November 2021 Round-Up
TOTAL FILMS SEEN IN NOVEMBER / NOIRVEMBER: 35
(see the film posters at the bottom of the post, arranged in watching order)
NEW-TO-ME: 33 (31 features & 2 shorts)
REWATCHES: 2
SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN: 2
FILM NOIRS: 27
MOST WATCHED ACTOR: Zachary Scott (7 in total)
MOST WATCHED ACTRESS: Faye Emerson (4 in total)
Lizabeth Scott in Desert Fury (screenshot by me)
It's unbelievable but it's NOIRvember again! Which means that a whole year has passed since last NOIRvember! It's also unreal that we're still not finished with this Covid virus and that the situation is getting out of hand in a lot of European countries. Also the new Omicron variant gives cause to worry and I hope it will turn out to be less sickening than Delta and that we don't have to take extra tests in order to travel (we have the December holiday already booked, going to The Netherlands). I live in Spain and here everything is fairly under control in comparison to other European countries. Fortunately we have always kept the 1.5 meter distance rule and the mandatory face mask inside but we also see the figures rise again. I'm Dutch, so I follow the situation in my native country closely and it's sad to see how bad government politics have led to the current situation.
This November I watched a lot of film noirs (27 of the total of 35 films seen) but not as many as I would have liked to see. The month started with a visit from my elder sister, followed by a trip to The Netherlands to visit my family, and during that time I just didn't watch that many films.
The noirs watched are: Step by Step, Shadow on the Wall, Repeat Performance, No Man's Woman, The Dark Past, The Hoodlum, I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes, Guilty Bystander, Blues in the Night, Between Midnight and Dawn, The Mask of Dimitrios, Decoy, Fourteen Hours, Flaxy Martin, Time Table, The Street with No Name, Desert Fury, Escape in the Fog, The Unfaithful, Strange Bargain, Framed, Ruthless, Lady Gangster, Flame of the Islands, The Naked City, The Devil Thumbs a Ride and Beware, My Lovely.
Myrna Dell in Step by Step (screenshot by me)
I also took two trips to the Filmoteca and watched The General with live piano music, and Only Angels Have Wings, a favourite of mine. These were the only rewatches this month. I also had the opportunity to watch Double Indemnity on the big screen (at Phenomena, a nice vintage theater), but the screening was during my sister's visit and I had a persistent cough, so had to let it go. Too bad, since I would have loved to see that one, especially since I cannot remember any of it and don't even know for sure whether I have seen it in its entirety. It would have been great to watch one of the best noirs ever made during NOIRvember, but alas ... it wasn't meant to be.
Of the 35 films seen this month (apart from the 27 noirs), I watched 3 silent films and 5 non-noirs.
For my monthly silent film fix I watched 1 silent feature (The General) and 2 shorts (The Count and By the Sad Sea Waves).
The 5 non-noirs watched are Next Time I Marry, Panama Lady, Only Angels Have Wings, The Mighty McGurk and Secret Enemies.
Flame of the Islands with Zachary Scott (screenshot by me)
My Most Watched Actor of the Month is Zachary Scott with 7 films seen (Shadow on the Wall, Guilty Bystander, The Mask of Dimitrios, Flaxy Martin, The Unfaithful, Ruthless and Flame of the Islands). My Most Watched Actress is Faye Emerson with 4 films seen (Guilty Bystander, The Mask of Dimitrios, Lady Gangster and Secret Enemies). I've seen them together this month in Guilty Bystander and The Mask of Dimitrios and they have great chemistry. I like them both.
There are two actors with 3 films seen: Lawrence Tierney (Step by Step, The Hoodlum, The Devil Thumbs a Ride) and Mark Stevens (Between Midnight and Dawn, Time Table, The Street with No Name). Of the following actors/actresses I watched 2 films: Nina Foch (The Dark Past, Escape in the Fog), Sydney Greenstreet (The Mask of Dimitrios, Ruthless), Lloyd Nolan (Blues in the Night, The Street with No Name), Lucille Ball (Next Time I Marry, Panama Lady), John McIntire (Shadow on the Wall, The Street with No Name), Louis Hayward (Repeat Performance, Ruthless), Richard Basehart (Repeat Performance, Fourteen Hours) and Howard Duff (Flame of the Islands, The Naked City).
Flaxy Martin with Zachary Scott and Dorothy Malone
My highest rated film of the month is Only Angels Have Wings, a full 5 stars, followed closely by Desert Fury and The General. Also good films/worthy mentions are: Blues in the Night, Fourteen Hours, Time Table, The Street with No Name, The Unfaithful, Framed and The Naked City.
At the bottom of the list stands Flame of the Islands, but also Next Time I Marry, Escape in the Fog and By the Sad Sea Waves aren't very good.
