November 2018 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN NOVEMBER / NOIRVEMBER: 22
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 21
REWATCHES: 1
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 3
FILM NOIRS: 18
Finally pretty satisfied with how many movies I watched! I hadn't seen over 20 films in a month since May and now I watched 22. Two reasons: I quit my new job and are going back to my old one in January. I stopped working mid-November so it left me plenty of time to watch films. The other reason was Noirvember. It was really an incentive to catch as many noirs as I could (happy to finally have seen the famous Gun Crazy!). Considering the fact that I had half a month off, it's actually not even that much what I watched.
Let's talk about my Filmoteca theater viewings first. Only three films. Paths of Glory (with Kirk Douglas and Ralph Meeker) as part of the Stanley Kubrick special, and two pre-codes as part of Aula de Cinema which is a program that runs throughout the year with one viewing every Wednesday late afternoon, primarily aimed at students but also open to the general public. Usually these Aula de Cinema films have some cinematic merit or value and are preceded by a talk given by a film expert. I watched the pre-codes Love Me Tonight (with Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald and Myrna Loy) and Transatlantic (with Edmund Lowe, Lois Moran and Myrna Loy).
I was glad to finally have seen the much acclaimed Kubrick anti-war piece Paths of Glory. It was nice to notice such a great turnout at the film theater, the majority of the audience were younger people. I had expected a more serious film but it's Kubrick after all so I wasn't surprised that there is an undercurrent of satire and black humour. It's clear Kubrick wants to show us the absurdity of war, very well illustrated in the court-martial scenes. I thought the performances were great, especially from Douglas and Meeker. The stellar cinematography by Georg Krause and the sets deserve a special mention. The long tracking shot where Douglas is walking down the trenches is amazing, as well as the realistic battlefield scene.
Love Me Tonight was just great fun to watch on the big screen. The first time I saw this film I already had a blast but this time it was even better. What I like: the famous opening sequence; the beautiful Isn't It Romantic and how the song travels from Maurice Chevalier via other people to Jeanette MacDonald in her palace; pre-code signs; the naughtiness; Myrna Loy; Charles Butterworth; the song The Son of a Gun Is Nothing But a Tailor; the inventiveness and infectious gaiety; and how it is one happy fairytale!
I watched Transatlantic in a good print, digitally restored by MoMA. There are a couple of scenes where the sound is missing for a few seconds but English subtitles are provided. The story is nothing out of the ordinary, a predecessor to Grand Hotel, taking place on a ship. The performances are solid but somewhat stilted. What makes this film stand out is the production and set design, the art deco style, and the amazing deep-focus cinematography by James Wong Howe. The opening sequence is truly amazing but there are numerous other scenes that are beautifully photographed. I also love those long tracking shots! The film attracted the attention of the Academy and Gordon Wiles won the Oscar for Best Art Direction. Much more enjoyable than I had anticipated.
Apart from the theater viewings and the film noirs I watched one more film: Love On a Bet (with Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie). This lightweight comedy is a fun watch. I remember Barrie from Speed with Jimmy Stewart and didn't particularly like her then. But here I did. She also makes a nice couple with Raymond (whom I've grown to like more and more) and they have good chemistry. This film has an above-average script and it has Helen Broderick who gives great support and never fails to deliver sarcastic wisecracks in her inimitable dead-pan manner.
And now the NOIRS seen (roughly in order of preference):
Gun Crazy (with Peggy Cummins and John Dall)
The Set-Up (with Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter)
White Heat (with James Cagney, Edmond O'Brien and Virginia Mayo)
The Narrow Margin (with Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White)
Kiss of Death (with Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray and Richard Widmark)
The Prowler (with Van Heflin and Evelyn Keyes)
Crime Wave (with Sterling Hayden, Gene Nelson and Phyllis Kirk)
Two of a Kind (with Edmond O'Brien, Lizabeth Scott and Terry Moore)
The Lawless (with Macdonald Carey and Gail Russell)
Desperate (with Steve Brodie, Audrey Long and Raymond Burr)
I Wake Up Screaming (with Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis)
Don't Bother to Knock (with Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe and Anne Bancroft)
Stranger On the Third Floor (with Peter Lorre, John McGuire and Margaret Tallichet)
My Name is Julia Ross (with Nina Foch, Dame May Whitty and George Macready)
Affair in Trinidad (with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford)
Count the Hours (with Macdonald Carey and Teresa Wright)
When Strangers Marry (with Dean Jagger, Kim Hunter and Robert Mitchum)
The Fake (with Dennis O'Keefe and Coleen Gray)
Let's start with the best ones. I gave both Gun Crazy and The Set-Up the same and highest ratings on Letterboxd.
