film noir
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- DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettDan DuryeaA man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, though her fiancé persuades her to con him out of the fortune they mistakenly assume he possesses.Way too much Dan Duryea, not enough Edward G. Robinson. But the scenes with Robinson are spectacular; the ones between him and his emasculating wife are particularly horrifying.
B - DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsBurt LancasterAva GardnerEdmond O'BrienHit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.It opens and closes damn near perfectly; the opening scene with the two hit men is incredibly intense. I like that you can see the story either from Edmond O'Brien's point of view (in which case it's sort of a hero story) or from Burt Lancaster's (which would make it a fatalistic horror show).
B+ - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsSterling HaydenColeen GrayVince EdwardsCrook Johnny Clay assembles a five-man team to plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery.Elisha Cook is one of my favorite character actors of all time and he is at the top of his game here. So are Kubrick and cinematographer Lucien Ballard. I found the narration a little weird, but otherwise it's almost perfect.
A - DirectorGeorge MarshallStarsAlan LaddVeronica LakeWilliam BendixAn ex-bomber pilot is suspected of murdering his unfaithful wife.This story struck me as quite silly, even though Raymond Chandler's dialogue is pretty nice. And as much as I love him as Shane, there's absolutely no energy from Alan Ladd here. A bit of a snooze fest.
C - DirectorJohn FarrowStarsRay MillandMaureen O'SullivanCharles LaughtonA magazine tycoon commits a murder and pins it on an innocent man, who then tries to solve the murder himself.The source novel is one of my favorites of all time, and they made a really solid picture out of it. Charles Laughton is awesomely creepy and the sets are great.
B+ - DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsRichard WidmarkLinda DarnellStephen McNallyTwo hoodlum brothers are brought into a hospital for gunshot wounds, and when one of them dies the other accuses their black doctor of murder.Gets a little preachy, but I suppose that's to be expected from a movie about race relations made in 1950. It could have been made entirely without the character of Dr. Wharton (the progressive white doctor there to congratulate white audiences for not being racist), but I realize that's my 21st century mindset talking. Awesome performances from Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark, as usual.
B- - DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesEdward G. RobinsonLoretta YoungAn investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi.Outside of a few hokey lines of dialogue ("We have one ally - her subconscious!"), this is another Orson Welles classic. Some really striking images (especially the ending!) and obviously any movie starring Welles and Edward G. Robinson is gonna have some great acting. But I think my favorite performer in this one is Loretta Young.
B+ - DirectorAlexander MackendrickStarsBurt LancasterTony CurtisSusan HarrisonPowerful but unethical Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker coerces unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco into breaking up his sister's romance with a jazz musician.Okay, this one knocked me on my ass. What a pleasant surprise! WARNING: don't watch this if you have plans to hold onto any semblance of faith in your fellow man. Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster are both PERFECT, and so is the script; the direction and cinematography and score are all excellent, and the result is one of the most awesomely horrifying things I've ever seen in my life. The scene where Curtis takes Barbara Nichols and the columnist guy to his place to "negotiate" made my skin crawl!
A+ - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsArthur FranzAdolphe MenjouGerald MohrA sniper kills young brunettes as the police attempt to grapple with the psychology of the unknown assailant.A clunky attempt at a psychological drama/police procedural, and an advocate for prisoner rehabilitation, which is about the only interesting thing about it. In spots, it plays like a bad Criminal Minds episode. It's elevated by the cinematography, but overall, I'd recommend skipping this one.
C- - DirectorCarol ReedStarsJames MasonRobert NewtonCyril CusackA wounded Irish nationalist leader attempts to evade police following a failed robbery in Belfast.There are some really good performances here (my favorite is F.J. McCormick, who apparently only did a couple other films), and the cinematography is nice, but somehow it feels too, I don't know, British to really pull off what it tries to...or maybe what I think it should? It plays more like a melodrama in the moments it should be harder and colder. It's also entirely possible I feel this way because lately I've been spending most of my movie-watching time with soul-crushing American noir.
B - DirectorHoward HawksStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallJohn RidgelyPrivate detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail and what might be love.I'm pleased to say I understood most of the plot this time around! That could be due to the fact that I read the book a couple months ago (and it's great, by the way). I have to say, this much story comes across a lot better in a novel than in a two-hour movie; on the other hand, the dialogue sounds much better with Bogart and Bacall spitting it back and forth than it does in my boring brain. Moral of the story: as I've been told before, it's best to just enjoy the fun and not get hung up trying to keep track of the convoluted plot. As such, it's certainly enjoyable.
B - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsFrank SilveraIrene KaneJamie SmithReady to catch a train to his hometown, a washed-up boxer tells us about the strange and twisty events that happened to him the past couple of days.This is pretty rough around the edges, but you can see Kubrick's fingerprints on it, which is the best reason to watch it. A pretty simple but nevertheless interesting story, with some maybe not-so-great actors.
B- - DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenGloria SwansonErich von StroheimA screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.Sunset Blvd. makes Hollywood seem a bit like hell, and it's the perfect cruel backdrop for a noir story. And is Gloria Swanson fantastic or what?