Not so surprisingly, there aren't many romantic screen couples to highlight this month. With noirs the leading roles often include a femme fatale or a male villain or shady character. I did enjoy the following screen couples, be it romantic or not: Zachary Scott and Dorothy Malone in Flaxy Martin, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet in The Mask of Dimitrios, Richard Basehart and Paul Douglas in Fourteen Hours, Wallace Beery and Aline MacMahon in The Mighty McGurk. And of course, my favourite romantic couple: Cary Grant and Jean Arthur in Only Angels Have Wings, but I also love Jean Arthur with Thomas Mitchell in Only Angels Have Wings.
Furthermore I love the cinematography in film noir. The most memorable and beautiful images I've seen this month are from (between brackets the name of the DP): I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes (Mack Stengler), Guilty Bystander (Russell Harlan and Gerald Hirschfeld), Blues in the Night (Ernest Haller), Between Midnight and Dawn (George E. Diskant), Fourteen Hours (Joseph MacDonald), Time Table (Charles Van Enger), The Street with No Name (Joseph MacDonald), Desert Fury (Charles Lang and Edward Cronjager), Framed (Burnett Guffey), Ruthless (Bert Glennon), The Naked City (William H. Daniels) and The Devil Thumbs a Ride (J. Roy Hunt).
Arlene Dahl (11 August 1925 – 29 November 2021), R.I.P.
Before we go to the list of watched films with my ratings and notes, I also want to mention the passing of two Hollywood stars this month: Dean Stockwell (5 March 1936 – 7 November 2021) and Arlene Dahl (11 August 1925 – 29 November 2021). They don't belong to my favourite group of actors but I like them well enough (especially Stockwell as a child actor) and I always find it sad when an actor passes away who had a career during the Hollywood studio days. It just reinforces the sentiment of a bygone era and leaves me feeling melancholic. I did watch one Stockwell film this month The Mighty McGurk, but didn't get around to watch a Dahl film. I might find the time to do so in December. (Last August I watched two Dahl films: Slightly Scarlet and Fortune Is a Woman in celebration of her 96th birthday.)
Breaking the 35 watched films down in decades:
1900s - 0
1910s - 2
1920s - 1
1930s - 3
1940s - 20
1950s - 9
1960s - 0
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FILMS!
(read notes with caution as they might contain spoilers; ratings go from ½ to ★★★★★)
STEP BY STEP (1946) ★★½
Watched: 02.11.2021
Chose this noir because of its short runtime, and I was planning to see it anyway this month. Not a very good film to kick off Noirvember, and though it's classified as noir, it's more of a crime mystery film. And a pretty lame one at that! The acting is not too subtle, at times downright bad, and Lawrence Tierney walking around in his swim trunks for some time was a bit weird. The bad guys didn't instill any fear and there was never a suspenseful moment. I didn't really like the way Tierney came on to Anne Jeffreys at their first meeting (she reminded me a bit of Virginia Mayo), but it was all quite innocent and they had good chemistry. Nice support by George Cleveland as the friendly owner of a motel coming to the aid of our couple on the run. There are some atmospheric noir images (cinematography by Frank Redman) and I loved the dog. This film doesn't take itself too seriously and I think the actors didn't either, and despite its many shortcomings, it's still fun. I watched a sharp print online, probably an upload from the recently released Blu-ray (by Warner Archive Collection). (Photos: Lawrence Tierney, Anne Jeffreys and George Cleveland / Lawrence Tierney and Anne Jeffreys / Anne Jeffreys and Lawrence Tierney)
SHADOW ON THE WALL (1950) ★★★
Watched: 03.11.2021
Zachary Scott and Ann Sothern both play against type in this solid atmospheric noir, with Scott being the good guy and Sothern the bad girl. Imprisoned for the murder of his wife (a good and short role by Kristine Miller), a crime committed by Sothern, Scott unfortunately sits in jail for most part of the film and thus largely disappears from the screen. Surprisingly a lot of screen time is reserved for Nancy Davis (yes, the future Mrs. Ronald Reagan) as the child psychiatrist, giving a spirited performance and looking pretty. I've never seen her in such a prominent part. Gigi Perreau plays Scott's traumatised daughter who was witness to the crime and knows the identity of the murderer. While Sothern wants to get rid of the child, Davis tries to get the child to face her fears and reveal the truth. The ending is predictable. The bow Sothern wears in her hair in the final scene is a dead giveaway and you're just waiting till her shadow appears on the wall. Nice support by John McIntire. Fun fact: Ann Sothern seeks information about something and calls up the library. Yes, those were pre-Google times! (Photos: Zachary Scott and Ann Sothern / Gigi Perreau, John McIntire and Nancy Davis / Nancy Davis, Gigi Perreau and Zachary Scott)
Watched: 04.11.2021
Joan Leslie (who has the sweetness and softness of a Teresa Wright) carries this film in a leading role and she's not bad. Looking beautiful too. I like Tom Conway and Richard Basehart but I never cared much for Louis Hayward who's not convincing playing a drunk but in the final scene he delivers and is really good. Though this noir is slow-paced and outstays its welcome, there's still enough to enjoy here, especially the supporting cast. Also Virginia Field gives a solid performance. (Photos: Louis Hayward and Joan Leslie / Joan Leslie and Tom Conway / Louis Hayward, Joan Leslie, Tom Conway and Richard Basehart)
