November 2019 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN NOVEMBER / NOIRVEMBER: 37
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 36
REWATCHES: 1
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 2
FILM NOIRS: 30
FILM NOIRS: 30
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Richard Conte (7 in total)
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Claire Trevor (8 in total)
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PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Claire Trevor (8 in total)
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So it's that time of the year again, the month of femme fatales, hard-boiled detectives, great dialogue, bleak themes of alienation and moral corruption, and stunning black-and-white cinematography. Yes, my main focus this month was Film Noir and boy, did I have a good time! I couldn't be happier with the amount of films I watched this month, finally I reached a figure that's even higher than one film a day on average. It might even be the largest amount of watched films in a given month ever since I started using Letterboxd. This November I decided to focus solely on watching films and not let myself get sidetracked by — for instance — writing an extra blog post. Apart from noirs I also watched a couple of Claire Trevor films (on top of her noir ones), simply because I love her. There was also a meager total of two films seen at the Filmoteca.
So here we go! And brace yourself, because this is going to be a loooong post!
So here we go! And brace yourself, because this is going to be a loooong post!
Let's start with the theater viewings so we can get those out of the way quickly. Like I said only two films but both great. The Patsy (with Marion Davies, Marie Dressler, Lawrence Gray and Orville Caldwell) was new to me and American Madness (with Walter Huston, Pat O'Brien and Constance Cummings) was my only rewatch this month.
The Patsy had been on my watchlist of silent films for some time now and I felt very fortunate to see it on the big screen in the restored version accompanied by live piano music. The film was completely enjoyable and very funny at times. On one or two occasions my sister and I were even laughing out loud and so did a lot of the other viewers. Marion Davies' character is a bit weird and awkward and her behaviour is mostly goofy. She has beautiful eyes, by the way. Some fave moments: Davies impersonating Lillian Gish; the opening scene with the family having dinner; Davies pacing across a doorway wearing an array of silly hats; Davies and the Spanish shawl; the family getting ready for the party and struggling for a spot in front of the mirror. Special mention goes to the wonderful Marie Dressler and there are also some great intertitles.
American Madness I'd seen before and I really liked it. The cinematography by Joseph Walker is stunning with the overhead mob shots. Also the set design with the massive bank vault looks really impressive. It was great to see this on the big screen as part of the student program Aula de Cinema. I love the fact that, although the youngsters were pretty loud before the movie started, during the film it was really quiet and they all paid attention. Huston is such a good actor and credible in his role as the bank manager standing up for the little man against corporate power. The bank run reminded me of that other Capra film, the great It's a Wonderful Life. Can definitely recommend this underrated Capra classic.
Continuing with Claire Trevor films other than film noir (I will come to her noirs later), 5 in total:
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (with Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart)
Wild Gold (with Claire Trevor and John Boles)
The Bachelor’s Daughters (with Gail Russell, Claire Trevor, Ann Dvorak, Jane Wyatt, Adolphe Menjou and Billie Burke)
Dante’s Inferno (with Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor)
Dark Command (with John Wayne, Claire Trevor and Walter Pidgeon)
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse is a really enjoyable lighthearted black comedy with an excellent performance from Edward G. Robinson. I like the story premise of a successful doctor wanting to make a study of criminal behaviour and joining a gang of thieves. This has a good script (co-written by John Huston), based on a play, especially Robinson's eloquent lines are a joy to behold. Claire Trevor plays a likeable character, being the boss lady of the gang. I find Trevor always watchable, no matter her role. I love the supporting cast of thieves with among others Allen Jenkins and Ward Bond, not at all the hard-boiled tough characters from noirs. Bogie is also good in his role and I didn't find him entirely unlikeable despite some of his actions. Interesting ending with the trial and the verdict. And okay ... I know you want to .... go on ... make fun of the doctor's name!
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (with Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart)
Wild Gold (with Claire Trevor and John Boles)
The Bachelor’s Daughters (with Gail Russell, Claire Trevor, Ann Dvorak, Jane Wyatt, Adolphe Menjou and Billie Burke)
Dante’s Inferno (with Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor)
Dark Command (with John Wayne, Claire Trevor and Walter Pidgeon)
Wild Gold started out as a film I was not going to like at all. The main problem was John Boles and his stupid and annoying character. When he tried to force himself upon Claire Trevor, this film couldn't be over soon enough for me. Fortunately it gets better once the film progresses when Boles is either not on screen or when he acts more like a human being. There's also a murder and a flood which made it a bit more exciting. And Trevor looks lovely in those 1930s films.