A - DirectorIrving LernerStarsVince EdwardsPhillip PineHerschel BernardiClaude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer - until he finds his next target is a woman.A well-made mystery about a hit-man; it has an interesting story, stark photography, an awesome electric guitar score, and a really nice ending. All of this is undermined a bit by what I found to be a humorless and sorta boring performance by Vince Edwards. Still worth viewing.
B - DirectorRudolph MatéStarsEdmond O'BrienPamela BrittonLuther AdlerFrank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why.Based on my limited knowledge, this seems like the quintessential B-picture. A really fun premise (guy gets poisoned and knows he's going to die, spends his remaining hours solving his own murder) and filmmakers who are fully aware of how silly it is, yet take their craft seriously enough to make a really solid movie with absolutely no trace of pretension. There's even a nice little romance angle, and Neville Brand, constantly speaking in the third person, plays a really fun heavy. The film needs a proper restoration, though. Not a great transfer on the DVD I watched.
B+ - DirectorBilly WilderStarsKirk DouglasJan SterlingRobert ArthurA frustrated former big-city journalist now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to rekindle his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control circus.The last 30 minutes or so make it more than worthwhile, but the smug demeanor of Kirk Douglas (who I usually really like) gets pretty old well before that. For real, we have to wait until the movie is over halfway through to see him play anything else. But that's my only real complaint with a movie that is otherwise solid and ultimately gives us a protagonist with a real moral dilemma.
B - DirectorFritz LangStarsGlenn FordGloria GrahameJocelyn BrandoTough cop Dave Bannion takes on a politically powerful crime syndicate.Every element comes together here to create a tough, intelligent, scary film noir. Excellent writing, direction, cinematography, acting; and it's probaby the best I've seen of Fritz Lang's American films. The revenge plot may have been a familiar one, even in 1953, but everything here still feels new and exciting and suspenseful.
A- - DirectorRoy William NeillStarsDan DuryeaJune VincentPeter LorreWhen Kirk Bennett is convicted of a singer's murder, his wife tries to prove him innocent...aided by the victim's ex-husband.A pretty straightforward mystery that's not all that exciting until an ending that, along with some interesting camera work and a creepy, understated performance from Peter Lorre, totally makes it worth a viewing.
B+ - DirectorFritz LangStarsGlenn FordGloria GrahameBroderick CrawfordA Korean War vet returns to his job as a railroad engineer and becomes involved in an affair with a co-worker's wife following a murder on a train where they meet.Gloria Grahame was always great, but she's especially awesome here. While she's certainly the femme fatale in this story, it's easy to sympathize with her, which makes Human Desire pretty heartbreaking, even while it's dark and suspenseful.
B+ - DirectorEdmund GouldingStarsTyrone PowerJoan BlondellColeen GrayThe rise and fall of Stanton Carlisle, a mentalist whose lies and deceit prove to be his downfall.I may be influenced a little too much by my affection for the source material, and if that's the case I really hate to be like this, but I found this adaptation pretty disappointing. It's faithful to the novel, and there are some good scenes, but this story calls for gritty direction, dark music, and grounded, naturalistic acting. None of those are too plentiful here, particularly the acting. Tyrone Power's performance would be a better fit in Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Anyway, read the book.
C+ - DirectorDelmer DavesStarsHumphrey BogartLauren BacallBruce BennettA man convicted of murdering his wife escapes from prison and works with a woman to try to prove his innocence.Really interesting direction and cinematography set this one apart, as well as a pretty bad ass performance from Bogart, which should always be expected anyway. The POV stuff at the beginning is so well done and doesn't feel like it's simply a convenient way to not show Bogart's face; it feels purposeful and adds to the intrigue of the plot. I guess the ending could have been a bit stronger, but this is pretty awesome film-making nonetheless. I don't think I'd seen a Delmer Daves movie before this one, but I'm a fan now.
A- - DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsBurt LancasterYvonne De CarloDan DuryeaAn armored truck driver and his ex-wife conspire with a gang to have his own truck robbed on the route.To me, the best noir is about fate, more specifically about a guy who can't help being sucked into a vortex of horror, usually of his own creation, that he is nevertheless unable to avoid. That description could be printed on the poster for Criss Cross. Excellent performances from Lancaster, DeCarlo, and Duryea, and really tight direction by Robert Siodmak, who I'm really starting to like.
A- - DirectorJoseph H. LewisStarsCornel WildeRichard ConteJean WallaceA police lieutenant is ordered to stop investigating deadly crime boss Mr. Brown because he hasn't been able to get any hard evidence against him. He goes after Brown's girlfriend, who despises him, for information instead.I know I keep praising the cinematography in most of these films, but dang, this one looks absolutely gorgeous, in that dark, seedy, noir type of way. I read somewhere that John Alton, the DOP, was known for only using one light in scenes where another cinematographer would have used several...and that much is apparent when you see the movie. The writing and acting are strong, and it's fun to see a young Lee Van Cleef as a gay mob henchman. But it's the direction by Joseph H. Lewis that really sets the film apart. The silent assassination towards the end of the movie is one of the more bad ass things I've seen on film, and there are several other nice directorial touches throughout.
A- - DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsJohn McIntireRichard KileyKathryn GrantA crime-busting lawyer and his initially reluctant attorney father take on the forces that run gambling and prostitution in their small Southern town.This isn't really film noir, but it's close enough, and it's so good, such an intelligent, well-made drama, that I felt like I should say something about it anyway. It's based on real events, which to me usually means it'll be way less interesting than something somebody made up, but the story is solid and the direction is superb. Each scene is paced perfectly and utilizes the excellent dialogue and gritty, naturalistic, fully-committed performances from the entire cast, while the crisp editing only serves to enhance this pace. There's not a moment wasted here; it's exciting and sad and even a little inspirational, without being hokey. Can't believe this one isn't better known than it is.
A - DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.The granddaddy of 'em all! Wow; I know this isn't exactly news, but this movie is so awesome. The thing that struck me this time around: the way Edward G. Robinson looks at Fred MacMurray when he walks into his office at the end. Ugh. At some point in all our lives, we've had somebody (usually Mom or Dad) look at us that way. This is beautiful in the most horrible, evil way.
A+ - DirectorGerald MayerStarsMarshall ThompsonVirginia FieldAndrea KingAn escaped psychiatric patient causes havoc.This movie is not as smart as it thinks it is. Of course, I'm probably being unfair and it's more likely that it just hasn't aged very well, but the psychoanalyzing that makes up the backbone of the script is tedious and sort of ridiculous. There are some nice moments, such as when a newspaper man describes the process of writing and printing an extra to the man who has taken him hostage. Or the moment when a bartender recognizes the criminal from his picture and tries to play it cool, tossing a rag over the pistol behind the bar. Overall, though, it doesn't hold up because of the cheap psychology.
C- - DirectorOtto PremingerRouben MamoulianStarsGene TierneyDana AndrewsClifton WebbA police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.I really liked this one. It's a dreamlike, mysterious movie, but not mysterious in the way you'd think. I mean, yeah, there's a murder and the detective (Dana Andrews) has to find the killer and all that, but it's so much more than a whodunit. The real mystery is in the love (or is that what it is?) Andrews feels for the supposed murder victim. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it would be much stronger if the mysteries of the plot weren't solved at the end. The last few scenes make everything a bit too tidy, especially considering how mesmerizing a film the rest of it is. But then, I realize this was made in the 40's and it's not Citizen Kane, so...
B+ - DirectorTay GarnettStarsLana TurnerJohn GarfieldCecil KellawayA married woman and a drifter fall in love and then plot to murder her husband.This is a great story, but I agree with some others who have felt that the movie should be much grittier (imagine if John Huston or Billy Wilder had made it!). The lack of even a suggestion of sex takes most of the bite out of the story, and confuses the motives of the characters. I also have to say that, unless it's To Kill a Mockingbird or My Cousin Vinny, I totally lose interest any time a movie goes into a courtroom. Does anybody else feel that way? Anyway, it's especially bothersome here, because it shifts the focus completely away from the relationship between Turner and Garfield, and all of a sudden we're supposed to care about these two lawyers' strategies against each other. On the other hand, Hume Cronyn is one of my favorite actors, so it's worth it to see him.
C- - DirectorCarol ReedStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenAlida ValliPulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.It had been about ten years since I had seen this, and I remember liking it quite a bit. This time around, it completely floored me. Everything in this movie is dripping with suspicion and mystery. Even the first time we see Harry Lime is suspicious. We're not even sure we've seen him...there he is, smiling, and the next moment, the light is out and we're not even sure it was real. The script is so clever and funny, and these characters, Lime and Holly Martins, are some of the best ever created by anybody ever. Throw in the complications of their relationships with Anna (Alida Valli), and it's enough to make you cry. And the tunnel scene, and then the final shot that mirrors it...good lord.
A+ - DirectorHenry HathawayStarsLucille BallClifton WebbWilliam BendixA secretary tries to help her boss who's been framed for murder.Meh. Mark Stevens ain't Humphrey Bogart, that's for sure. Really nice photography, and the opening few scenes are tough and interesting, but it gets sorta dull about halfway through and stays that way.
C - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsDick PowellClaire TrevorAnne ShirleyAfter being hired to find an ex-con's former girlfriend, Philip Marlowe is drawn into a deeply complex web of mystery and deceit.One of those influential films noir that inspired all those private detective cliches - and a darn good one. Dick Powell gives us a more laid back, sarcastic Marlowe here, not as hard boiled as Bogart, but just as smart. The plot is complex, the women are beautiful but untrustworthy, the cops never have it quite right, the characters live in the shadows, and there's so much smoke in the air you could choke. All the things you'd expect if you've ever seen a parody of one of these movies (and we all have). And there's a surreal dream sequence that's pretty wild.
B+ - DirectorJohn CromwellStarsHumphrey BogartLizabeth ScottMorris CarnovskyA soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.It's worth a watch, but it sorta feels like a cheaper knockoff of better films. All the elements are there: the extremely shadowy photography, the femme fatale, the voice-over narration, the hardass Bogart performance...but I don't know, it doesn't seem to add up to anything all that special.