NO MAN'S WOMAN (1955) ★★½
Watched: 04.11.2021
No doubt Marie Windsor is the best thing about this noir. She's deliciously wicked in her femme fatale role and seems to be having fun with it. But when she's killed and this turns into a run-of-the-mill whodunnit, it gets pretty dull. Much has to do with the fact that most of the other players lack charisma, they're all bland, except maybe for Jil Jarmyn. The unfolding of the plot and revelation of the killer isn't exciting either. So, it starts strong with Windsor and then quickly loses steam. (Photos: Marie Windsor and John Archer / Marie Windsor / Patric Knowles and Marie Windsor)
THE DARK PAST (1948) ★★★
Watched: 05.11.2021
I read the story premise beforehand and it seemed really familiar. Then with the opening credits I saw it was based on the play Blind Alley. I've seen and enjoyed the 1939 film adaptation Blind Alley a while back, starring Chester Morris, Ralph Bellamy and Ann Dvorak. This remake suffers a bit from the miscast leading man William Holden. Though he was convincing in his emotional moments, he was less so when playing tough. I just don't think he fits the bad guy role well. Lee J. Cobb on the other hand is pretty good. I also liked Nina Foch as Holden's girlfriend. (Photos: William Holden and Nina Foch / Lee J. Cobb, William Holden and Nina Foch / behind the scenes with William Holden and Nina Foch)
THE HOODLUM (1951) ★★★
Watched: 06.11.2021
Tense and grim little B-noir starring Lawrence Tierney who plays an unlikeable bad boy without any redeeming qualities. Just out on parole, it's immediately clear he's not going to stay on the right path. He sets up a robbery, hits on his brother's girlfriend (Allene Roberts) and gets her pregnant, then discards her. Tierney reminded me of George Raft here and it was nice to see his real-life brother Edward Tierney play his screen brother (actor Scott Brady is their other sibling). (Photos: Lawrence Tierney, Edward Tierney and Lisa Golm / Marjorie Riordan and Lawrence Tierney)
I WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR SHOES (1948) ★★★
Watched: 07.11.2021
This noir has been recently released on Blu-ray (Warner Archive Collection) and I guess that's the reason why I encountered crisp prints uploaded online. I wasn't familiar with the lead actors (except for third-billed Regis Toomey) but decided to give it a try. It was surprisingly entertaining, with some good photography by Mack Stengler, especially the scene where Don Castle is being interrogated and the one where Elyse Knox and Regis Toomey are meeting at the scene of the crime. I also appreciated the attempt to give the characters some depth. (Screenshots by me: Regis Toomey / Elyse Knox / Don Castle and Elyse Knox)
GUILTY BYSTANDER (1950) ★★★
Watched: 10.11.2021
Entertaining noir with Zachary Scott playing a pathetic drunken ex-cop. He's convincing in his role and gives a good performance. Faye Emerson is his ex-wife, enlisting his help when their son goes missing. I loved seeing her looking so plain, and she has good chemistry with Scott. Great supporting role by Mary Boland and nice atmospheric cinematography by Russell Harlan and Gerald Hirschfeld. (Screenshots by me: Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson / Faye Emerson / Zachary Scott and Mary Boland)
BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941) ★★★½
Watched: 11.11.2021
I was surprised how well the music elements combined with the noirish drama. It never felt like a mixed bag and I really enjoyed this film as a whole. I have to say the musical numbers are mostly forgettable (except for the title song Blues in the Night) and I didn't like annoying Mabel Todd who performed one of the songs. I like the cast (Priscilla Lane, Betty Field, Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan, Jack Carson, Wallace Ford and Elia Kazan), especially Field's performance is impressive. Ernest Haller's moody images are gorgeous, I think the best I've seen so far this noir month. (Photos: Priscilla Lane and Betty Field / Elia Kazan, Richard Whorf, Billy Halop, Peter Whitney, Jack Carson and Priscilla Lane / Priscilla Lane, Jack Carson and Charles Wilson)
Watched: 12.11.2021
Was a bit sleepy while watching this so didn't give it my full attention. But I did notice the nuanced performances of both Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. There's little plot here (Ryan works as a handyman for widow Lupino, then becomes more violent and traps her in her own house) but this noir is filled with tension. Ryan manages to elicit some sympathy from the viewer as his character also shows a soft side and at times behaves tenderly towards his victim. Lupino's character at first treats Ryan with sympathy and compassion but as his behaviour becomes more erratic, she realises there's something not quite right with her handyman. Not as good as On Dangerous Ground, Lupino and Ryan's other collaboration, but still enough to enjoy here. (Photos: Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan / on set with Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan / Ida Lupino)
Watched: 13.11.2021