Gun Crazy is a noir with interesting characters and a compelling story. Knew beforehand this was some sort of Bonnie and Clyde film and supposed to be really good, and I was glad that it totally lived up to its famous reputation. What a tension, sexually and action-wise. It was nice for a change to see relatively unfamiliar faces. Peggy Cummins and John Dall are great and have sizzling chemistry. At first glance Cummins looks like the girl next door, fresh-faced and sweet, but she's the epitome of the femme fatale, luring the innocent man into her web. Of course you know it's going to end badly for the two. Fortunately the ending is worthy of what came before it. Great cinematography by Russell Harlan and the camera work inside the car is amazing. I also very much like the moment where Cummins and Dall are visiting Dall's sister and Cummins says drily while observing the children, "Gee, what cute kids".
With The Set-Up two things stand out for me: Robert Ryan's excellent performance and the stellar cinematography by Milton Krasner. I was pleasantly surprised that both Ryan and Audrey Totter portray likeable characters and they make a very believable couple. But I wasn't prepared how brutal the lengthy boxing sequence was and how realistic it all looked thanks to the brilliant camera work and photography. Apparently Ryan had some experience as a boxer which contributed to the credibility of his character and his fight scenes. This is a great noir, gritty and raw, played in real time, and very worthy of its reputation. I also liked the sequence with the small-time boxers getting ready for the fight, with Ryan preparing as well and oozing charisma and calm. To me he never looked more handsome than in this film (until his face gets beaten up!).
With White Heat I had expected a masterpiece so I couldn't help being a bit disappointed. The story set-up is not really out of the ordinary. A ruthless criminal gets jailed, breaks out, plans a new heist where an undercover cop is involved, and gets caught in the end. What makes this stand out are the performances, especially James Cagney's. It's also really suspenseful since you don't want anything to happen to Edmond O'Brien. Also noteworthy is the use of primitive GPS tracking. Even though it's not the masterpiece I'd been expecting, it is very good and entertaining and I like both Cagney and O'Brien.
The Narrow Margin is a tense little noir with a great plot twist near the end that I hadn't seen coming. I'm unfamiliar with actor Charles McGraw but he is good as the tough cop. Marie Windsor puts in a great performance, as I had expected. I like the train setting and the confined spaces, they really give the film a claustrophobic feel. There's a fist fight in the train's bathroom that's surprisingly modern and convincing. With only 71 minutes of running time, this noir is highly suspenseful and enjoyable.
Everyone is raving about Richard Widmark's film debut as a murderous psychopath in Kiss of Death and there's no doubt about it he's good. The famous wheelchair scene is a testament to his acting skills. But his giggle and smirk got a bit on my nerves. And let's not forget to give credit to Victor Mature because I think his performance is really good. Some truly suspenseful scenes here, like the opening sequence where Mature and the other crooks escape by public elevator after the heist (which admittedly is not the smartest escape route but it made for a thrilling moment), and the scene where we see Widmark through a slit in the curtain while Mature is sweating it out in the restaurant. Also good support by Brian Donlevy and Coleen Gray. And I like Mature and Gray as a couple and was satisfied with the ending.
I also really enjoyed The Prowler. I love Van Heflin, and though I'd rather not see him in an unlikeable role, he's great in this noir. He manages to portray his character with subtlety and nuance, at times he's even charming and likeable. But you know that underneath he's pretty disturbed and frustrated and you are waiting for his dark side to appear again. That ending with the little shack in the desert and the baby was completely unexpected, but I also found it a bit far-fetched. Still, it made for an impressive finale. And Evelyn Keyes is good too.
