The MoFo Top 100 Film Noir Countdown

[Citizen Rules]

Of the two, I prefer The Letter. It gets your attention when they show Bette Davis gun down her lover right outta the box..;) I thought everyone was good in the picture. It's too bad they had to make some significant plot changes due to the Hays Code.

The Desperate Hours is pretty glum, especially since Bogie had already become a big star, and had just starred in a light version of a benevolent home invasion 3 months earlier: We're No Angels. Bogart characterized his role in The Desperate Hours as "Duke Mantee grown up."..;)

I don't care for the hostage/kidnap plot any more. It's been done to death. But at the time it was fairly fresh.I seen The Letter back when I was first getting into movies some 20 years ago. I haven't seen it since, but one of these days I'm going to do a Bette Davis filmography watch...which will take some time as she made alot of movies.

[beelzebubble]

I have seen Dark Passage a couple times. I like it.

I have seen bits and pieces of Blue Dahlia, Desperate Hours and Brute Force.

I haven't seen Ministry of Fear but it looks good.

The Letter is on my list and is a favorite of mine.



6. The Letter
21. Fallen Angel
25. A Woman's Face

[dadgumblah]

I saw The Letter and loved it. The light and shadows were superbly done in that piece. I especially like that shot that Holden Pike posted of Bette looking at the moon with the window blinds casting shadows on her face and the moon lighting up those already luminous eyes of hers. Fine film, and I thought Gale Sondergaard was awesome as the "dragon lady" of the piece who is a thorn in Bette's side. Sondergaard excelled in that kind of role and I need more of her! Glad to see this made it.

The Desperate Hours is one I saw a long time ago but I remember liking it well enough. Like GulfportDoc, I'm not a fan of the hostage/kidnappers theme anymore, and really never have been. But I'll probably end up watching this one again as it's been quite a while and I'll take more Bogie anytime I can.

No-go again for today.

#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[PHOENIX74]

I've seen The Desperate Hours. A very tense, dread-filled film where a family is held hostage by a bunch of desperados, including one played by Humphrey Bogart who is especially (and surprisingly) menacing. I remember that there's a kid in it - which always makes the hostage situation worse, because the family the kid belongs to is especially vulnerable. It reminds me somewhat of Suddenly (1954) - although in that film it's presidential assassins instead of regular crooks. I guess there's a small sub-genre there when it comes to home invasions and hostage-taking - of which The Desperate Hours and Suddenly are very early entrants. Anyway, always a pretty big shock to have seen a film revealed in this thread at the moment. If I'd remembered The Desperate Hours as film noir it would have had a chance to make my ballot - I liked it a little more than some of the lower placed films on my list. (I do wonder if Suddenly will make the countdown now.)

Seen : 4/30

[WHITBISSELL!]

Still only 2 on my ballot

Mystery Street at #6 and Too Late for Tears at #22

[John-Connor]

https://31.media.tumblr.com/818d87cb6d245654d67625beda649a07/tumblr_ml9wirB1Al1qiz3j8o1_500.gif


Actor Stats Pit Stop
98065

3
Whit Bissell
(He Walked by Night, Brute Force, The Desperate Hours)
Humphrey Bogart
(Dead Reckoning, Dark Passage, The Desperate Hours)

2
Veronica Lake
(The Blue Dahlia, This Gun for Hire)
Agnes Moorehead
(Dark Passage, Caged)
Lizabeth Scott
(Dead Reckoning, Too Late for Tears)
Burt Lancaster
(Sorry Wrong Number, Brute Force)
Dan Duryea
(Too Late for Tears, Ministry of Fear)
John Garfield
(Body & Soul, Force of Evil)
Charles Bickford
(Brute Force, Fallen Angel)
Arthur Kennedy
(Too Late for Tears, The Desperate Hours)
Elisha Cook Jr.
(Stranger on the Third Floor, Born to Kill)
Alan Ladd
(The Blue Dahlia, This Gun for Hire)
William Bendix
(The Dark Corner, The Blue Dahlia)
Herbert Marshall
(Angel Face, The Letter)
William Conrad
(Sorry, Wrong Number, Body & Soul)
Walter Burke
(Mystery Street, All the King's Men)
Raymond Greenleaf
(All the King's Men, Angel Face)

powered by Holden Pike

[cricket]

I had The Letter on my ballot at #25, I believe the 4th from my list to show.