Seen this on a plane ride from Amsterdam to Barcelona in a good clear print. I really liked the police procedural style, the day-to-day-on-the-job depiction, following two buddy cops (Mark Stevens and Edmond O'Brien). But when the two men start wooing the same girl (Gale Storm), this film becomes a bit of a mixed bag, not blending the grittiness well with the lighthearted romantic comedy elements. At times it's unexpectedly grim and violent. O'Brien fits his role well as the tough cop, and I was surprised it wasn't O'Brien who met his death but Stevens. I really liked the scene where Stevens and O'Brien are on the day shift and pick up two boys involved in a fight (one of them is an uncredited Billy Gray). Storm is the weak link in the cast but the cinematography by George E. Diskant is often very striking. (Photos: Mark Stevens, Billy Gray and Edmond O'Brien / Mark Stevens, Edmond O'Brien and Gale Storm / Mark Stevens and Edmond O'Brien)
THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS (1944) ★★★
Watched: 14.11.2021
Solid and enjoyable noir which plays out more like a thriller. Zachary Scott as the titular evil Dimitrios is very young here and handsome, and this is his first pairing with Faye Emerson. I was surprised to see Peter Lorre in a likeable and normal role (as a Dutch mystery writer, wanting to know more about Dimitrios) and I didn't even find him creepy (normally I find his appearance/voice on its own creepy). The best thing about this film are Lorre's scenes with Sydney Greenstreet. They play off each other really well and I enjoyed seeing them together. (Photos: Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson / Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet / Faye Emerson and Zachary Scott)
DECOY (1946) ★★½
Watched: 15.11.2021
Fun noir but not very good. Story-wise it is really stretching the imagination, with a Frankenstein-ish plot where Robert Armstrong, sentenced to death by gas, is revived and returned to the living. But the main reason why this didn't work for me was because of its leading actress Jean Gillie who doesn't have staying power and isn't memorable at all. Also, I liked her more as a cold-blooded femme fatale, but when she finds the loot at the end, she breaks down in hysterical laughter and that's just not badass behaviour. Her British accent was a bit distracting too. All performances are mediocre, and though I liked to see Armstrong play, he doesn't have much to do. And Edward Norris never impresses. The one actor who stood out for me was Sheldon Leonard playing the cop and he's very believable in his role. In the final scene where Gillie cons him out of a kiss (it's clear he has the hots for her), his humiliation is palpable. Also, disappointing cinematography by L. William O'Connell. (Photos: Jean Gillie, Edward Norris and Herbert Rudley / Edward Norris, Jean Gillie and Robert Armstrong / Sheldon Leonard)
FOURTEEN HOURS (1951) ★★★½
Watched: 15.11.2021
I like films taking place in one setting and in the course of a limited time frame. Here the setting is the ledge of a New York high-rise building and the proceedings take place within 14 hours. Richard Basehart has the leading role of a confused man wanting to commit suicide by jumping off the building and Paul Douglas is the amiable, softhearted cop who strikes up a bond with him while trying to talk him down. There are many familiar faces here: Agnes Moorehead and Robert Keith as Basehart's parents, Barbara Bel Geddes as his girlfriend, Debra Paget and Jeffrey Hunter as two strangers among the crowd witnessing the spectacle and making a connection with each other, Grace Kelly (in her first screen appearance) as a woman about to finalise her divorce but then deciding against it, Howard Da Silva as the police chief and Frank Faylen as the hotel waiter. Richard Beymer, Leif Erickson, Brian Keith and John Cassavetes all have uncredited bit parts but I missed them. This is listed as a film noir, among others, and though it's not the traditional noir film, it manages to hold tension throughout and there's also some great photography by Joseph MacDonald, especially the shots of NYC and the crazy crowd craving sensation. I thought Basehart was really good and convincing, looking vulnerable, nervous and on edge. It turned out that during production his wife died of a brain tumour and he performed the scenes with a sprained ankle and poison oak. It's very likely his real-life grief-stricken condition had something to do with the effectiveness of his play. His scenes with Douglas are the best moments of the film. (Photos: Richard Basehart, Paul Douglas and Barbara Bel Geddes / Grace Kelly and James Warren / Debra Paget, Jeffrey Hunter and Joyce Van Patten)
FLAXY MARTIN (1949) ★★★
Watched: 17.11.2021
One surely has to suspend disbelief with this noir as some of the plot points are a bit ridiculous and character motives stretch the imagination. Virginia Mayo as the titular Flaxy is the femme fatale, Zachary Scott as the mobster lawyer is a sucker to fall for her and confess to a crime he didn't commit (for her sake), and Dorothy Malone who comes to Scott's aid is too good to be true. But I still had a good time with this and particularly enjoyed the subplot with Malone. I like her this young and dark-haired, not playing sultry, and she makes a nice couple with Scott (though he's probably better suited to Mayo). I like Scott's screen presence a lot, by the way, and his deep voice too. Also with Elisha Cook Jr. who's convincing as the sleazy crook. No big shakes here but entertaining enough and with a happy ending, of course, because Malone's character likes them, haha. (Photos: Dorothy Malone and Zachary Scott / Zachary Scott and Virginia Mayo / Elisha Cook Jr., Zachary Scott and Dorothy Malone)
Watched: 17.11.2021
THE STREET WITH NO NAME (1948) ★★★½