The Bachelor’s Daughters is a rather obscure film and its main appeal is the wonderful cast. Gail Russell, Ann Dvorak and Jane Wyatt are all actresses I like very much, and Claire Trevor too of course. To complete the cast we have Adolphe Menjou and Billie Burke, I love them both as well. The rest of the supporting cast is a bit nondescript but I wasn't paying much attention to them anyway. Russell looks beautiful here, Wyatt is lovely too, Dvorak as a blonde is less attractive than as a brunette, and Trevor has the most interesting character. I liked the conflict between Russell and Trevor and how they patched things up in the end.
According to IMDB, after viewing Dante's Inferno, (...) "Spencer Tracy called it "one of the worst pictures ever made anywhere, anytime." He had his name removed from the opening credits and insisted that his name not appear in any of the publicity for the film." Well, the first part was kind of boring. It was only getting interesting when Tracy's character ignored a danger warning concerning the construction of his Inferno, with horrific consequences. Even though the story didn't really grab me, there are some great visual scenes. And Claire Trevor looks lovely again and is good in her emotional moments. Watch out for a young Rita Hayworth as a dancer.
According to IMDB, after viewing Dante's Inferno, (...) "Spencer Tracy called it "one of the worst pictures ever made anywhere, anytime." He had his name removed from the opening credits and insisted that his name not appear in any of the publicity for the film." Well, the first part was kind of boring. It was only getting interesting when Tracy's character ignored a danger warning concerning the construction of his Inferno, with horrific consequences. Even though the story didn't really grab me, there are some great visual scenes. And Claire Trevor looks lovely again and is good in her emotional moments. Watch out for a young Rita Hayworth as a dancer.
Dark Command I also watched for Trevor and I love her chemistry with John Wayne with whom she made a total of 4 films. They first starred together in the acclaimed Stagecoach and the actors would enjoy a life-long friendship. This film is considerably weaker than Stagecoach. The performances are good, I like the music score by Victor Young and the cinematography by Jack A. Marta, but somehow there is something lacking. The story itself is compelling and Wayne is likeable with his righteous but uneducated character. He is rather sweet and awkward, not the tough hero at all. Walter Pidgeon has a ridiculous moustache, he suits the teacher role well but not so much the villainous part with the looting and murdering. Also his transition from good to bad guy is very swift. I especially liked to see Roy Rogers play Trevor's brother. I watched Roy Rogers/Dale Evans/Trigger films in my childhood and have never seen Rogers in a film since. Too bad he didn't sing here. Also very annoying comic relief provided by Raymond Walburn.
Now coming to the NOIRS! Last year in Noirvember I watched a total of 18 film noirs (see here) and this year I topped this with a whopping figure of 30! There are noirs among them that feature on every must-see noir list (like The Big Combo, Cry Danger and Secret Beyond the Door) but I also watched a lot of minor ones (e.g. The Crooked Way and The Sound of Fury). Noir heavies like Richard Conte, Claire Trevor, Lizabeth Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Dan Duryea, Audrey Totter, Edmond O'Brien, Charles McGraw, Dick Powell, John Payne, Joan Bennett, etc. all appear in one or more noirs I watched this month. Here is the full list in watching order:
Now coming to the NOIRS! Last year in Noirvember I watched a total of 18 film noirs (see here) and this year I topped this with a whopping figure of 30! There are noirs among them that feature on every must-see noir list (like The Big Combo, Cry Danger and Secret Beyond the Door) but I also watched a lot of minor ones (e.g. The Crooked Way and The Sound of Fury). Noir heavies like Richard Conte, Claire Trevor, Lizabeth Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Dan Duryea, Audrey Totter, Edmond O'Brien, Charles McGraw, Dick Powell, John Payne, Joan Bennett, etc. all appear in one or more noirs I watched this month. Here is the full list in watching order:
The Bigamist (with Edmond O'Brien, Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino and Edmund Gwenn)
Follow Me Quietly (with William Lundigan and Dorothy Patrick)
Hollow Triumph (with Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett)
Cause for Alarm! (with Loretta Young and Barry Sullivan)
The Big Combo (with Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy and Jean Wallace)
Hollywood Story (with Richard Conte, Julie Adams and Richard Egan)