Crime Wave is a solid noir with Sterling Hayden playing a toothpick-chewing tough cop. He's sort of an asshole here but surprisingly redeems himself in the last scene. I like Hayden so I forgive him his bad behaviour. I think he's also totally believable playing a cop. Gene Nelson is pretty bland but I like Phyllis Kirk. An enjoyable watch with some nice location shots and a great opening sequence.
After watching Two of a Kind I guess I still don't like Lizabeth Scott. But I like Edmond O'Brien! A lot. This noir has a compelling story premise and kept me fully engaged and awake during its short running time. But it sure lacks credibility. Terry Moore's appearance changes the film's tone from darkish/noirish to a couple of shades lighter. It's a shame because it could have been more interesting if it would have been darker, and without a happy ending. Anyway, it was fun, but O'Brien is way too cute for Scott. Oh ... the most thrilling scene is the one with O'Brien's little finger and the car door. Don't miss it.
The Lawless is a little-known noir (which actually feels more like a social drama) with Macdonald Carey and Gail Russell. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would and I really start to like Carey, should definitely see more of his films. This movie deals with racial tension (also racial tolerance) and mob violence. It also shows (like in Ace in the Hole) what a negative impact sensational media coverage has on people's emotions. I also intend to watch more of Russell's films because I like her. It's really sad how her life was cut short due to alcoholism (reportedly she was drunk during most of the shooting of this film). I would probably watch this again.
Affair in Trinidad, My Name is Julia Ross, I Wake Up Screaming, Desperate, Don't Bother to Knock and Stranger on the Third Floor are all enjoyable but less great than the other noirs already discussed.
Affair in Trinidad, My Name is Julia Ross, I Wake Up Screaming, Desperate, Don't Bother to Knock and Stranger on the Third Floor are all enjoyable but less great than the other noirs already discussed.
Affair in Trinidad is a poor rip-off of Gilda, made 6 years later. This film also marks Rita Hayworth's comeback to Hollywood after her marriage to Prince Aly Khan failed. Hayworth is teamed up again with Gilda co-star Glenn Ford, here caught in a similar love triangle. She also performs two songs with dance numbers, and although they are not as iconic as Put the Blame on Mame from Gilda, Hayworth hasn't lost her touch. A bit of a tame noir but still enjoyable.
My Name is Julia Ross is more of a gothic thriller than a film noir. It's enjoyable but could have made more of an impression with a different and more appealing lead actress. I don't care much for Nina Foch and was not impressed with her acting. Dame May Whitty is the one I liked most here, even though she portrays a vicious old lady. The film also suffers from some predictable moments.
I Wake Up Screaming benefits from the beautiful cinematography by Edward Cronjager (he also shot Canyon Passage). It's actually more of a whodunnit than a noir. It starts light in tone, gets a bit darker along the way (also thanks to Laird Cregar's looming figure appearing in shadowy corners), but never gets really exciting. Betty Grable is good, though, too bad she didn't do more dramatic roles. And yes ... what's up with Somewhere Over the Rainbow playing in the background all the time?
Desperate is a solid little noir by director Anthony Mann. Stand-out visual scenes: the one where Raymond Burr's gangster men beat up Steve Brodie while the overhead lamp is swinging and casting light and shadows on the interior and faces; and the ending where villain Burr falls down the staircase. I found leading man Brodie pretty bland. But maybe it's good to point out that in real life not all men have charisma either and Brodie's character is just an ordinary man leading an ordinary life. Until he meets Burr, that is.
Stranger On the Third Floor is enjoyable and known as the first film noir. Peter Lorre wasn't as creepy or good as I had hoped he would be. Reviewers praise him in this film but his acting is nothing special. His bulgy eyes already do the trick without him having to act. The ending with the girl looking for him is pretty predictable and the resolution comes too quickly and neatly. And how convenient that Lorre confesses right before he dies. Best scene is the beautifully composed dream sequence, in an expressionistic and surrealistic style.
