a man seeking redemption and family/friends trust again for the misdeeds he committed prior to returning home as a recovering alcoholic.

I also watched a couple of lesser Philo Vance movies that I saved on the TCM app. The Casino Murder Case (1935) starring Paul Lukas, Rosalind Russell, Alison Skipworth and Donald Cook. IMO, Lukas was definitely miscast as Philo Vance. Louise Fazenda was quite good as the flighty housemaid. I didn't know she was married to Hal Wallis. Of course, he cheated on her before her untimely death in 1962.

The Garden Murder Case (1936) was okay but again miscast with Edmund Lowe. I preferred Basil Rathbone and William Powell as Philo Vance.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I don't believe I've ever seen This Side of the Law either, so I'll be front and center at lunchtime tomorrow.

I'm watching it now as I eat my breakfast.

 

[Mysto]

Knowing your love for noir - I don't know if you've seen these send ups. You might enjoy... or not.

 

[Matt Hough]

This Side of the Law does have a ridiculous premise. Even if the man looked like the other, how could the voice be the same to trick people who have known him for years? But I played along and had a pretty good time. Having the two top-billed stars eventually fall for one another was certainly no innovation. I was surprised how early Janis Paige was dispatched.

 

[Robert Crawford]

This Side of the Law does have a ridiculous premise. Even if the man looked like the other, how could the voice be the same to trick people who have known him for years? But I played along and had a pretty good time. Having the two top-billed stars eventually fall for one another was certainly no innovation. I was surprised how early Janis Paige was dispatched.

The same here. A flawed film that I was still had an entertaining time watching this morning. Later today, I had the similar experience with another Warner crime film "The Great Jewel Robber" (1950) starring David Brian and Marjorie Reynolds. Incidentally, both 1950 films had the same white dog in the movie which was a coincidence that I didn't see coming as it was my first viewing for both films. Anyhow, both movies were entertaining but not enough for me to purchase them on DVD.