B- - DirectorCharles LaughtonStarsRobert MitchumShelley WintersLillian GishA self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.Because it's so well known and widely loved, sometimes it's easy to forget that The Night of the Hunter is a strange, strange movie. I don't mean that as a compliment or a complaint. And while I probably don't love it as much as a lot of others do (the pacing is clunky, the ending is hokey, and some of the acting is downright bad), it has an undeniable appeal that makes you forget its problems. This is in large part thanks to its weirdness, which is manifested in Mitchum's performance ("Chil-dren!"), the effect used on his voice when he sings from outside the house (which doesn't sound at all like it comes from outdoors), the illogical but terrifying way he seems to be able to find the kids no matter where they hide ("Don't he never sleep?"), and the stunning lighting used inside the family's home.
B - DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsRichard ConteDianne FosterKathryn GrantA retired mob accountant is drawn back in when his brothers, who have recently made a hit for the organization, decide to go to the authorities.This is an unusually intelligent thriller, with a performance by Richard Conte that I absolutely loved. He's 100% believable as a guy who thinks he's helping his family while unknowingly bringing them unspeakable trouble. Tightly written and directed, and highly recommended.
A- - DirectorDouglas SirkStarsCornel WildePatricia KnightJohn BaragreyA parole officer falls in love with his client, a ravishing blonde who served time for murder, and he's determined to help her go straight despite her interfering criminal boyfriend.Yuck. This could have been an interesting story about a parole officer who falls in love with a parolee, but it's entirely wrongheaded. Even for 1949, the misogyny is palpable. This guy takes a borderline psychotic interest in and control over a vulnerable woman in order to "save her," and she, though resistant at first, eventually realizes she loves him. And we're supposed to be rooting for them. It takes all the suspense out of the third act because the relationship it all hinges upon is so gross. There is a cool shot toward the beginning where a guy jumps off a balcony so he doesn't have to go to prison.
D+ - DirectorDon SiegelStarsEli WallachRobert KeithRichard JaeckelIn San Francisco, a psychopathic gangster and his mentor retrieve heroin packages carried by unsuspecting travelers.Supposedly, The Lineup tells two stories: one of a loose cannon heroin smuggler and the other of two police officers trying to catch him. The problem is that the characters of the cops are so boring and underdeveloped it almost makes you want to shut this one off early on. The good news is that the movie seems to realize this halfway through and focuses almost solely on the more interesting story, that of the psychotic gangster (a really fun performance from Eli Wallach). Also, the last fifteen minutes or so are really great. So this one is worth watching after all.
B - DirectorOrson WellesStarsRita HayworthOrson WellesEverett SloaneFascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.After seeing this for a second time, I wanna say its good reputation rests on the strength of just a couple really good scenes. Great scenes, I should say. And I don't think that's really a bad thing; there are about 20 or 30 minutes of this film that are fantastic. The rest is flawed (some of the plot and most of the stuff between Welles and Hayworth), but it's saved by the delightful weirdness of Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders, the tension in the theater scene when the cops are looking for Welles after he eats the handful of pills, and of course the famous "Crazy House" mirror scene, which is one of the most masterful climaxes in cinema history.
B+ - DirectorEdgar G. UlmerStarsTom NealAnn SavageClaudia DrakeThe life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.An absolutely brutal story about a man's futile attempt to escape his fate. One thing I love about this movie is how straightforward and uncomplicated the plot is; it keeps things simple and makes you feel like you're doomed to horrible things. And Ann Savage is pretty terrifying in her role. Sadly, the version I saw (which I assume is the best print available since it aired on TCM) looks pretty crappy. Somebody needs to restore this.
A- - DirectorJacques TourneurStarsAldo RayAnne BancroftBrian KeithThrough a series of bizarre coincidences, an artist finds himself falsely accused of bank robbery and murder and is pursued by the authorities and the real killers.A noir with a nice love story that's just as compelling as the crime and suspense elements. Some excellent performances here from the entire cast, and the ending is downright chilling (does it seem like this could be where the Coens got some inspiration for the wood chipper?).
B+ - DirectorOrson WellesStarsCharlton HestonOrson WellesJanet LeighA stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town.The DVD I have is the 1998 (I think) restored version that was supposedly edited with Orson Welles' wishes in mind. It's the only version I've seen. And it's fantastic. A story with such complex and fascinating characters (even very minor ones) is a rare thing. This is essential viewing.
A- - DirectorNicholas RayStarsHumphrey BogartGloria GrahameFrank LovejoyA potentially violent screenwriter is a murder suspect until his lovely neighbor clears him. However, she soon starts to have her doubts.Widely considered to be Bogart's best performance, and I can't really argue with that. Also: GLORIA GRAHAM. Good lord. It's certainly the most vulnerable I've ever seen either of them. This movie will crush your soul, and it expertly proves that you can care deeply about someone while being terrified of them (something even the great Alfred Hitchcock couldn't quite pull off in Suspicion, a movie about the very subject).