Born to Kill (with Claire Trevor and Lawrence Tierney)
The Sound of Fury (with Frank Lovejoy, Kathleen Ryan and Richard Carlson)
Secret Beyond the Door (with Joan Bennett and Michael Redgrave)
Highway Dragnet (with Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix)
The Sleeping City (with Richard Conte and Coleen Gray)
Armored Car Robbery (with Charles McGraw, Adele Jergens and William Talman)
The Crooked Way (with John Payne, Ellen Drew and Sonny Tufts)
Thieves’ Highway (with Richard Conte, Valentina Cortese and Lee J. Cobb)
House of Strangers (with Edward G. Robinson, Susan Hayward and Richard Conte)
Strange Impersonation (with Brenda Marshall and William Gargan)
Borderline (with Fred MacMurray, Claire Trevor and Raymond Burr)
Night Has a Thousand Eyes (with Edward G. Robinson, Gail Russell and John Lund)
Black Angel (with Dan Duryea, June Vincent and Peter Lorre)
Johnny Angel (with George Raft, Claire Trevor and Signe Hasso)
Stolen Face (with Paul Henreid and Lizabeth Scott)
Tension (with Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter, Cyd Charisse and Barry Sullivan)
Pitfall (with Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt and Raymond Burr)
Johnny O'Clock (with Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb and Ellen Drew)
Dead Reckoning (with Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott)
He Walked By Night (with Richard Basehart, Scott Brady and Roy Roberts)
Human Desire (with Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Broderick Crawford)
The Brothers Rico (with Richard Conte, Dianne Foster, Kathryn Grant and James Darren)
Cry Danger (with Dick Powell, Rhonda Fleming, William Conrad and Regis Toomey)
Moonrise (with Dane Clark, Gail Russell and Ethel Barrymore)
My most watched noir actor of this Noirvember is Richard Conte with 7 films seen: The Big Combo, Hollywood Story, Highway Dragnet, The Sleeping City, Thieves' Highway, House of Strangers and The Brothers Rico.
I never really thought much of Conte but seeing so many of his films I started to like him a lot. He is a reliable actor, you can always count on him to give a solid performance. And I love the way he talks, the delivery of his lines, how he moves, his charming smile and sweet soft eyes. I also read a bit about him online and love the fact that in real life he seemed to be a gentle and quiet person who dedicated his time to writing poetry and painting.
Of the Conte noirs seen this month I enjoyed House of Strangers the most. It's a great performance from Conte. His character here is not entirely likeable, especially in his possessive behaviour towards women. But he still gets my sympathy vote instead of his brothers. I like Susan Hayward's character, she's feisty and with a mind of her own and not afraid to express what she thinks. I really like her romance with Conte. I was less impressed with Edward G. Robinson, maybe it was the Italian accent, though the Italian sentences he spoke sounded genuine. It isn't that his performance isn't solid, it's just that Conte with his magneticism outshines Robinson. The drama is great with a surprising final part. I love the last moment when Conte hears the car horn, a smile appearing on his face, and there's beautiful music playing (which I somehow recognise from another film or it's just very similar) when he descends the stairs to meet Hayward. Perfect ending. Special mention goes to the gorgeous noir photography by Milton Krasner and the great score by Daniele Amfitheatrof.
The Big Combo and Thieves' Highway are both good as well.
The Big Combo looks great, thanks to the cinematography by John Alton. I thought the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning so I needed some time to get into it. Fortunately it turned out to be compelling and atmospheric. Cornel Wilde is an okay lead, I haven't really seen many of his films — actually only Leave Her to Heaven comes to mind — but he pairs nicely with Jean Wallace, his then-wife. Brian Donlevy is good, solid as ever, but it is Conte who delivers the stand-out performance here. He really makes you hate him, he portrays his despicable character that well.
Thieves' Highway starts out as a social drama focusing on the fruit market and corruption but becomes more grim and noirish as the film progresses. Here the pace is also rather slow but the film gets better when it gets darker and Conte gives a good performance. I didn't really like the actress Valentina Cortese at first (especially her hairdo is awful), yet she grew on me, and her character is well developed. Her sultry kissing scenes with Conte look pretty convincing. Too bad about that cheesy tacked-on happy ending.
Hollywood Story, The Sleeping City, Highway Dragnet and The Brothers Rico are all enjoyable but pretty standard fare.