Tight and gritty little B-noir in which Mark Stevens plays the leading role, and sits also in the director's and producer's chair. Great opening sequence with a train heist, meticulously planned like a time table. Stevens is the insurance investigator called in to crack the case. Early on, about thirty minutes in, there's a great surprise twist. Better not to read too much about this film online as many reviewers reveal the twist without a spoiler alert. Luckily I read the reviews after watching because it really spoils the fun if you watch this for the first time knowing what the unexpected turn will be. I'd wished they had pushed the twist a bit further down the line, though, and not already in the first act. But it still stays suspenseful and tense after the twist, even a bit unsettling, and the ending has a great chase scene, beautifully photographed in true noir style. I thought the cinematography by Charles Van Enger was good throughout the film. Mark Stevens gives a great and assured performance and is aptly supported by Felicia Farr as the femme fatale, King Calder as his fellow investigator and Marianne Stewart as his wife. A well-made and well-acted noir, one of the best I've seen so far this month, a really nice surprise. (Photos: Mark Stevens and Marianne Stewart / Mark Stevens and King Calder / Felicia Farr and Mark Stevens)
Watched: 18.11.2021
Wanted to watch another film with Mark Stevens and found this noir where he is first-billed and plays an undercover FBI agent, on assignment to find out which gang is behind a couple of murders. He then meets Richard Widmark who turns out to be the mastermind of the organisation the FBI is after. At first the film has the feel of a semi-documentary with an intrusive voice-over narration, clearly a propaganda piece for the FBI, but it soon becomes a tense drama and it's inevitable Stevens gets his cover blown. He gives a solid performance, and Widmark is good as the maniacal villain (although I think he tends to overdo it a bit in his early roles and his smirk gets a tad annoying). Good support by Lloyd Nolan, Ed Begley and John McIntire. The only female part is reserved for Barbara Lawrence, who plays Widmark's wife and punching bag. The noirish cinematography by Joseph MacDonald is great. And I was glad McIntire didn't die in the final scene. (Photos: Mark Stevens and Richard Widmark / Mark Stevens, Barbara Lawrence and Richard Widmark / Mark Stevens)
THE COUNT (1916) ★★½
Watched: 18.11.2021
Taking a break from watching film noirs with this short Charlie Chaplin comedy (for my monthly silent film fix). Not very special but still enjoyable. I like seeing him with his regular leading lady Edna Purviance and I love the dancing sequence and the dinner scene. No laugh-out-loud funny moments but the gag with the smelly cheese elicited some chuckles. (Photo: Charlie Chaplin / Gif: Eric Campbell, Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance / Photo: Charlie Chaplin and Eva Thatcher)
NEXT TIME I MARRY (1938) ★★
Watched: 19.11.2021
Time for a silly romantic comedy. Normally I like silly and I love Lucille Ball, especially this young and pretty, but I didn't like her character that much and this comedy just didn't work for me. The story premise of an heiress having to marry in order to secure her inheritance is not an original one, but it could have been so much better with a good script (unfortunately there's no playful banter between the leads here) and funnier situations. Some things I didn't find funny at all, like Lucy setting fire to the trailer and James Ellison not coming to her rescue while the whole trailer is filling with smoke, even though Lucy had caused the fire herself. I've seen Ellison in a couple of films now and never really liked him, and I only warmed up to him towards the end of this film. In the scene where he's showing Lucy the photo of the sailing boat he wants to buy he looks really good and I also like the way he looks at Lucy. Support by Lee Bowman who has an inconsistent foreign accent but it looks like he's having fun with his silly character. Probably best scene: Lucy and Mike the dog reach out for a plate of food placed between them, Lucy with her hand and the dog with his paw. Great shot! (Photo: Lucille Ball and James Ellison / Screenshot by me: Lucille Ball / Photo: Lucille Ball and James Ellison)
PANAMA LADY (1939) ★★½
Watched: 19.11.2021
Probably rating this too high, because — despite being entertaining — the story is weak, as well as the characters and script. Also, the production values are low. What made me bump up my rating is Lucille Ball. She looks so beautiful this young and I love when she plays serious. I also liked this better than Next Time I Marry which I watched prior to this one. Allan Lane, who has this contemporary look, is okay. The romance could have been developed better and obviously I didn't like how Lane's character was trying to sexually assault Lucy. (Photos: Lucille Ball and Allan Lane / Lucille Ball / Lucille Ball and Allan Lane)
DESERT FURY (1947) ★★★★
Watched: 20.11.2021
