Looks like I will be at 81/100. Not where I wanted to be, but not terrible either. Plus I have added nicely to my Noir watchlist. Once I get through those, I should be fairly well rounded in the genre. Then I have my whole life to rewatch them all since I will have forgotten the plot of every damn one.
Looks like I will be at 81/100. Not where I wanted to be, but not terrible either. Plus I have added nicely to my Noir watchlist. Once I get through those, I should be fairly well rounded in the genre. Then I have my whole life to rewatch them all since I will have forgotten the plot of every damn one.
Sometimes the plot is optional, like with The Big Sleep. 🤣
But seriously, I figure The Big Sleep is #9.
Night of the Hunter was my #20. Memorable characters for sure. And I do like Lillian Gish.
Laura was my #6. Classic. Just what I think of if I think of noir.
There are 2 more from my list that will place in the top ten. One film that was on the near misses: Cast a Dark Shadow . I gave it all 9 of its points and I'm not surprised noone else voted for it. I just liked it.
There's one more film that wasn't on the near misses list but surely won't show up now, so I don't know what's happened to that. It's been run off the road and left in a ditch somewhere by a no-good rival, perhaps.
Laura is a masterpiece, of course, and absolutely worthy of the Top Ten, but I figured it didn't need my help. One I did try and give a boost that did not make it...
The wonderful Jules Dassin placed four films on the countdown, all terrific: Night and the City (#25), Rififi (#42), The Naked City (#60), and Brute Force (#73). I chose a fifth for my ballot, Thieves' Highway (1949). Most Noirs deal with the underworld in some way, criminal enterprises run with fear, intimidation, and even murder. Thieves' Highway takes a look at a very specific and odd one, the produce industry! That may not sound very promising, but corruption can overreach anywhere. Richard Conte (The Big Combo, The Godfather) stars as a returning WWII veteran coming home to Fresno, CA where he learns his immigrant father, who worked as a truck driver, was crippled by a thug of a produce dealer (Lee J. Cobb) up in San Francisco. He vows to get revenge. He hires on with the man who took over his father's truck and off he goes with a load full of apples.
Once he gets to Frisco he sees right away how the little tyrant works. He slashes their tire, he hires a prostitute (Valentina Cortese) to seduce him and keep him out of the way, then unloads the truck without their permission and sets a lower price. He does pay them, but then sends men to roll him for the cash. Cobb's character will do anything to cut corners, cheat, and keep as much money as possible, including sabotaging brakes. But he's messed with the wrong man this time. The corruption and danger emanating from something as seemingly benign as produce and trucking is an usual treat but as powerful as any nightclub owner or numbers runner. The rest of the supporting cast includes big ol' Jack Oakie, Millard Mitchell, Joseph Pevney, and Morris Carnovsky.
Thieves' Highway was twenty-first on my ballot. A great movie, but my five little points weren't enough to have it join the other Dassin pictures in the Top 100.
HOLDEN'S BALLOT 2. The Killers (#22) 3. Too Late for Tears (#81) 4. The Set-Up (#46) 7. The Asphalt Jungle (#16) 8. Odd Man Out (#47) 9. Criss Cross (#44) 10. Stray Dog (#32) 11. The Killing (#11) 12. The Big Combo (#52) 13. Phantom Lady (#69) 14. Born to Kill (#84) 15. Pickup on South Street (#21) 16. The Big Heat (#17) 18. He Walked By Night (#88) 19. Fallen Angel (#80) 20. Shadow of a Doubt (#12) 21. Thieves’ Highway (DNP) 22. Panic in the Streets (#98) 24. Crossfire (#51) 25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP)
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Thieves Highway was in one of the HOF we did for this list. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and more than most it seemed. Wasn’t strong enough for my list though.
I was in that HoF too, come to think of it I hosted it I liked Thieve's Highway, but most of the members were cool to it and it placed last. I'm surprised more people didn't vote for it, but it's not that well known. It only received one vote from Holden.
I wrote this about it:
Thieves' Highway (1949)
Thieves' Highway will be one of the highlights for me in this HoF...an HoF which is packed full of great noirs. I really liked this movie, here's why: The story and settings are interesting. I image some might not care for this as there's no dark rainy alleys, no detectives in trench coats and no long ominous shadows. I found the story of the competitive, cut-throat world of long haul 'wild cat' truckers a fascinating story.
Visually I liked the different shooting locations, the apple orchids, the open road, the wholesale produce market. For me that was a world I wanted to learn about and spend time with.
The other main thing I liked was that that the secondary characters were well written and had more to them than just being place holders so that the next scene could take place. I especially liked the writing of the two truck haulers who at the start of the movie get cut out of an apple hauling deal and scheme to get some of the money back. Later the story propels both of those men to a place where they need to make a decision which then changes their character's actions. I thought Valentina Cortesa was a very believable choice for a woman who slummed around the fruit market. I liked her role and the little things she did when on screen, she was an interesting actress. I liked Richard Conte and of course the great Lee J. Cobb.