I had seen The Big Combo prior to Hollywood Story and Conte's great performance there as the gangster boss shows how perfect he is at playing the villain. But in Hollywood Story he plays the good guy and sympathetic roles suit him too. I liked this film quite a bit. It feels more like an old-fashioned whodunnit than a noir, though there are some nice noirish scenes, photography-wise. Julie Adams is a pretty leading lady but never impresses me much. The plot is not very complicated but still I didn't guess who the killer was. Was nice to see the old studio sets and Joel McCrea appears in a cameo role as himself.
The Sleeping City starts unusual with an introduction by Conte stating the film is shot on location at the Bellevue Hospital, New York — because this is apparently very special (while I had never even heard of the Bellevue Hospital before, shame on me ... ). The location shots are one of the best things this film has to offer, it adds credibility to the story. Even though this features on film noir lists, I don't really consider this a noir, only near the end it shifts to noir mode with the great photography during the chase sequence. The performances are solid, it's nice that the plot is not entirely predictable and there's a surprise denouement. I find Conte and Coleen Gray a believable noir couple, too bad this is their only film together.
Highway Dragnet suffers from a plot with holes and an uninspired performance from Joan Bennett. That ending with Bennett running away from Conte and getting stuck in quicksand is just downright bad acting on Bennett's part. Still, the film as a whole is not bad, it's nicely paced and manages to entertain, even though the romance is squeezed in and unnecessary. And I've decided I don't really like Wanda Hendrix.
The Brothers Rico is the last Conte film I saw this month. He gives a solid performance again but I didn't care much for the female lead Dianne Foster. She and Conte had some playful scenes together, also one where he tries to pull her into the shower with him. That finale was a let down, too quickly resolved.
On top of the 5 Claire Trevor films seen, mentioned earlier, I also watched three of her noirs: Born to Kill, Borderline and Johnny Angel.
Born to Kill was surprisingly good with a great performance from Trevor. Lawrence Tierney didn't do much for me, I couldn't see why he was so irresistible to these women. He doesn't impress as an actor either, he only has two facial expressions, or maybe it's just one. Esther Howard gets the credit for the best supporting role as the washed-out and beer-loving friend of the murdered Isabel Jewell. Also would like to mention Elisha Cook Jr., he's well suited for noirs and played in quite a few of them. He's always good. Beautiful cinematography by Robert De Grasse.
Borderline is not good, not bad, but a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. It feels more like a romantic comedy, even a bit reminiscent of It Happened One Night. There are some noirish touches but not many and it never gets suspenseful. Raymond Burr plays a tough guy but doesn't really instill fear. I read reviews of people commenting on the lack of chemistry between the leads Fred MacMurray and Trevor but I disagree. True, there are no sparks flying but I think they make an okay couple.
Johnny Angel I watched for Trevor and she's the best thing about this noir. It has some suspense but George Raft's performance is really wooden. I didn't like Signe Hasso nor her romance with Raft which came way too quickly. Hoagy Carmichael as the cab driver gets to sing a nice song.
Apart from the Conte and Trevor noirs, there were 20 other noirs seen this month. The best of these are He Walked By Night, Cry Danger, Moonrise, Tension and The Sound of Fury.
There's a reason why John Alton's outstanding photography in He Walked By Night gets mentioned when discussing the film noir genre because noir cinematography doesn't get any better than this. I'm honestly baffled to read reviews on Letterboxd without any mention of Alton. It's the best thing this noir has to offer. Almost every shot is beautifully framed, lit and shot. The finale in the sewers of Los Angeles is breathtaking. Apart from Alton's photography there's more to like here. It's a taut noir, a police procedural with a great performance from Richard Basehart. The scene where he is removing a bullet from his body is painful to look at and very well acted. I also love the performance by Roy Roberts playing the police inspector. Admittedly the voice-over is very intrusive but I didn't really mind and got used to it quickly. The story is straightforward but it was nice to follow the police procedures and there's enough suspense to keep the viewer fully engaged. Co-directed by uncredited Anthony Mann.
Cry Danger is another acclaimed film noir that I hadn't seen yet and fortunately it lives up to its famous reputation. Dick Powell gives a strong performance and I love his deadpan remarks and his delivery of them. I really like him here. These noir roles are such a far cry from his musical ones and I find him much more attractive at an older age. If you've seen a lot of noirs, you might not find this story premise that special but it's Powell and the great dialogue which make this movie more than worthwhile.