This colour noir was a great surprise and in a positive way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. First of all, it looks fabulous. Shot in gorgeous Technicolor, exposing beautiful scenery and great sets (love Mary Astor's mansion and the ranch of John Hodiak and Wendell Corey), DP's Charles Lang and Edward Cronjager found enough opportunities to treat us to shadowy images. Also, the script is good, I love the dialogue and line delivery. The characters are nuanced enough, they're all a bit mixed-up, even the good characters (Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott) show their weak sides because of love. The performances are good, some even excellent (I'm looking at you, Mary Astor), but probably the most intriguing thing about this noir is its gay subtext which cannot be overlooked. Wendell Corey (in his film debut) as live-in friend of Hodiak behaves like a jealous lover towards Scott and likely he is. (Take note of this piece of dialogue when Scott asks Hodiak how he met Corey: "It was in the automat off Times Square, about two o'clock in the morning on a Saturday. I was broke, he had a couple of dollars, we got to talking. He ended up paying for my ham and eggs. (...) I went home with him that night. We were together from then on.") Also the mother-daughter relationship is very interesting. When Scott says to Astor at the end, "I want you to kiss me", Astor does just that and plants a kiss on Scott's lips. With costumes by Edith Head and a music score by Miklós Rózsa, this film is a great mix of noir and melodrama, and I will likely watch this again. Also, can we talk about Burt Lancaster's hair?! (Screenshots by me: Lizabeth Scott and John Hodiak / Mary Astor / Lizabeth Scott and Wendell Corey)
ESCAPE IN THE FOG (1945) ★★
Watched: 21.11.2021
Fairly entertaining but unremarkable low-budget B-programmer classified as noir, starring Nina Foch and Otto Kruger (first-billed but with little screen time). Something with a package containing secret goverment information carried by special agent G-man William Wright but intercepted by the evil Nazis. It all moves at a brisk pace and with only an hour of runtime doesn't outstay its welcome. The romance between Foch and Wright comes quickly but I didn't mind and I liked Foch here. Watch out for an uncredited Shelley Winters in the role of a taxi driver. (Photos: Nina Foch and William Wright / Nina Foch / uncredited Shelley Winters)
THE GENERAL (1926) ★★★★
Rewatched: 21.11.2021
Seen this on the big screen at the Filmoteca with live piano music as part of the kids program. It was a pretty full house and the kids were paying attention and fortunately weren't too noisy. It was nice to notice the moments when they were laughing. Also, when Buster Keaton came into a difficult situation and had success achieving something, they were applauding. I liked this famous silent better than the first time I saw it five years ago and it's not so difficult to see why this was a costly production. It's an action-packed film with a lot of extras and large set pieces. The slapstick humour I didn't find that special, but the story as a whole and the great stunts make this a compelling watch. And it's always great to see beautiful Buster, this time wearing a bit too much eye-makeup and lipstick. His leading lady Marion Mack is a bit nondescript, but I love the scene where Buster first wrings her neck — she drives him crazy — and then kisses her. (Gif: Buster Keaton / Photos: Buster Keaton / Buster Keaton and Marion Mack)
THE UNFAITHFUL (1947) ★★★½
Watched: 23.11.2021
Fine noir melodrama with decent performances by the main cast — Ann Sheridan, Lew Ayres, Zachary Scott and Eve Arden. Sheridan's character kills an intruder in her home while her husband Zachary Scott is out of town (but about to return home) and the question arises whether it was self-defence or murder. Though there are few traces of noir, it's still suspenseful, but towards the ending of the film it becomes clear the murder mystery is inferior to the adultery theme (I was hoping for a twist which didn't come). The film gives a rather sympathetic look at wartime brides and the loneliness they experience while their men are away fighting a war. Eve Arden probably gives the best performance here (though Sheridan is also good in her dramatic role) and has — not so surprisingly — the film's best lines ("Isn't that Joan stupid? Poor dear, she's just not smart enough to be an idiot."). The scene where Scott visits Arden in her apartment is one of the highlights of this film. There are some incredible things too, like Ayres being a divorce attorney and all of a sudden turning into a criminal lawyer; and the police inspector John Hoyt leaving Sheridan's torn dress with blood marks in the care of Sheridan, the perpetrator, not taking it with him for evidence ("Hold on to the dress. Don't have it cleaned, we may need it later."). What?! The film ends with Ayres' preachy plea for marriage — think again before getting a hasty divorce — and it has a let's have a cigarette on it kind of final scene. Although DP Ernest Haller shoots some beautiful images, overall I didn't find the photography that remarkable, but I liked the melodious and dramatic score by Max Steiner. This noir — apparently loosely based on W. Somerset Maugham's The Letter — is definitely not without flaws, but it was a very engaging watch. (Photos: Lew Ayres, Ann Sheridan and Zachary Scott / Zachary Scott and Eve Arden / on set with Ann Sheridan and Zachary Scott)
Watched: 23.11.2021
Interesting story premise of a business man (Richard Gaines) in financial problems asking his employee Jeffrey Lynn to aid him in letting his suicide look like a robbery-murder in order for his wife and son to benefit from his life insurance. In return for this, Lynn — who just got fired and has financial problems of his own — gets $10,000. There are some moments of genuine suspense, enhanced by the noirish photography by Harry J. Wild (DP of The Big Steal, Pitfall and Murder, My Sweet), and Lynn is a good casting choice for the nervous everyday man whose life is turned upside down by making one bad decision. I don't really like Martha Scott, yet she's okay as Lynn's wife. Harry Morgan as the investigating police inspector makes the most of his role and gives a lively performance. There is a nice twist at the end and it's mostly entertaining, certainly not a bad way to spend 68 minutes. (Photos: Jeffrey Lynn and Martha Scott / Henry O'Neill, Martha Scott and Jeffrey Lynn / Jeffrey Lynn and Martha Scott)