I must have seen The Desperate Hours but yet I'm not sure. I saw the remake when it came out and didn't like it but it was a long time ago.

[ScarletLion]

0/30

[stillmellow]

0/30


For a moment there, I thought I'd seen the Desperate Hours and broken the curse. Then I realized I was thinking of The Petrified Forest, another Bogey movie with a similar setup.


0/30

[stillmellow]

Thief and Sedai are still in the running with 2 seen each.


'Hey Frederick' was at 2 a while back, but hasn't posted in a while. No idea how they're doing.


It's still anyone's game. 😄

[Little Ash]

I wonder if this is going to be the list that has the lowest "I've seen that movie" stats. Not that my history with these lists go back that far.

And I'm pretty sure I'm currently at 3.

[crumbsroom]

I've seen at least nine of them.

I didn't even recognize Confidential Report at first, because I only think of it as Mr Arkadin (which is what I voted for it as). So it's possible there are other ones whose titles I simply don't recognize

[crumbsroom]

As for the greatness of Mr Arkadin, it's incompleteness is very much a part of its allure. To complain it isn't as up to snuff as Welles other films is similar to people who are upset about the White Album not being whittled down to one perfect record of all its best songs. But sometimes perfection is exactly what should be pushed against. Sometimes, seeing a great artists creative process preserved up on screen, warts and all, has as much, if not more value, than seeing their most immaculate creation.

[Citizen Rules]

98074
#70 Drunken Angel (1948)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Production: Toho Company
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune, Reizaburô Yamamoto
48 Points, 4 Lists

'A drunken doctor with a hot temper and a violence-prone gangster with tuberculosis form a quicksilver bond.'

______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98075
#69 Phantom Lady (1944)

Director: Robert Siodmak
Production: Universal Pictures
Cast: Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Alan Curtis
50 Points, 5 Lists

'A devoted secretary risks her life to try to find the elusive woman who may prove her boss didn't murder his selfish wife.'

_______________________________________

[Allaby]

Seen both Drunken Angel and Phantom Lady, but neither made my ballot. Both are 7/10 films for me.

Seen: 31/32

[seanc]

I didn’t like Drunken Angel at the time but the more Kurosawa I watched the more he grew on me so I will rewatch it someday.

I had high hopes for Phantom Lady, but it was just okay for me.

[ScarletLion]

I very nearly watched Drunken Angel last night!

0/32

[Sedai]

2/32

Two more I have never heard of!

[Thief]

Two more I haven't seen, but being a Kurosawa film, Drunken Angel has been on my radar.

[SpelingError]

Haven't seen either film.

[WHITBISSELL!]

1 for 2. Have watched Drunken Angel but wouldn't have thought it was a noir at first glance. It's not on my ballot but there is a Kurosawa there.

Haven't seen Phantom Lady.

11 of 32 seen.

[Wyldesyde19]

Hey! 2 for 2! And both were in my ballot!


#6 Drunken Angel
And
#8 The Phantom lady!

[Holden Pike]

98076

Kurosawa's Drunken Angel was #54 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1940s.

[Citizen Rules]

...I didn't even recognize Confidential Report at first, because I only think of it as Mr Arkadin (which is what I voted for it as). So it's possible there are other ones whose titles I simply don't recognizeJust in case anyone wonders, I did know both titles were the same movies so it did get it's full points.