Moonrise was a nice surprise. I love director Frank Borzage's work but never cared much for Dane Clark and because of him I've always put off watching this film. But what a great performance he gives here! There were scenes that tugged at my heart strings. Clark plays both sides of his complex character well. At times he's very angry and bitter, ready to explode, but then he has this sweet look on his face, for instance when he cuddles a cute puppy, and his eyes can also be very sad. The most emotional moment of the film is when Clark attacks Henry Morgan. This choked me up. My only criticism is that there was something lacking in the chemistry between Clark and Gail Russell. Also Russell's love came very sudden and wasn't very credible. Great support by Rex Ingram and Ethel Barrymore. The visuals are stunning with a very strong opening sequence (cinematography by John L. Russell).
In Tension Audrey Totter is fantastic as the femme fatale. Love the sultry jazzy music every time she appears on screen. This is a tense noir with good performances. Cyd Charisse is very likeable as Richard Basehart's love interest and Barry Sullivan is also good as the cop who puts pressure on suspects in order for them to snap under tension, best illustrated in his interaction with Totter.
The Sound of Fury is one of the lesser-known noirs I watched this month. In fact, I had not heard of this film before and found it on a noir list. I immediately decided to watch it because of the great reviews. It begins as a fairly standard noir but it gets pretty dark. A family man down on his luck meets a hoodlum and finds himself caught in criminal activity which leads from robbery to murder. I was expecting they would be caught at the end of the film so I was surprised that Frank Lovejoy already gets caught halfway the running time and confesses to the murder. What follows is something that I had not seen coming at all. Shown is how press coverage and media influence mobilises a crowd of outraged people and what the consequence of mob violence is. (Like in Ace in the Hole and The Lawless.) It results in one of the most harrowing mob scenes I've ever seen, with impressive cinematography by Guy Roe. In my opinion the best acting performance is by Kathleen Ryan as Lovejoy's wife. But Lloyd Bridges is also good and quite convincing as the sociopath. Richard Carlson has a serious role as the journalist who instigates the mob frenzy with his articles.
The Bigamist, Hollow Triumph, Armored Car Robbery, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Black Angel, Johnny O'Clock and Human Desire are all good noirs.
With The Bigamist I had expected a real film noir, but it's more like a noir drama. It has some noir elements: the flashbacks, the voice-over, even the suspense, but there's no hard-boiled detective, nor a femme fatale or a villain. In fact, the three lead characters are all likeable, you genuinely wish them well. Director Ida Lupino treats the film's subject and characters with sensitivity and care and the relationships never get sordid. You feel sympathy for Edmond O'Brien's character, it is like the defence lawyer says at the trial: if O'Brien would have had a mistress instead of a second wife, he would not have found himself in this predicament. But he wanted to do the honest thing, divorce his wife and marry the other woman, and then circumstances brought him to his immoral deed. I know, it's a plan of action that is far-fetched but O'Brien never intended to hurt anyone or try to have it both ways. He is also fully aware of the fact that what he has done is inexcusable and I actually felt a bit sorry for him. Joan Fontaine has her best (emotional) moment near the end of the film when she receives a call and hears about her husband's other wife and baby. She really makes you feel her hurt. One fun fact: when O'Brien and Lupino take a bus tour passing the houses of Hollywood celebrities, they also pass the house of Edmund Gwenn. ("Behind that big hedge over there, there's a little man who was Santa Claus to the whole world — Edmund Gwenn.") I wonder whether these were the genuine houses of the stars. It's a fun fact because Gwenn plays the role of the adoption investigator in this film.
The story premise of Hollow Triumph is a bit far-fetched but this is a well-executed and gritty noir. I had not expected it to be so dark. What really stands out is the wonderful cinematography by the master John Alton. So many beautiful shots and angles and that beautiful chiaroscuro, the dark rooms/streets with single light sources ... Paul Henreid is pretty good as the lead and commands the screen. I've never seen him in an unlikeable and villainous role before. I love Joan Bennett, both in noir and in her early comedies as a blonde. And nobody talks like her. Love her slow drawl. She's no femme fatale here, but rather sweet, and becomes infatuated with bad guy Henreid. Glad this film was far better than I thought it would be.