A+ - DirectorFrank TuttleStarsAlan LaddVeronica LakeRobert PrestonWhen assassin Philip Raven shoots a blackmailer and his beautiful female companion dead, he is paid off in marked bills by his treasonous employer who is working with foreign spies.Eh, this really feels like a B picture, and not in a good way. It's a cool story (thanks Graham Greene) and obviously Alan Ladd is a bad ass, but the direction is super clunky, which made the plot a little hard for me to follow at the beginning and really distracted me throughout.
C - DirectorByron HaskinStarsLizabeth ScottDon DeForeDan DuryeaThrough a fluke circumstance, a ruthless woman stumbles across a suitcase filled with $60,000, and is determined to hold onto it even if it means murder.This is what I'd consider a pure noir story: lots of greed and betrayal (and very little of that annoying hero stuff), resulting in doom that was predestined anyway. This is probably the best Duryea performance I've seen (you actually start to feel for the guy!), and Lizabeth Scott is absolutely awful in the best way. The screenplay is terrific with lots of witty dialogue and dark humor. Kudos to the UCLA Film & Television Archive for restoring and making available yet another excellent film that would have probably been lost otherwise.
A- - DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJames StewartRichard ConteLee J. CobbChicago reporter P.J. McNeal re-opens a decade-old murder case.I guess some people have a VERY broad view of what film noir is, and I guess I'm not one of them, because if this is film noir, I'm disco legend Gloria Gaynor. With that said, this is a very solid movie, and it's part of the Fox Film Noir DVD series, so I'm including it here anyway. Henry Hathaway's detached, documentary-like style is very effective, the photography is really nice, and the cast is fantastic. It never gets too sappy or sentimental, which would have been a really easy landmine to step on with a story like this. It's maybe about 20 minutes too long.
B+ - DirectorMark RobsonStarsHumphrey BogartRod SteigerJan SterlingAn ex-sportswriter is hired by a shady fight promoter to promote his latest find, an unknown but easily exploitable rising star from Argentina.Sheesh, this is a depressing movie. And I might have liked it even more without the semi-hopeful ending. Anyway, Bogart looks like he's 150 years old here; really sad to see (he died from cancer a year later), but his subtle performance makes the film. I'd say it's one of his best, but then every movie is one of his best.
B+ - DirectorAllen BaronStarsAllen BaronMolly McCarthyLarry TuckerA hired killer from Cleveland has a job to do on a second-string mob boss in New York, but a special girl from his past and a gun dealer with pet rats get in his way.There are a number of reasons I find this movie completely fascinating. First, it was made in 1961 when noir (at least the way we normally think of it) was pretty much over. It's also the only film I can think of that uses narration in the second person throughout (totally bad ass voice-over by Lionel Stander). It's the polar opposite of a slick production: the story is INCREDIBLY bleak, the characters are extremely hardened and barely likeable; it's as gritty a noir as you're likely to see, which is saying something. It feels very much like an independent picture; the acting seems a bit amateurish, the cinematography is fairly flat (but SO creative), but none of this seems accidental; it only adds to the rough-around-the-edges feel that makes the film seem so damn cool. And you'd think the upbeat jazz score would be out of place, but it gives the story a sense of urgency and energy. Add to all this one of the most exhilarating opening sequences I've ever seen and you've got one hell of an interesting and unique noir.
A - DirectorNicholas RayStarsCathy O'DonnellFarley GrangerHoward Da SilvaAn escaped convict injured during a robbery falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.A very sad movie; kinda seems to be a theme with Nicholas Ray. I wish the first two-thirds of it were as good as the ending, but there's more than one punch to the gut in this story. Ray does a magnificent job balancing hope and hopelessness so that the tragedy we know is inevitable from the start still comes as a shock.
B - DirectorOtto PremingerStarsRobert MitchumJean SimmonsMona FreemanAmbulance driver Frank Jessup is ensnared in the schemes of the sensuous but dangerous Diane Tremayne.Okay, the DVD copy I watched was so scratched that it wouldn't play about ten minutes in the middle of the movie, and I REALLY hate that, but even so, I feel like I can say with some certainty: meh. There's some stuff to like here, and almost all of it comes in the first half of the film. The second half wanders all over the place.
C - DirectorOtto PremingerStarsAlice FayeDana AndrewsLinda DarnellA slick con man arrives in a small town looking to make some money, but soon gets more than he bargained for.Watched two Preminger films in a row; this one is easily the better of the two. It even has a marginally happy ending! Dana Andrews is really good as the "Fallen Angel" - a tough guy who would have rehabilitated himself long ago if it weren't for his rotten luck.
B - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.This has been one of my favorite movies for a long time, but it wasn't until I saw it in a theater with lots of people that I realized how damn funny it is.
A+ - DirectorAndré De TothStarsDick PowellLizabeth ScottJane WyattMarried insurance adjuster John Forbes falls for femme fatale Mona Stevens while her boyfriend is in jail and all suffer serious consequences as a result.Definitely what I would consider a second rate noir, but a solid one. The best thing happening here is Raymond Burr's performance as a sleazy blackmailing stalker of a private detective, but another thing that makes Pitfall stand out from other films of this type is that both of the female characters make up the moral center of the story. Now, maybe it moralizes a little too much, especially for noir, but I think that's worth noting. And there are some good jokes.