Most memorable of these 6 noirs is Don't Bother to Knock because it stars Marilyn Monroe in a dramatic role and a rather dark one. She has some good scenes, especially near the end. I like her when she plays this sad lonely girl, in her plain dress with little makeup, a role that it is exactly right for her. But when she dresses up, puts on lipstick, starts flirting and talks in that whispery voice with those quivering lips, she overacts and is less natural. Richard Widmark plays a bit of a slick character, but still likeable, and finds empathy and understanding for his fellow man through his encounters with Monroe (and he looks good here!). It's funny how Monroe's character in the film is called Nell. The ending where Widmark and his girlfriend Anne Bancroft want to protect Monroe (who looks really lost and genuinely sad) against the crowd, reminded me a bit of Nell, the film with Jodie Foster. Here Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson also take care of the Nell character (Foster). I actually never make references to contemporary films but I couldn't help thinking about it. This is Bancroft's debut role. She looks beautiful this young but is unfortunately not very convincing as a singer. Somebody should have told her how to hold a mike.
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At the bottom of my list of noirs seen are When Strangers Marry, Count the Hours and The Fake. Though still enjoyable, they were pretty flawed.
I don't particularly like Kim Hunter nor her character in When Strangers Marry and she makes a strange couple with Dean Jagger. He looks quite handsome this young but he is a bit on the dull side. Robert Mitchum is more exciting and plays an essential part in the twist ending.
Count the Hours starts promising and quite brutal but unfortunately never gets really exciting. I like Teresa Wright but I didn't like her helpless and uninteresting character. The actor who plays her husband is pretty awful, he comes across as unstable. But I do like Macdonald Carey. Dolores Moran (who plays Carey's love interest) and Adele Mara (in a Gloria Grahame-type role) complement the female cast and I like them better than Wright (character-wise). This minor Don Siegel film benefits from the cinematography by John Alton, especially the chase through the woods sequence is beautifully shot.
The Fake (more of a whodunnit than a noir) has Dennis O'Keefe carrying a Leonardo Da Vinci painting around like it's a briefcase, with fingers all over the painting. Also there seems to be no security at the Tate Gallery. For a mystery film dealing with art theft it's all too far-fetched. On top of that O'Keefe is a bit annoying. It's also unbelievable that he walks away unscathed after a serious beating. But there is some nice photography by Cedric Williams and it stars Coleen Gray whom I like (though the obligatory romance with O'Keefe is silly) so it was still an enjoyable watch.
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Gun Crazy (1950) with Peggy Cummins;
*Paths of Glory (1957) with Kirk Douglas;
*Love Me Tonight (1932) with Maurice Chevalier, Charlie Ruggles, Myrna Loy and C. Aubrey Smith;
*Love Me Tonight (1932) with Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier;
*Transatlantic (1931) with Greta Nissen, John Halliday and Myrna Loy;
*Transatlantic (1931) with Edmund Lowe and Lois Moran;
*Love on a Bet (1936) with Wendy Barrie and Gene Raymond;
*Gun Crazy (1950) with Peggy Cummins and John Dall;
*The Set-Up (1949) with Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter;
*White Heat (1949) with James Cagney and Edmond O'Brien;
*The Narrow Margin (1952) with Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor;
*Kiss of Death (1947) with Victor Mature and Coleen Gray;
*The Prowler (1951) with Van Heflin and Evelyn Keyes;
*Crime Wave (1954) with Sterling Hayden;
*The Lawless (1950) with Macdonald Carey and Gail Russell;
*I Wake Up Screaming (1941) with Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis;
*Affair in Trinidad (1952) with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford;
*Affair in Trinidad (1952) with Rita Hayworth;
*Don't Bother to Knock (1952) with Marilyn Monroe;
*Don't Bother to Knock (1952) with Anne Bancroft and Richard Widmark;
*When Strangers Marry (1944) with Kim Hunter and Robert Mitchum.