Armored Car Robbery is a very solid film noir. No surprises here, it's the standard routine where cop goes after criminal. Yet it's really well made with top-notch photography by Guy Roe and good performances from Charles McGraw and all players involved. William Talman portrays the ruthless criminal well and Adele Jergens, a Virginia Mayo look-alike, is believable as the femme fatale. There's no romantic interest for McGraw but instead we have the comradeship with his partner cop which made for a happy ending.
Night Has a Thousand Eyes is a very entertaining film noir with beautiful photography by John F. Seitz (who was the DP of the acclaimed noirs Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard, receiving Academy Award nominations for each). The story premise of a mentalist having premonitions (the ones that come true) is compelling and Edward G. Robinson gives a good performance as can be expected. Gail Russell and John Lund give solid support but their characters are not very interesting. Strength of the film is the atmosphere and the suspense until the end.
Black Angel is another noir that I had a good time with, even though the identity of the killer is not so difficult to guess. But it was still nice to see the story unfold. I didn't really like the lead actress June Vincent, I would have liked to see another actress in her role. But I like Dan Duryea, his character is likeable and he gives a solid performance. Probably the best thing about this film is its great opening shot of Duryea leaning against a shop's facade with the camera travelling up the front of the building across the street and zooming in on an upper floor window. By the way, I find Constance Dowling a more appealing actress than June Vincent but since she was the victim, she didn't have a lot of screen time.
Johnny O'Clock stars Dick Powell and I never found him this attractive before, even though his character is not completely likeable. But he plays his tough character well. Ellen Drew is good as the femme fatale and Evelyn Keyes plays the likeable female lead. I like her romance with Powell.
Another good noir is Human Desire, with Gloria Grahame in the femme fatale role which fits her like a glove. She's also a victim of domestic violence, making her more likeable to the viewer. There's simmering sexual tension between her and Glenn Ford and great cinematography by Burnett Guffey of the train tracks and barren landscape. Not as good as the other Ford/Grahame film The Big Heat but still worth watching.
Secret Beyond the Door, The Crooked Way, Pitfall and Dead Reckoning are still pretty good but somewhat disappointing.
It's not so hard to see what film Secret Beyond the Door by Fritz Lang is reminiscent of. A woman marries a practical stranger who has been married before. Maybe he killed his wife. He has a loyal secretary who burns down the house at the end of the film. Sounds familiar? Though the story premise is similar, this is as far as the comparison with Hitchcock's Rebecca goes. It starts out rather good but the conclusion with the revelation of Michael Redgrave's childhood trauma is weak. I find Redgrave a poor choice for the leading man and his chemistry with Joan Bennett is non-existent. There is some suspense but it mainly derives from atmosphere and lighting rather than story. The best thing about this film is the stellar cinematography by Stanley Cortez and because of this I can overlook its flaws. Also great score by Miklós Rózsa.
The Crooked Way is an average amnesia noir with stand-out photography by John Alton. John Payne is okay in the lead, and Ellen Drew and Sonny Tufts give good support. All in all very watchable, foremost because of the numerous beautiful shots. Alton is a true noir magician!
Pitfall has Dick Powell in the leading role and benefits from a good script and performances but somehow it's a bit disappointing. I was waiting for something móre. Also Lizabeth Scott's femme fatale was still likeable and not bad enough. I liked Jane Wyatt's wife role better, she has spunk. I love the breakfast opening scene and Powell in noir is really appealing.
In Dead Reckoning Humphrey Bogart gives a solid performance but the plot is rather convoluted. Lizabeth Scott doesn't leave much of an impression. I have seen enough of her films and I like her better now but if this would have been my first Scott film, she would just have come across as a Lauren Bacall imitator. Seeing her play opposite Bogart it's very obvious she's no Bacall. By the way, the scene where she is singing is one of the most unbelievable dubbed-singing moments I have ever seen. Check out her performance in Too Late for Tears, her best role I've seen from her so far.
Follow Me Quietly, Strange Impersonation and Stolen Face are enjoyable but pretty flawed.
Follow Me Quietly is not really a noir in my opinion, even though it features on noir lists. Two things stand out here: the exciting finale shot on location and the scene where the killer turns out to be the dummy in the chair. That dummy scene was pretty eerie (when the killer moved in the chair, my heart literally skipped a beat because I hadn't seen it coming) but it didn't really make any sense story-wise and like the finale was not in line with the fairly light mood of the rest of the film. William Lundigan is a handsome hero but not a very good actor. I liked it when he removed his shirt, though. The biggest flaw was the romantic angle. Normally I would welcome some romance in a film but the female protagonist, played by Dorothy Patrick, was plain annoying. The script is co-written by Anthony Mann, and apparently he also was involved with the directing part. Though this film is not very good, with only 60 minutes of running time it was still enjoyable and not entirely a waste of time. Fortunately both Mann and director Richard Fleischer would make much better films later on in their careers.
