Friday Noir #152: ‘King Creole’
It’s interesting that King Creole is rarely brought up when discussing either the films of director Michael Curtiz or those of its inimitable star. It is fair to argue that the picture does not break...
View ArticleFriday Noir #150: The posters of the classic noir period
For Friday Noir #150, in addition to a well deserved pat on the back, the column will take a look at some of the posters of the classic noir period. Loving movie posters is a curious passion. Today,...
View Article‘Friday Noir #147: ‘Lady Gangster’ is mostly slight, but has an excellent...
Lady Gangster is now practically long forgotten in the annals of film history, kept afloat by its existence in the public domain, hence readily available for any and all that wish to take a chance on...
View ArticleFriday Noir #145: ‘Behind Green Lights’ goes the route of comedy with mixed...
The funny thing about watching older films is how the credits fade slowly in and out during the opening minutes when swelling music plays. The final credit, as is always the case, is awarded to the...
View Article‘The Set-Up’ stands tall in both Robert Ryan’s and Robert Wise’s oeuvres
Director Wise was, in many ways, the Steven Soderbergh of his day. He could navigate virtually any film genre and produce a terrific final movie, one that understands the nooks and crannies of said...
View Article‘Lady in the Death House’ isn’t terrible, but doesn’t earn a ‘get out of...
Stories told via framing devices are a tricky proposition, highly dependent on the nature of the framing device employed. One that strongly suggests or outright reveals the plot's outcome runs the risk...
View Article‘Behind Locked Doors’ is serviceable, but fails to unlock its full potential
Behind Locked Doors, directed by Budd Boetticher, is, for all intents and purposes, a precursor to a much more widely known film from 1963, Sam Fuller’s Shock Corridor. Working on the same principle of...
View Article‘Ride the Pink Horse’ rides hard and strong with its unique interpretation of...
Seasoned film noir viewers who take a chance on Robert Montgomery’s Ride the Pink Horse for the very first time are in for a unique experience. The director and fellow screenwriters Ben Hecht and...
View ArticleGotham, Ep. 1.01, “Pilot” gives Gordon the spotlight
Batman is one of the most iconic comic book superheroes of all time and has been amongst the pop culture zeitgeist for, at most, three quarters of a century, being adapted into all kinds of media from...
View Article‘D.O.A.’ shows that one’s perception of everything changes in the face of...
D.O.A. Written by Russell Rouse, Clarence Greene Directed by Rudolph Maté U.S.A., 1950 In a terrifically dramatic opening, D.O.A. begins with a series of smooth tracking from behind one man as he walks...
View Article‘Phantom Lady’ sells itself on incredible craftsmanship and an impressive...
There is a visible craftsmanship to Phantom Lady that helps it reach the upper echelon of movie magic. It is a slick, well produced bit of entertainment that takes bold chances with its plotting....
View Article‘Pursued’ sees another dark past give chase to Robert Mitchum
Pursued Written by Niven Busch Directed Raoul Walsh USA, 1947 In a small, dilapidated home in the middle of the New Mexico desert, the beautiful but worried Thor Callum (Theresa Wright) arrives to...
View Article‘Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye’ has a cunning, scheming Cagney rip institutions and...
Small warts aside, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye is a well put together drama that invites viewers to observe how one very intelligent and confident man works his way around the law to get ahead in life....
View Article‘A Perfect Murder’ is well directed, but suffers from an uneven script
A Perfect Murder is anything but. Far from a complete misfire, Andrew Davis starts things off very nicely and definitely manages to cover some of the cracks in the armor with some slick direction and...
View Article‘The Amazing Mr. X’ has a great story and some unexpectedly terrific special...
The Amazing Mr. X is a potluck of genres and styles that come together under Bernard Vorhaus’ direction to produce a surprisingly entertaining experience. The film is more of a lark than a deadly...
View Article‘The Lady from Shanghai’ is the noir version of an Orson Welles fun house
Is the film this bizarre because of what Columbia did after the original shoot or did they in fact make an utter mess somewhat comprehensible? A fascinating debate to be sure, sadly one for which the...
View Article‘The Big Heat’ is a bitter tale of corruption and the fight for true justice
The Big Heat features one of the more mature stories to be found in noir. It deals with some extremely heavy material, some of which would understandably encourage its characters to give in to...
View Article‘Rififi’ lives up to its imaginative, evocative name
Rififi Written by Auguste le Breton, Jules Dassin and René Weeler Directed by Jules Dassin France, 1955 Having recently concluded a prison sentence, Tony ‘le Stéphanois’ (Jean Servais), former thief,...
View Article‘Shed No Tears’ spares no expense at making its wacky plot as amusing as...
Shed No Tears is bereft of any singular identity when contrasted against other thriller of the period. It is not a comedy but nor does it always dedicate itself to absolute seriousness. The post ‘Shed...
View Article‘The Blue Dahlia’ is Raymond Chandler’s only original screenplay but not his...
The Blue Dahlia Written by Raymond Chandler Directed by George Marshall USA, 1946 Three wartime veterans who served in the Navy return home to Los Angeles. They are Johnny Morrison (Alan Ladd) and his...
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