Laura is a timeless classic also outside of the genre. It has been a while since I’ve seen it but made enough of a lasting impression to land a spot on my list at #22. Also had The Mob at #19 and I Walk Alone at #24.
1. 100%
2. 100%
3. The Narrow Margin (1952)
4. 100%
5. Murder, My Sweet (1944)
6. 100%
7. The Big Heat (1953)
8. Rebecca (1940)
9. Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
10. Bob Le Flambeur (1956)
11. The Breaking Point (1950)
12. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
13. The Killing (1956)
14. Gilda (1946)
15. Notorious (1946)
16. 100%
17. The Wrong Man (1956)
18. Night and the City (1950)
19. The Mob (1951) NM
20. Kansas City Confidential (1952)
21. 100%
22. Laura (1944)
23. The Set-Up (1949)
24. I Walk Alone (1947) NM
25. Kiss of Death (1947)
Thieves Highway was in one of the HOF we did for this list. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and more than most it seemed. Wasn’t strong enough for my list though.
I was in that HoF too, come to think of it I hosted it I liked Thieve's Highway, but most of the members were cool to it and it placed last. I'm surprised more people didn't vote for it, but it's not that well known. It only received one vote from Holden.
Yeah, I think I placed it last, but to be fair, that HoF was stacked. I still rated it 3/5, which is good. Here is the bulk of what I wrote:
Like many film noirs, the film does a great job of presenting the insurmountable stakes that our lead seems to be against. Perhaps a representation of the struggles and difficulties that veterans had to face upon returning home, Nick seems to have little chances to win. But he more than makes up for it with determination and guts as he stands up to Figlia.
Nick is also helped by Ed (Millard Mitchell), another driver that took up Nick father's truck, and Rica (Valentina Cortese), a local that Figlia might or might not be using against Nick. Conte is solid in the lead, but it is Cobb who easily shines as Figlia. His character moves seamlessly from fake amiability to sheer unscrupulousness and opportunism.
However, the film's pace is a bit dragged down by Ed's subplot, despite Mitchell's performance being pretty good. I also didn't like how the film handled the subplot with Nick's girlfriend, Polly (Barbara Lawrence) and how Rica serves as the rebound. I don't think the character of Polly was entirely necessary, or on the other hand, the romantic relationship with Rica.
Despite those flaws, the film was enjoyable with some nice twists and solid performances. The exchanges between Nick and Figlia were intense and featured some good dialogue ("your end of nothing is nothing") without it resorting into the stereotypes of antagonists, so I'll give it a fair shake.
3. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
7. Notorious (1946)
9. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
10. Stray Dog (1949)
11. Mildred Pierce (1945)
13. Detour (1945)
15. Bob le flambeur (1956)
16. The Killers (1946)
17. Rififi (1955)
18. The Killing (1956)
19. Strangers on a Train (1951)
20. Gilda (1946)
21. Pickup on South Street (1953)
22. Laura (1944)
23. White Heat (1949)
25. Nightmare Alley (1947)
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A well-known classic! This is an excellent film I have seen several times. Love the sort of haunting aspect of it and it's various quirks and oddities. Not much else to say about it that other folks haven't mentioned already. Just missed my Top 10!
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Laura, done the same year as Double Indemnity, is a wonderfully good mystery noir with a stellar cast. It's famous theme song alone by David Raskin (with Johnny Mercer's lyrics added after the film's popularity) would contribute to its appeal.
It marks Clifton Webb's first foray into films after many years on Broadway. And if you've seen his portrayal of Waldo Lydecker, he plays almost the identical character in every movie he was in afterwards..
#10 Laura (1944) - I had Laura on my ballot at #24. It got that spot because, although my memory has become a little hazy on the specifics, I remember really enjoying it. At the time I called it a "a romance, suspense, mystery and noir all wrapped up in a finely crafted and well directed product. It's an interesting treatise on masculinity, and even snobbery - seeming to set in it's sights all of the character deficiencies people can have." Adding, in the end, that "the movie makes us feel glad to be humble, and realistic." I love seeing the likes of Vincent Price at a young enough age not to have been typecast yet - there are so many actors in these old film noir classics that I know but have never seen in such fine, spritely condition. How do I describe Gene Tierney? Va va voom I guess. Anyway, that's spots 10 to 25 all taken (looks like I might get a full house with this countdown) along with spot 4.