[Citizen Rules]

Once again excerpts from my old reviews here at MoFo:p:

Phantom Lady
Visually the film is stunning being steeped in the German Expressionist /Noir lighting and compositing style. I swear literally ever frame of this movie could do double duty in a still photo exhibit...it looks that good.

Unfortunately the screenplay that was undoubtedly forced onto Sidomak is a non-sequitur idea that even the most casual viewer will immediately see makes no sense at all. In the movie the accused man was seen in a bar and also in a cab, proving that he wasn't at the murder seen and yet no one can remember the mystery woman, but she's not part of the alibi so all that is for naught. Even sillier is the scene that shows the locating of her hat to have significance when it proves nothing at all.

Siodmak does a first class job directing and that alone along with the beauty of Ella Raines and a potent jazz jam scene with Elisha Cook banging on the skins in what must have been meant to be a hopped up on drugs drummer. At least he plays the scene like someone high as a kite.

Drunken Angel
Terse & intense characters battling their inner demons in a vivid setting that defines the story. I loved that image of the sewer water pond that seem to draw the despots in, like flies. The gangsters rule the roast and have arisen during the U.S. occupation of Japan. There's a subconscious layer to the film which functions as an expose on the breakdown of the Japanese culture which has become fixated on all things western. A top notch film for me.

[John-Connor]

Drunken Angel is good, briefly considered it for my ballot, ended up at #36.
This was my favorite part of the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dujNxKoF0
SEEN 7/32
BALLOT 00/25


44. Angel Face (1952)
36. Drunken Angel (1948)
32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)

[Holden Pike]

Bring on the Phantom Lady…

98079

Noir buffs know Robert Siodmak’s name very well. I, like many, consider him to be the director of the genre (clicky HERE (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2421446#post2421446) for more). The casual fan likely won’t know who in the heck he is. His first Noir was indeed Phantom Lady, and it tells the wonderfully convoluted tale of a man (Alan Curtis) wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. There is no Richard Kimble-like breakout where he clears his name himself, instead his longtime secretary (Ella Raines) who has been quietly in love with him from afar for years is the one who becomes a very determined and quite clever amateur sleuth. He has an alibi, a woman he spent the evening with while his wife was being murdered, but he knows nothing about her other than her distinctive hat. The problem is that all of the witnesses who saw him in public that night claim he was alone. Thus the search for the phantom lady, as well as the real killer.

98080

Elisha Cook Jr. gets one of his craziest, most fun roles as a coked-up, horny drummer who knows more than he is letting on, and the cinematography by Woody Bredell, who would go on to lense Siodmak’s Christmas Holiday and The Killers, has some fantastic, Expressionistic touches that just scream Noir.

Not one of Siodmak's best known titles but very glad to see it make the list. That makes a half dozen of my picks. It was thirteenth on my ballot, good for thirteen points.

HOLDEN'S BALLOT
3. Too Late for Tears (#81)
13. Phantom Lady (#69)
14. Born to Kill (#84)
18. He Walked By Night (#88)
19. Fallen Angel (#80)
22. Panic in the Streets (#98)
25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNwvykcFp2E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1dhJXRovyI

[CosmicRunaway]

I've seen both of today's films, and one was even on my list! A nice change of pace since out of the previous four films I'd only seen Blue Dahlia and don't really remember much about it.

I watched Drunken Angel when it was nominated for the Asian Film Hall of Fame. I had mixed feelings about it, and this was what I said at the time:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=76018

Drunken Angel / 醉いどれ天使 (1948)
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Chieko Nakakita

Drunken Angel is a highly symbolic film that critiques not only the Western occupation of Japan after World War II and its influence on Japanese culture, but traditional Japanese ideals of honour and sacrifice as well. The heart of Japan is plagued by poison, both from outside sources and from within, just like the town's water is swamped by pollution. Wardrobe and musical choices work well to reinforce these themes, but unfortunately I found little substance beneath them.