Strange Impersonation is an early Anthony Mann noir and not one of his best but I enjoyed it, even though it really stretches the imagination. Some plot points are beyond belief. It doesn't feel like a noir, even the photography doesn't impress much. The performances are okay but nothing special. I read somewhere this film has a cult classic status, I'm not sure why, but there are worse ways to spend 68 minutes.
Stolen Face starts pretty normal with surgeon Paul Henreid falling for concert pianist Lizabeth Scott during a holiday. You know of course this is not your average love story and that there's bound to happen something noirish. As the film progresses it gets more ridiculous but I still enjoyed it.
Leaving the worst of this month's noirs till last. This dubious honour is reserved for Cause For Alarm. It's a good example of a great story premise with bad execution. I don't really like Loretta Young at this point in her career when she's older (I do love her in her early 1930s films). Her performance here is not bad but I didn't think it was great either. She also did some overacting. The actions undertaken by her character are very silly. Not reporting her husband's death, running (literally!) a good part of the film after the revealing letter. The conversations she has with the mailman and the postal supervisor are ludicrous and badly scripted. The one thing this film has going for it is its short running time and some moments of suspense.
Coming to the end of this long post I want to praise noir's cinematography. It's one of the best aspects of the genre and I love it so much. I made a tribute post last year (here). Fortunately this month there was a lot to be enjoyed in the photography department. One of my fave DPs is John Alton, he must be a favourite among many noir lovers because the way he paints the screen with beautiful lighting and shadows is masterful. The most beautiful shot films this month are: He Walked By Night (John Alton), The Big Combo (John Alton), Hollow Triumph (John Alton), The Crooked Way (John Alton), Secret Beyond the Door (Stanley Cortez), Armored Car Robbery (Guy Roe), The Sound of Fury (Guy Roe), House of Strangers (Milton Krasner), Night Has a Thousand Eyes (John F. Seitz), Born to Kill (Robert De Grasse), Moonrise (John L. Russell) and Human Desire (Burnett Guffey).
That's it! Some round-up, huh? See you next time!
PHOTOS/GIFS IN THIS POST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
*Joan Bennett for Secret Beyond the Door (1947);
*Secret Beyond the Door (1947) with Joan Bennett; (gif by me)
*The Patsy (1928) with Marion Davies;
*American Madness (1932) with Pat O'Brien and Constance Cummings;
*The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) with Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart;
*Wild Gold (1934) with Claire Trevor and John Boles;
*The Bachelor’s Daughters (1946) with Gail Russell, Ann Dvorak, Jane Wyatt, Claire Trevor, Billie Burke and Adolphe Menjou;
*Dante’s Inferno (1935) with Spencer Tracy, Scotty Beckett and Claire Trevor;
*Dark Command (1940) with Claire Trevor and John Wayne; (screenshot by me)
*The Big Combo (1955), cinematography by John Alton;
*Richard Conte, noir actor of the month;
*House of Strangers (1949) with Richard Conte and Susan Hayward;
*The Big Combo (1955) with Richard Conte, Earl Holliman, Lee Van Cleef and Cornel Wilde;
*Thieves’ Highway (1949) with Richard Conte and Valentina Cortese;
*Hollywood Story (1951) with Richard Conte and Julie Adams;
*The Sleeping City (1950) with Richard Conte and Coleen Gray;
*Highway Dragnet (1954) with Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix;
*The Brothers Rico (1957) with Richard Conte, James Darren and Paul Picerni;
*Born to Kill (1947) with Claire Trevor and Lawrence Tierney; (screenshot by me)
*Borderline (1950) with Claire Trevor and Fred MacMurray;
*Johnny Angel (1945) with George Raft and Claire Trevor;
*He Walked by Night (1948) with Richard Basehart;
*Cry Danger (1951) with Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming;
*Moonrise (1948) with Dane Clark and Gail Russell;
*Tension (1949) with Richard Basehart and Audrey Totter;
*The Sound of Fury (1950) with Frank Lovejoy, Richard Carlson, Adele Jergens and Katherine Locke;