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Seen : 29/91
I'd never even heard of : 47/91
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 15/91
Films from my list : 17
#10 - My #24 - Laura (1944)
#11 - My #13 - The Killing (1956)
#13 - My #4 - Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
#14 - My #10 - The Night of the Hunter (1955)
#16 - My #15 - The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
#21 - My #17 - Pickup on South Street (1953)
#24 - My #20 - Detour (1945)
#27 - My #14 - Gilda (1946)
#28 - My #11 - Murder, My Sweet (1944)
#31 - My #25 - The Lady From Shanghai (1947)
#33 - My #22 - Nightmare Alley (1947)
#36 - My #16 - Gun Crazy (1950)
#44 - My #19 - Criss Cross (1949)
#54 - My #12 - D.O.A. (1950)
#58 - My #23 - The Breaking Point (1950)
#61 - My #21 - Act of Violence (1949)
#67 - My #18 - The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
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From the near misses, I voted for The Hidden Room/Obsession. I had it at #20, and didn't think it was going to make the Countdown, so I'm glad it was at least close!
Laura, on the other hand, I knew would be here somewhere - the question was just where it would wind up. Happy to see if make the top 10, since it was my #1. I saw it in the 1940s Hall of Fame, and wrote this at the time:
Unfortunately I don't really have anything to add about either film, and can't even find a good gif of The Hidden Room/Obsession either. I'm going to have to start making those myself it seems!
Seen: 39/91
My List: 16 01. Laura (1944) - #10 02. 03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92 04. Murder My Sweet (1944) - #28 05. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - #12 06. Detour (1945) - #24 07. Rebecca (1940) - #35 08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75 09. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - #40 10. 11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78 12. Mildred Pierce (1945) - #15 13. Odd Man Out (1947) - #47 14. 15. Strangers on a Train (1951) - #18 16. 17. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - #16 18. Night and the City (1950) - #25 19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69 20. The Hidden Room/Obsession (1949) - DNP 21. 22. The Killing (1956) - #11 23. 24. Kiss Me Deadly (1955) - #14 25. The Stranger (1946) - #38
Laura was my #1 as well! I've adored this movie ever since I first saw it, around 20 years ago, and it keeps getting better over time.
Honestly, I'm slightly bummed it didn't rank higher in the top 10, but I'm glad so many other people love it too.
@John-Connor, I watched I Walk Alone after the Countdown began and I really liked it. Who can resist Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas teamed up? But throw in Lizabeth Scott (yes, please!) and a near scene-stealing Wendell Corey, and my favorite hulking brute Mike Mazurki and you've got yourself a winner. There's another film I'm hoping will make the countdown (not because it's on my list---it isn't) with Burt. In that one he loses his temper a bit, but in this one, he's angry all the time, raging at KIrk, which makes for an awesome time. Nice to see you included it!
I'll be one of the odd ones and admit that Laura is not one of my favorite Noirs. There's just something about it that left me cold. I loved everybody in it, the style, the look, the direction but at the end of the day, it's just a movie I don't feel like revisiting much. I'm sure I will but I've got loads of others ahead of it. Still, I knew it would make it and I know it belongs here, or on any proper Noir list.
#1 The Killing List Proper #11
#2 The Asphalt Jungle List Proper #16
#3
#4 The Big Combo List Proper #52
#5 Pickup on South Street List Proper #23
#6 Kansas City Confidential List Proper #53
#7
#8 While the City Sleeps NM
#9 Lady in the Lake NM
#10 The Big Heat List Proper #17
#11 Kiss Me Deadly List Proper #13
#12 The Postman Always Rings Twice List Proper #23
#13 Murder, My Sweet List Proper #28
#14 Kiss of Death List Proper #59
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#16 The Naked City List Proper #60
#17 The Killers List Proper #22
#18 Detour List Proper #24
#19 The Glass Key NM
#20 Gun Crazy List Proper #36
#21 Impact NM
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78
#23 The Narrow Margin List Proper #43
#24 Pitfall NM
#25 Crossfire List Proper #51
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Last edited by dadgumblah; 1 week ago at 10:04 PM.
@John-Connor, I watched I Walk Alone after the Countdown began and I really liked it. Who can resist Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas teamed up? But throw in Lizabeth Scott (yes, please!) and a near scene-stealing Wendell Corey, and my favorite hulking brute Mike Mazurki and you've got yourself a winner. There's another film I'm hoping will make the countdown (not because it's on my list---it isn't) with Burt. In that one he loses his temper a bit, but in this one, he's angry all the time, raging at KIrk, which makes for an awesome time.
Yes, poor Burt's character had a real compelling story, after being loyal for so long to come home to Kirk with the double cross. Nice touch of romance and chemistry with Lizabeth as well. Especially during the dining room dance accompanied by the soothing music. True hidden gem, with two true legends.
Since my last post three more from my ballot showed up Ace in the Hole was my number 13. Strangers on a Train was my number 4 and is my 2nd favorite Hitchcock film. The Killing was my number 3. I never really think about who my favorite directors are but doing these countdowns one thing almost all my ballots have in common is a Kubrick film in the top 5.
In preparation for the countdown, I've only met Gilda and couldn't find Laura. Anyway, I still look for her.
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I liked Thieve's Highway, but most of the members were cool to it and it placed last. I'm surprised more people didn't vote for it, but it's not that well known. It only received one vote from Holden.
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