My problem with Drunken Angel is that the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere. There's no major conflict at the centre of the story, just personal issues that aren't fleshed out enough to be the main focus. It feels like a slice of life film, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I don't typically find them very compelling. There isn't much in the way of character development or growth either, which coupled with the aforementioned lack of conflict, makes for a rather dull viewing experience.

Perhaps that lack of direction and resolution are meant to be symbolic as well, but I can't help but feel that the film would be far more interesting if the narrative was told more from Matsunaga's perspective instead of the doctor's. Matsunaga's diagnosis throws his entire life into disarray, but we only see his struggle from an outsider's point of view. To see him more intimately question his beliefs and loyalty would've been far more engaging to me. While I do appreciate certain aspects of Drunken Angel, I think I just expected more from it.

I had it towards the bottom of my voting ballot, but it was still a fairly interesting watch and I'm glad I saw it.

Phantom Lady is a film that definitely captures that German expressionist-inspired noir aesthetic I love so much. My memory is a little hazy on the details of the plot, and I didn't rewatch it before submitting my list, but the visuals still stood out in my mind strongly enough that I put it at #19.

Seen: 10/32

My List: 4
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92
08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75
11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78
19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69

[Thursday Next]

Drunken Angel was my #2. I was really impressed by it. It has engaging characters who are both symbolic types and individuals, the journey inevitable but interesting to watch. But what really makes it is the setting itself; the disease filled swamp outside the doctor's office working both literally and metaphorically. It looks great too, with a definite noirish tinge to scenes like a gangster playing a guitar beneath a neon sign. Definitely recommended.

[cricket]

I see Drunken Angel as mediocre for Kurosawa but it was still good enough to make the latter part of my ballot.

I gave Phantom Lady 3.5- back in 2017.

7. Body and Soul (#94)
15. Force of Evil (#85)
20. The Blue Dahlia (#74)
24. Drunken Angel (#70)
25. The Letter (#72)

[beelzebubble]

I am not familiar with either but the both sound intriguing.

[Harry Lime]

I could have sworn that when I checked Drunken Angel it didn't qualify but in this regard, in both countdowns, I have been known to be wrong. Oh well it's a great film and I may or may not have voted for another Kurosawa film that may or may not be from the same era.

Siodmak did make some great film noirs, at least from the five that I've seen I give them all good ratings. Phantom Lady was in contention but I may or may not had to go with another film of his that may or may not be one of the top tier noirs of all time.

[GulfportDoc]

I believe that Drunken Angel is the first movie in this thread that I haven't seen. I'll put it on my list.

But Phantom Lady is a very fine noir. The people involved really make up a noir dream team: story by Cornell Woolrich (authored most noir stories filmed), directed by the great Robert Siodmak (The Killers, Criss Cross), photographed by Woody Bredell (Lady on a Train, The Killers), Joan Harrison producing (Hitchcock protege), the very alluring Ella Raines, the great Elisha Cook, Jr., and with Francot Tone thrown in. What a gang!!

I have a lot of respect for this picture, although it didn't force its way into my 25..... but it could have..;)

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen The Desperate Hours. A very tense, dread-filled film where a family is held hostage by a bunch of desperados, including one played by Humphrey Bogart who is especially (and surprisingly) menacing. I remember that there's a kid in it - which always makes the hostage situation worse, because the family the kid belongs to is especially vulnerable. It reminds me somewhat of Suddenly (1954) - although in that film it's presidential assassins instead of regular crooks. I guess there's a small sub-genre there when it comes to home invasions and hostage-taking - of which The Desperate Hours and Suddenly are very early entrants. Anyway, always a pretty big shock to have seen a film revealed in this thread at the moment. If I'd remembered The Desperate Hours as film noir it would have had a chance to make my ballot - I liked it a little more than some of the lower placed films on my list. (I do wonder if Suddenly will make the countdown now.)

Seen : 4/30I seen Suddenly (1954) only after I submitted my ballot to myself:p Good movie and I see it's on Youtube.