*The Bigamist (1953) with Edmond O'Brien and Ida Lupino;
*Hollow Triumph (1948) with Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett;
*Armored Car Robbery (1950) with Charles McGraw and Adele Jergens;
*Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) with John Lund, Gail Russell and Edward G. Robinson;
*Black Angel (1946) with Dan Duryea and June Vincent;
*Johnny O’Clock (1947) with Dick Powell and Evelyn Keyes;
*Human Desire (1954) with Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame;
*Secret Beyond the Door (1947) with Joan Bennett;
*The Crooked Way (1949) with John Payne and Ellen Drew;
*Pitfall (1948) with Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott;
*Dead Reckoning (1947) with Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott on set;
*Follow Me Quietly (1949) with William Lundigan and Dorothy Patrick;
*Strange Impersonation (1946) with Brenda Marshall and Hillary Brooke;
*Stolen Face (1952) with Paul Henreid and Lizabeth Scott;
*Cause for Alarm (1951) with Loretta Young, Barry Sullivan and Bruce Cowling;
*He Walked by Night (1948) with Richard Basehart; (gif by me)
*Hollow Triumph (1948) with Paul Henreid; (screenshot by me)
*The Big Combo (1955) with Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman. (gif by me)
*Secret Beyond the Door (1947) with Joan Bennett; (gif by me)
*The Patsy (1928) with Marion Davies;
*American Madness (1932) with Pat O'Brien and Constance Cummings;
*The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) with Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart;
*Wild Gold (1934) with Claire Trevor and John Boles;
*The Bachelor’s Daughters (1946) with Gail Russell, Ann Dvorak, Jane Wyatt, Claire Trevor, Billie Burke and Adolphe Menjou;
*Dante’s Inferno (1935) with Spencer Tracy, Scotty Beckett and Claire Trevor;
*Dark Command (1940) with Claire Trevor and John Wayne; (screenshot by me)
*The Big Combo (1955), cinematography by John Alton;
*Richard Conte, noir actor of the month;
*House of Strangers (1949) with Richard Conte and Susan Hayward;
*The Big Combo (1955) with Richard Conte, Earl Holliman, Lee Van Cleef and Cornel Wilde;
*Thieves’ Highway (1949) with Richard Conte and Valentina Cortese;
*Hollywood Story (1951) with Richard Conte and Julie Adams;
*The Sleeping City (1950) with Richard Conte and Coleen Gray;
*Highway Dragnet (1954) with Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix;
*The Brothers Rico (1957) with Richard Conte, James Darren and Paul Picerni;
*Born to Kill (1947) with Claire Trevor and Lawrence Tierney; (screenshot by me)
*Borderline (1950) with Claire Trevor and Fred MacMurray;
*Johnny Angel (1945) with George Raft and Claire Trevor;
*He Walked by Night (1948) with Richard Basehart;
*Cry Danger (1951) with Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming;
*Moonrise (1948) with Dane Clark and Gail Russell;
*Tension (1949) with Richard Basehart and Audrey Totter;
*The Sound of Fury (1950) with Frank Lovejoy, Richard Carlson, Adele Jergens and Katherine Locke;
*The Bigamist (1953) with Edmond O'Brien and Ida Lupino;
*Hollow Triumph (1948) with Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett;
*Armored Car Robbery (1950) with Charles McGraw and Adele Jergens;
*Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948) with John Lund, Gail Russell and Edward G. Robinson;
*Black Angel (1946) with Dan Duryea and June Vincent;
*Johnny O’Clock (1947) with Dick Powell and Evelyn Keyes;
*Human Desire (1954) with Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame;
*Secret Beyond the Door (1947) with Joan Bennett;
*The Crooked Way (1949) with John Payne and Ellen Drew;
*Pitfall (1948) with Dick Powell and Lizabeth Scott;
*Dead Reckoning (1947) with Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott on set;
*Follow Me Quietly (1949) with William Lundigan and Dorothy Patrick;
*Strange Impersonation (1946) with Brenda Marshall and Hillary Brooke;
*Stolen Face (1952) with Paul Henreid and Lizabeth Scott;
*Cause for Alarm (1951) with Loretta Young, Barry Sullivan and Bruce Cowling;
*He Walked by Night (1948) with Richard Basehart; (gif by me)
*Hollow Triumph (1948) with Paul Henreid; (screenshot by me)
*The Big Combo (1955) with Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman. (gif by me)