BY THE SAD SEA WAVES (1917) ★★
Watched: 24.11.2021
Very short Harold Lloyd silent with few funny moments. I liked the bathing suits and the shower cabin and some of the confusion after Lloyd changed the shower sign, but apart from that there's not much to like here. With regular leading lady Bebe Daniels. (Photo: Harold Lloyd and girls)
FRAMED (1947) ★★★½
Watched: 25.11.2021
Solid noir with a thrilling opening scene where Glenn Ford tries to control a truck without breaks. There's a convincing performance from Janis Carter as the femme fatale. But how convenient was it for her to have a little bottle of poison at hand on her kitchen shelf for 'emergency' situations?! I was glad Ford had at least one friend in town, Edgar Buchanan. Reliable support by Barry Sullivan and Karen Morley and great cinematography by Burnett Guffey. (Photos: Glenn Ford and Edgar Buchanan / Glenn Ford and Janis Carter / Barry Sullivan, Janis Carter and Glenn Ford)
RUTHLESS (1948) ★★★
Watched: 25.11.2021
Slow-paced noir melodrama, bogged down by multiple scenes of boring incomprehensible business talk. But the biggest flaw of this film is that Zachary Scott is not ruthless enough. Only in the last part he seems to be without a conscience when he overtly goes after Louis Hayward's girl Diana Lynn (in a double role) as Mallory. In flashbacks Scott's character is shown as a kindhearted kid (played by Robert J. Anderson, young George Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life), and the transformation to becoming a ruthless business man is not well developed. Even with still half an hour to go, I was waiting for Scott to show truly villainous streaks. It's true he uses women (Martha Vickers and Lucille Bremer — Bremer reminded me a bit of Bette Davis) to get ahead in business (he needs their men in order to do so), but he doesn't manipulate them into the relationship. He doesn't need to as they have fallen for him of their own accord (also his first love Diana Lynn as Martha was the one to chase him, not the other way around). All performances are good, with Sydney Greenstreet and Lucille Bremer making an interesting couple. I liked Diana Lynn and she's beautifully photographed. The cinematography by Bert Glennon is atmospheric and there's a pleasant music score by Werner Janssen. Ultimately this was disappointing but it was the first time I consciously noticed Zachary Scott's beautiful eyelashes! (Photos: Diana Lynn and Zachary Scott / Martha Vickers and Zachary Scott / publicity shot with Zachary Scott and Diana Lynn)
Watched: 25.11.2021
Based on Ladies They Talk About, starring Barbara Stanwyck, with Faye Emerson in Stanwyck's role. I like Emerson, she reminds me a bit of Joan Crawford, and she's well cast in the role of the lady gangster who takes the rap for a robbery committed by a group of criminals (she's an accomplice). A lot of the film is set in the women's prison with the cosy-looking prison cells. Though this film stretches the imagination a bit (especially when Emerson escapes prison to warn Frank Wilcox that it's a set-up), it passes quickly and I was entertained. But leading man Wilcox is not very appealing and he doesn't have the best of chemistry with Emerson. (Photos: Faye Emerson, Frank Wilcox and Jackie Gleason / Faye Emerson and Julie Bishop)
FLAME OF THE ISLANDS (1955) ★½
Watched: 27.11.2021
Not really a film noir, even though Wikipedia classifies it as one (not IMDB). Strong point is the location shooting on the Bahamas, the interior design and lush colours in Trucolor. The story is weak, though, and the characters too. The romance between Yvonne De Carlo and Howard Duff wasn't convincing at all and I was rooting for Zachary Scott to get the girl (though his relationship with De Carlo wasn't really clear from the start, he seemed more of a good friend than anything else, and he was wearing pink a lot). Yet all of a sudden we get a happy ending with tall sailor James Arness (a pull-a-rabbit-out-of-the-hat kind of ending), who — with his height — makes De Carlo look like a midget. I hate it when there is a minor character you don't pay much attention to, and then all of a sudden the heroine is sharing her happy ending with him. Both Duff and Arness are unexciting, and though I was happy with Scott in the cast, his role was unexciting as well. De Carlo is attractive in colour and her wardrobe isn't shabby either. I didn't like the musical numbers (De Carlo can sing but she should stay away from dancing), and because I wasn't paying full attention anymore towards the end, I didn't really follow the subplot with the bad guys. Frieda Inescort and Barbara O'Neil at least give some decent performances but overall this was a big mess. Set at Christmas time with lots of red-coloured decorations. (Screenshots by me: Yvonne De Carlo / Zachary Scott and Yvonne De Carlo / Yvonne De Carlo)
ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939) ★★★★★
Rewatched: 27.11.2021