[PHOENIX74]

If this countdown were an exam I'd be failing it so badly, and probably getting a letter I'd have to take home and show to my furious parents who'd ground me and force me to watch a dozen old film noir classics until I could go out with my friends again.

[dadgumblah]

Had not heard of Drunken Angel but it sounds great. Again, another on my list that I haven't seen is Phantom Lady. But I'm very intrigued from what others have said. Elisha Cook Jr. high as a kite and Ella Raines? Oh, what a dish! Definitely will see. No go again.

#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[Iroquois]

one vote. if i have it correct, drunken angel ended up at #14 on my final ballot. i don't know how close it is to being a true kurosawa masterpiece but it's a solid piece of work about an ordinary doctor having to deal with the various challenges - material and moral - of dealing with a yakuza patient. have not seen phantom lady.

[Citizen Rules]

98089
#68 Spellbound (1945)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Production: Selznick International Pictures
Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov
50 Points, 5 Lists

'A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98090
#67 The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

Director: Ida Lupino
Production: The Filmakers
Cast: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman
52 Points, 9 Lists

'Two fishermen pick up a psychopathic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

The Hitch-Hiker is the first noir on the countdown that was directed by a woman, Ida Lupino.
Spellbound is the first Hitchcock film to make the countdown, will there be more?

[Torgo]

https://i.postimg.cc/HLgnNwpd/200w.gif

The Hitch-Hiker is #16 on my list. I'm glad a Lupino movie made the list because she was a great filmmaker. I hope she appears again, but if it's just for this one, I'll take it.

[Iroquois]

no votes. not entirely sure if the hitch-hiker is the best of ida lupino's directorial efforts (a case can be made for the bigamist or outrage) but it's definitely the most accessible with its potboiler setup and solid performances by all three of its leads. still need to see spellbound.

[ScarletLion]

Finally seen two of them! Spellbound is good but I didn't consider it for this list.

The Hitch-hiker was my '17. Rally good film.

[Citizen Rules]

The Hitch-Hiker is #16 on my list. I'm glad a Lupino movie made the list because she was a great filmmaker. I hope she appears again, but if it's just for this one, I'll take it.As a director Ida Lupino directed four film noirs: The Hitch-Hiker (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045877/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_37_dr), Outrage (1950) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042824/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_40_dr), On Dangerous Ground (1951) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043879/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_38_dr), The Bigamist (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045557/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_36_dr).

I've seen all of those except Outrage. The Bigamist is good! On Dangerous Ground not so much. The Hitch-Hiker is good and intense.

As an actress Lupino was in a lot of noirs, I can't even remember them all, High Sierra and They Drive By Night comes to mind. One of my favorite actresses and an excellent director.

[John-Connor]

62236
4
Spellbound is good, very artful and memorable dream sequence. Leans more towards a psychological thriller. No vote but I don't mind it getting on the main list unless it's at the cost of 'my Hitchcock' not showing up. :D Haven't seen The Hitch-Hiker.

SEEN 8/34
BALLOT 00/25

[Holden Pike]

As a director Ida Lupino directed four film noirs: The Hitch-Hiker (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045877/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_37_dr), Outrage (1950) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042824/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_40_dr), On Dangerous Ground (1951) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043879/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_38_dr), The Bigamist (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045557/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_36_dr).


Lupino co-stars in On Dangerous Ground, but that one was directed by Nicolas Ray.

[Torgo]

I've seen all of those except Outrage. The Bigamist is good! On Dangerous Ground not so much. The Hitch-Hiker is good and intense.Hmph, I love On Dangerous Ground, especially for the Herrmann soundtrack, which is one of his best and that's saying something. Will check out The Bigamist.

[Citizen Rules]

Spellbound is good, very artful and memorable dream sequence. Leans more towards a psychological thriller. No vote but I don't mind it getting on the main list unless it's at the cost of 'my Hitchcock' not showing up. :D Haven't seen The Hitch-hiker.