B - DirectorCharles VidorStarsRita HayworthGlenn FordGeorge MacreadyA small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino discovers his employer's new wife is his former lover.Even in spite of the ill-fitting happy ending, this is one of the more sick and twisted noirs I've ever seen. Hayworth and Ford don't shy away from that, and the direction is top-notch.
A- - DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartEdward G. RobinsonLauren BacallA man visits his war buddy's family hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other.Morally ambiguous postwar goodness, all about how the world could never be the same again. Old ideas about heroism are questioned. Even the gangsters spend most of the film being nostalgic about the old days; they're a dying breed, too. Which makes this a perfect role for Edward G. Robinson. He's great, obviously Bogey is great, and I love Claire Trevor in this movie. Huston's direction is top-notch as always.
Ultimately, the film decides on a more traditional idea of heroism, which keeps it from being as interesting as it could be, but it's still one of the most well crafted movies of the 1940s.
A- - DirectorRoy Del RuthStarsGeorge RaftVirginia MayoGene LockhartThe former employee of a trucking company, currently in prison for embezzlement, plans his eventual revenge against his former boss.Raymond Burr seems to have made a habit of being the lone bright spot in mediocre noir pictures. Actually, to call this mediocre is generous, it's downright bad, but the performances of Burr and Harry Morgan elevate it a bit, along with Bert Glennon's cinematography. Otherwise, the heavy-handed moralizing makes it pretty hard to stomach.
D+ - DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsVan HeflinRobert RyanJanet LeighAn embittered, vengeful POW stalks his former commanding officer who betrayed his men's planned escape attempt from a Nazi prison camp.It might be due to the fact that I've had three beers, but I think this movie might be perfect. At any rate, it's the most direct example of what I love about postwar noir, because it's not only complicated and cynical, but it deals with a conflict between war veterans that was caused by their wartime experience. It's a damn nightmare, and I mean that in the best way possible. It's crazy to think that WWII veterans actually saw these movies in the late 40's...if they affect me so much in 2018, I can't imagine the impact they had when they were originally released.
One other pleasant surprise is, just like in Pitfall (a movie I saw maybe a week ago that's okay but not nearly this good), the women in this story are its moral center, which is a nice contrast to the femme fatale thing that's so closely associated with this kind of film. Except that the morality is based in innocence which simply cannot be a reality for the male characters, because of the war and its horrors. No punches pulled here.
Great performances from Janet Leigh (who is super young here) and Mary Astor (who seems really old, especially if you're used to her part in The Maltese Falcon).
A+ - DirectorJohn BerryStarsRichard BasehartAudrey TotterCyd CharisseA meek pharmacist creates an alternate identity under which he plans to murder the bullying liquor salesman who has become his wife's lover.A really well made noir that managed to keep me guessing about what was gonna happen, which mostly excuses the sorta silly ending, I think.
B+ - DirectorIrving LernerStarsVince EdwardsLyle TalbotJohn ArcherA vicious killer escapes from San Quentin with a cannister of what he believes to be heroin but is actually a radioactive substance that threatens all Los Angeles.A guy thinks he's stolen a canister of heroin, but it's actually a deadly radioactive material. The premise may seem a little cheesy now, but Lerner gets a lot of mileage out of it. I think he's wise to focus on the criminal himself instead of trying to do something bigger like urban panic or something. Vince Edwards plays the crook seriously and convincingly, and the best parts of the film are watching him get sicker and sicker while still determined to make a million bucks off the heroin he thinks he has. If that's not noir, I don't know what is.
B+ - DirectorRichard QuineStarsFred MacMurrayKim NovakPhilip CareyAn undercover police officer falls for the beautiful moll of a bank robber on the run, and together they plan to double-cross the hood and the cops.A really solid film noir that's made even better because of how good Fred MacMurray is at being a skeezy dickhead. As others have pointed out, this comes off like a cross between Double Indemnity and Rear Window - so who could complain about that?
B+ - DirectorSamuel FullerStarsRichard WidmarkJean PetersThelma RitterA pickpocket unwittingly lifts a message destined for enemy agents and becomes a target for a Communist spy ring.Dang, Fuller's style is so reckless; I love it. This one moves at 110 mph. Maybe the biggest noir cliche is the femme fatale backstabbing the unsuspecting dummy, but here we get a goodhearted woman who loves men who treat her like garbage - which actually makes the ending a little uncomfortable for me. The film features great writing and direction from Fuller, and some excellent performances (Thelma Ritter, in particular), but I find the resolution a little suspicious.
B+ - DirectorJules DassinStarsRichard ConteValentina CorteseLee J. CobbA war veteran turned truck driver attempts to avenge the crippling and robbing of his father at the hands of an amoral produce scofflaw.Who would have thought the produce business was so shady? This is a complex, tense, and totally fascinating noir-ish drama. Richard Conte might be the hero here, but he's on pretty shaky ground, morally speaking, which makes this a lot more interesting than it might have been. He's excellent in this, and so is Lee J. Cobb as the heavy. After this and Night & the City, you can call me a Dassin fan.
A- - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsFarley GrangerRobert WalkerRuth RomanA psychopathic man tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.Hitchcock does noir! Or at least as close to noir as he probably ever got. Anyway, I doubt anybody can look at a merry-go-round the same way after seeing this.
I first saw this in college, and, even though I was huge Hitchcock fan, I remember being slightly underwhelmed by it. I guess I must not have been paying attention, because it's awesome. A great noir situation plus Hitch's unparalleled gifts for building tension and mining brilliant comedy from the darkest moments in a story? Yes, please. Robert Walker makes a great creep, and the psychological elements of his character elevate it above your standard movie murderer. Pat Hitchcock is brilliant and hilarious and adorable, so much so that Ruth Roman, hot as she is here, seems dull by comparison.
A- - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsRobert YoungRobert MitchumRobert RyanA man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of demobilized soldiers he met in a bar. But which one? And why?I was loving this up until the point where it gets a little cheesy/preachy, which I realize is just the way a lot of films of this type age. When I say films of this type, I don't mean film noir, but movies that set out to make a social statement of one type or another. I guess they can't all be handled as well as, say, The Great Dictator or 12 Angry Men.
Anyway, the film's first half is fascinating; it almost feels Rashomon-like in the way we're kept a little unsure of what actually took place, even though we hear stories from various characters and see these stories via flashback. Great cinematography, a great performance by Robert Ryan.
B- - DirectorTed TetzlaffStarsBobby DriscollBarbara HaleArthur KennedyTo avoid the heat of a sweltering summer night a 9-year-old Manhattan boy decides to sleep on the fire escape and witnesses a murder, but no one will believe him.The story relies a little heavily on coincidence and the epitome of the "adults don't believe the kid about the danger" cliche (seriously, these dumbass parents need to have their child taken away), and maybe it moralizes a little too much. But however they get there, Cornell Woolrich (who wrote the short story), and screenwriter Mel Dinelli set up a properly tense and suspenseful scenario, and Tetzlaff's execution of it is so superb that I don't really care about any of the annoying stuff. The cinematography is some of the best in film noir, and it elevates what could be a kids' story into something very adult and frightening. Awesome sets and locations, too.
B+ - DirectorRichard FleischerWilliam Cameron MenziesStarsCharles McGrawMarie WindsorJacqueline WhiteA woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against potential assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.I think I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't love this one. Probably would have been infinitely better if Charles McGraw had any humor about him at all. I also didn't find the story that interesting, except, I guess, for the plot twist. I mean, it's fine; pretty mediocre.
C - DirectorJules DassinStarsRichard WidmarkGene TierneyGoogie WithersA small-time grifter and nightclub tout takes advantage of some fortuitous circumstances and tries to become a big-time player as a wrestling promoter.This might be the best film noir ever made; it's certainly one of my favorite movies of all time. Everything about it makes you feel like you're sticking your hand in a blender - Richard Widmark's electrifying performance, Max Greene's stunning (and way ahead of its time) cinematography, and a story that doesn't let up for one second and weaves in and out of itself with absolute precision and the speed and power of a freight train. To me, this is the perfect noir story, and Harry Fabian is the perfect noir protagonist - rarely have I ever felt such a sense of impending doom.
Some of my favorite moments in all of cinema: Widmark mockingly addressing Francis Sullivan as "dear boy," Sullivan banging the cymbal when he's revealed he has the upper hand, the way the camera is tilted damn near 180 degrees as Widmark tries to ascend a staircase while running from the entirety of London's underworld.
This movie could not be better. I love love love it.
A+ - DirectorJohn HustonStarsSterling HaydenLouis CalhernJean HagenA major heist goes off as planned, but then double crosses, bad luck and solid police work cause everything to unravel.A heist movie with a noir heart. As Huston said himself, you may not admire these people, but they will fascinate you. To me, the most fascinating parts of any story are the characters' motivations, and here they are clear, direct and, most interestingly, at odds with one another. In any good film, it always comes down to the characters, and Huston always knew this.
Kinda funny that Marilyn Monroe is featured on the poster, though.
A- - DirectorRobert WiseStarsRobert RyanAudrey TotterGeorge TobiasExpecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.The plot couldn't be simpler, and it works perfectly. I was pretty stunned by how realistic the fight looks, and Wise does a great job of driving home the violence and cruelty of boxing, particularly the sickening hunger of the fans and gamblers. At the center is Robert Ryan, who is screwed from the beginning because he was foolish enough to retain some hope for the future. He's a little different from most noir protagonists, though - he's likeable.
A - DirectorEdward DmytrykStarsDick PowellWalter SlezakMicheline CheirelCanadian flyer Laurence Gerard finds that his wife has been murdered by a French collaborator. His quest for justice leads him to Switzerland and Argentina.Makes the same mistake a lot of movies make, regardless of genre: prioritizing plot over character. Sometimes that works out okay, when you've got an interesting plot that makes sense, but this is a convoluted mess with a confused message about postwar politics, when it should have been a simple revenge story about a guy whose wife was murdered. Powell is fine, but he's not given very much to do. Most of the film is just exposition through dialogue. Too bad, because I generally like Dmytryk as a director.