Seen this on the big screen at the Filmoteca for the second time. The print was a digital one, so very clear, and we sat close to the front in the large viewing room with low occupation. One of the best things of this much-loved classic is the developing friendship between Thomas Mitchell and Jean Arthur (I love their scenes together!). Cary Grant may not be the best dramatic actor but he is convincing in his role, and what he has going for him is that he has great chemistry with his co-stars, notably Mitchell and Arthur. He makes it credible that his men would go to any lengths to do things for him, even though at times he behaves tough and seemingly without feelings. You know that underneath he cares deeply about his men and you see this in little gestures. This is a typical Howard Hawks film with heartwarming moments, male camaraderie and well-rounded characters. Apart from the major players, I also love the supporting roles of Allyn Joslyn, Sig Ruman, Victor Kilian and John Carroll. Richard Barthelmess got his face scarred in real life because of a botched plastic surgery, but instead of covering his scars with makeup, Hawks wanted him to show them in order to give more character to his role. Great cinematography by Joseph Walker, especially in the memorable scene of Mitchell's death, and thrilling aerial action scenes. Last time I'd seen this I hadn't given it the full 5 stars, but apart from some minor flaws, I couldn't really find any fault with it now. (Screenshots by me: Thomas Mitchell and Jean Arthur / Cary Grant, Allyn Joslyn, Richard Barthelmess, Rita Hayworth, and in the background John Carroll and Jean Arthur / Gif by me: Jean Arthur and Cary Grant)
THE MIGHTY MCGURK (1947) ★★½
Watched: 28.11.2021
Watched this in commemoration of Dean Stockwell who recently passed away on the 7th of November at the age of 85. I like him as a child actor so chose one of his early films. Here he plays an orphan who is sent to live with his uncle but meets retired prizefighter Wallace Beery and ends up in his care. Beery as the unwilling guardian of course warms up to the little boy and the two share some nice moments. Stockwell (with an inconsistent English/Irish accent) is lovable, with a head full of curls, and there's also a cute little dog. But what I actually enjoyed most are the scenes with Beery and Aline MacMahon who have great chemistry. Also with Cameron Mitchell and Dorothy Patrick as the romantic couple, and Edward Arnold as the saloon owner. Enjoyable film but it was lacking in heartwarming moments. (Photos: Wallace Beery and Dean Stockwell / Dean Stockwell and cute dog / Cameron Mitchell and Dorothy Patrick)
THE NAKED CITY (1948) ★★★½
Watched: 28.11.2021
Well-known noir that I hadn't seen yet. It's a docudrama and police procedural (with a rather overbearing voice-over narration) where the viewer is taken by the hand and shown step by step how a murder investigation develops from a single clue to the resolution. The crime case itself (woman murdered in her bath tub, something to do with jewels) is nothing really special but still compelling to watch it unfold. Okay performances by Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor, but greatest asset is the cinematography by William H. Daniels and the fantastic music score by Miklós Rózsa and Frank Skinner. The film's climax with the final chase is truly exhilarating and New York City as the main character is beautifully photographed. Also loved the end credits with the great music. (Photos: Barry Fitzgerald and Don Taylor / Howard Duff and Dorothy Hart / NYC)
THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE (1947) ★★★
Watched: 29.11.2021
Tight noir with Lawrence Tierney in the lead giving a convincing performance as the bad guy. After he killed a man in a holdup, he hitches a ride with a lingerie salesman (Ted North), also picking up two women on the way. With sharp dialogue and great cinematography by J. Roy Hunt, this was enjoyable throughout and I liked Betty Lawford, the tough dame. But what's with that horrible ending?! (Photos: Ted North, Marian Carr, Betty Lawford and Lawrence Tierney / Lawrence Tierney and Nan Leslie / Lawrence Tierney and Betty Lawford)
SECRET ENEMIES (1942) ★★½
Watched: 30.11.2021
Fast-paced B-spy thriller by Warner Bros with a runtime under an hour that I watched for Faye Emerson. Basically the same story premise as "G" Men where James Cagney plays a lawyer who joins the FBI after his friend is killed. Here Craig Stevens also plays a lawyer joining the FBI after the death of his friend and instead of chasing gangsters (like in "G" Men), Stevens is chasing the members of a Nazi spy ring. Emerson plays his girlfriend and doesn't have a lot to do but fortunately she's not just the leading man's boring love interest (wait and see!). I liked Stevens buddying up with G-man John Ridgely and I also recognised Frank Wilcox (the senior FBI agent) from Lady Gangster where he played the male lead (also seen this month). With some overbearing music, this film was fun while it lasted. (Photos: Craig Stevens and Faye Emerson / Faye Emerson)
So! That's another round-up and we're left with just one month for 2021. Unreal! This is going to be a record-breaking film year! Score so far: 435 films! Looking forward to December as I will be concentrating on finishing Deanna Durbin's small filmography, in celebration of the centennial of her birth (4 December 1921). I'm also hoping to watch some Christmas classics (old or new-to-me), and I will see whether I can tick off some more goals of my film resolution list for this year (here), e.g. the remaining films in The Thin Man series. I might also watch some films starring Arlene Dahl, maybe even do a R.I.P. post. See you in a month's time for the last round-up of 2021!