SEEN 8/34
BALLOT 00/25Agreed that Spellbound is more like a psychological thriller but it qualified. I think most people would really dig The Hitch-Hiker, even those who don't watch or like old noir movies.

[Citizen Rules]

She co-stars in On Dangerous Ground, but that one was directed by Nicolas Ray.Yeah I seen that, and I don't know how much she directed of that film. I seem to recall she directed a portion of the film for some reason like Ray was sick? I'm too lazy to look it up.

[Allaby]

Seen both and liked them but neither made my ballot.

Seen: 33/34

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen On Dangerous Ground not so much...I take that back! I loved that film I even watched it twice...I was thinking of another Ida Lupino film noir I seen and didn't care for which was Woman in Hiding (1954) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042052/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_61_act)


Hmph, I love On Dangerous Ground, especially for the Herrmann soundtrack, which is one of his best and that's saying something. Will check out The Bigamist.You are correct sir!

[Holden Pike]

Yeah I seen that, and I don't know how much she directed of that film. I seem to recall she directed a portion of the film for some reason like Ray was sick? I'm too lazy to look it up.
She helped out for three days. Hardly makes it her directorial credit.

[Thief]

Yeah, we're definitely getting out of the woods cause I've seen these two and had one of them on my ballot.

Spellbound is a decent thriller, even if some of its subplots are paper thin, which tended to be the case with some of these early Hitchcock thrillers. His direction is, as usual, great though, but the real treat for me was seeing Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman interact. I might post a review I wrote about it in a while, but it didn't make my ballot.

The Hitch-Hiker, on the other hand, is the kind of film that gets under your skin. Tense as hell, and with a menacing performance from William Talman. I echo those that have shared their love for Ida Lupino, because she was indeed great. I might also share something I wrote about this one later, but I had it at #21.


SEEN: 4/34
MY BALLOT: 1/25


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
22.
23.
24.
25.

[Thief]

Yeah I seen that, and I don't know how much she directed of that film. I seem to recall she directed a portion of the film for some reason like Ray was sick? I'm too lazy to look it up.

Not sure about On Dangerous Ground, I haven't seen it, but she did step up for Elmer Clifton during Not Wanted. He had a heart attack, and she completed the direction uncredited.

[Thief]

I've seen all of those except Outrage. The Bigamist is good! On Dangerous Ground not so much. The Hitch-Hiker is good and intense.


I've seen all of these, except On Dangerous Ground. I would definitely recommend Outrage, even if the film gets a bit derailed in its last act. Here is my review (https://letterboxd.com/thief12/film/outrage-1950/), if you're interested, but regardless of my then-rating, I think it is an important film.

[Thief]

Also, a random list trivia fact, The Hitch-Hiker was on 9 lists, which is the most of the countdown so far and a bit of a jump from the highest amount so far, which was 5. So even though it has one of the lowest IMDb scores at 6.9, there seems to be a lot of love for it here on MoFo.

[Sedai]

I get to add another viewing to my tiny portion, as I have seen Spellbound. It's been years, so I need to check it out again at some point.

3/34 seen

[Thief]

SPELLBOUND
(1945, Hitchcock)

https://i.imgur.com/RATGMv8.jpg


"It's rather like embracing a textbook."



That's how Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingmar Bergman) is described by one of her flirting colleagues. Emotionally distant and clinically accurate is how she prefers to handle herself. It's as if she didn't remember how to show her emotions, love or be loved. "The greatest harm done to the human race has been done by the poets" she says at dinner as she tells of how poets fill people's heads with false expectations of love, kisses, embraces, etc.

That's until she meets her new boss (Gregory Peck), a young doctor, who ends up being not her boss, but rather a victim of amnesia who has taken up the place of a Dr. Edwardes for some reason. Going by the initials "J.B.", the young man doesn't seem to remember anything about his past, what he did, whether he was married or single, but more importantly, how he ended up taking Dr. Edwardes identity, and what happened to the real one.