D+ - DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsVictor MatureRichard ConteFred ClarkPolice Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.Really solid noir about a criminal with whom you can almost sympathize, stuck in an impossible situation. Richard Conte is great, as usual, and outshines Victor Mature here. Walter Baldwin is an absolute delight in his tiny role as the jail trustee who helps Conte break out.
B+ - DirectorHenry HathawayStarsVictor MatureBrian DonlevyColeen GrayA crook arrested for a jewelry heist initially refuses to give up his accomplices, but he changes his mind once his wife dies under worrying circumstances.Like in most things he ever did, Richard Widmark is the highlight of this movie, although Victor Mature is also excellent and the film as a whole is very solid. Really cool ending.
B+ - DirectorWilliam WylerStarsHumphrey BogartFredric MarchArthur KennedyThree escaped convicts move in on and terrorize a suburban household.Hey, this is set in Broad Ripple! And they bothered to get the geography correct!
This is a no-nonsense crime drama with some really great performances from Bogart and March (apparently the only time they ever worked together). The (basically) one room setting makes it feel tense and claustrophobic as these two spend the film trying to out-think each other. Really smart story, well told.
A- - DirectorRobert AldrichStarsRalph MeekerAlbert DekkerPaul StewartA doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious "great whatsit"."As the world becomes more primitive, its treasures become more fabulous."
It's pretty clear even early in the film that you're watching a story set in the pit of hell, which, depending on your worldview, might be the same as a story set right where we live. It's a detective story, but our hero is right in the middle of all the horror, often even the cause of it.
I have lots of scattered thoughts about this movie, but the only coherent things I can say right now are that it's crude and brutish and extremely intelligent without feeling the need to seem intelligent, and that it's got Jack Elam's face and Percy Helton's voice, and a truly shocking ending.
A - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJoan CrawfordJack CarsonZachary ScottA hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.Is this melodrama disguised as noir, or noir disguised as melodrama? I don't really know, and I don't really know that it matters, but the blending of styles works remarkably well. You might even say it rises above genre filmmaking by its subtle use of social commentary - although I wouldn't say that, because of course there are plenty of big ideas all over genre film and fiction. At any rate, it's a really good adaptation of a really good novel, and I can see why the story, with all its ups and downs, would make a good mini-series, too (which HBO made a few years ago and I have yet to see). All of the performances are spot-on, and it gets pretty damn depressing while also being very funny in places. I liked it even more after seeing it for a second time, which is usually a pretty good indication of the quality of a film.
A- - DirectorJohn FarrowStarsRobert MitchumClaude RainsFaith DomergueA young doctor falls in love with a disturbed young woman, becomes involved in her husband's death, and must flee with her to the Mexican border.Some of the devices used to move the story are pretty silly (like the town where everybody is required by law to have a beard or the cat that alerts police to a crime), but the shot of Robert Mitchum stumbling down the staircase at the end almost makes it worth it. I am mad about the waste of Claude Rains, who barely gets to do anything here.
C - DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettRaymond MasseyWhen a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.Outside of an ending that genuinely pissed me off, this is an excellent Fritz Lang noir. I think I prefer it to Scarlet Street. It gets super dark and there's a fair amount of chilling irony in the way the characters flirt with disaster. Robinson was just a brilliant actor.
B+ - DirectorRobert WiseStarsRichard BasehartValentina CorteseWilliam LundiganConcentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder after she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.This isn't really film noir at all, but I'll keep it on the list since it's so good and so often grouped with noir pictures. It's more like a Hitchcockian suspense movie with a gothic flavor. Anyway, the suspense is done about as well as you could hope, and the ending is very satisfying, especially once you clock what's happening.
A- - DirectorAbraham PolonskyStarsJohn GarfieldThomas GomezBeatrice PearsonAn unethical lawyer who wants to help his older brother becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.This is all about John Garfield and that script, but I also love Thomas Gomez and Beatrice Pearson in this. And it gets a little philosophical, which is always nice.
B+ - DirectorOtto PremingerStarsDana AndrewsGene TierneyGary MerrillDet. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. Will Dixon's vicious nature get the better of him?Damn, this one starts out really strong, but doesn't hold up all the way through. Dana Andrews makes a great tough guy, but I really don't like the story making him into a hero when he really should have been a sap. Anyway, the cinematography is beautiful.
C+ - DirectorJacques TourneurStarsRobert MitchumJane GreerKirk DouglasA private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses, and duplicitous dames.Even better the second time I saw it. This one has everything you associate with noir - a detective who is part hero and part sucker, a beautiful femme fatale, and dialogue so good I was constantly rewinding the Blu-ray so I could hear it again. And the ending is sublime.
A+ - DirectorRobert MontgomeryStarsRobert MontgomeryThomas GomezWanda HendrixWW2 veteran Lucky Gagin arrives in a New Mexico border-town intent on revenging against mobster Frank Hugo but FBI agent Bill Retz, who also wants Hugo, tries to keep Gagin out of trouble.The problem here is that every single actor in this movie is better than Robert Montgomery. Just not buying him as a tough guy, sorry. The script is really, really funny, though, and that goes a long way. Nice ending, too, and surprising, especially after having read the novel.
B