In a way, both Constance and J.B. are victims of a similar spell. They're both trapped by different circumstances, the former by her career and the latter by guilt. Because of this, they both find themselves unable to show or feel emotions or love. But as they meet each other, kisses become "lyrical poems" and embraces become "Shakespearean dramas".

Sure, there's a murder in the background and a quest to find out what happened, but the real focus of the story is how Constance and J.B. interact with each other, helping each other break away the cages that have held them captive for so long, even though they try to convince themselves that it can't be real. Watching Bergman and Peck interact is a real treat, particularly the former who I thought was quite good in this.

The murder subplot is paper-thin, sorta similar to other late 30's Hitchcock films, but it is well executed. I also give props to Hitchcock and the writers for trying to instill the script with a loose thread of real psychology, even if its application feels convoluted, or too convenient for the story. Much is said about the Dalí-inspired dream sequence, but I was a bit underwhelmed at how brief it was. Still, I thought the film was pretty good and entertaining with some solid moments of tension, Hitchcock's direction was almost flawless, and most of the performances were good.

Grade: 3

[Thief]

Sharing my review of Spellbound, which I wrote back when I first saw it in 2018.

[Thief]

THE HITCH-HIKER
(1953, Lupino)

https://i.imgur.com/d9LAkMi.jpg


"You haven't got a chance. You haven't got a thing except that gun! You'd better hang onto it because without it, you're finished!"



When was the last time that anyone of you picked a hitch-hiker? A practice that used to be common in the first half of the 20th century started to decline as the century entered its second half. We see someone on the street with his/her hand out and we just speed by them and look the other way. The reasons? Some people might say a lack of trust of strangers, which in turn might've been sparked by films like this... or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre... or The Hitcher.

The Hitch-Hiker follows a pair of fishing friends (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy) who pick up a mysterious hitch-hiker (William Talman) on their way to Mexico. The hitch-hiker, called Emmett Myers, turns out to be a psychopath and a killer. Myers, who is running from the law, forces the friends to drive him to Santa Rosalia, Mexico. But on the meantime, he gets off terrorizing them.

One of the film's biggest assets is Talman's performance as Myers. He is a truly menacing and terrifying figure, not because of his physique, but because you actually believe the guy is crazy, thanks to a devilish half-smirk and his lost eyes. Add to that director Ida Lupino's wonderful direction, particularly in Myers' first scene and you will probably lose the desire to pick up any hitch-hiker. Both O'Brien and Lovejoy are pretty good as well as the two friends that try to stay strong, but slowly unravel during their trip.

At 71 minutes, The Hitch-Hiker is a fairly short and simple film that doesn't overstay its welcome. There are some brief interruptions to see how the American and Mexican police deal with Myers' manhunt that break the momentum a bit, but not too much. Through most of its duration, the film is as tense as it gets. Realizing that it is all based on a real-life killer (Billy Cook), might just get you all more tense and more against hitch-hiking.

Grade: 3.5

[Thief]

...and my review of The Hitch-Hiker, which I wrote back when I first saw it in 2017. I also think the one that recommended it to me was Rockatansky back at the RT Forums or at The Bronze.

[mrblond]

#68. Spellbound (1945) is my second hit so far, getting five of its points landing at #21 on my ballot.

Some issues again, mostly regarding Gregory Peck's acting and the made-up ending. Anyway, the general idea was good enough to hold my interest.

98091
-----

My Ballot
▽
...
21. Spellbound (1945) [#68]
22.
23. Woman on the Run (1950) [#91]
...

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/f9ZXZkbgZmQhYDnGHoMPaFIbSbh.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/8RttDdrSVwYSSwGpmil0z3vu98g.jpg

-----

[stillmellow]

And then there was one.


0/34 😰


Almost watched Spellbound, but I found out the twists first and thought they were pretty ridiculous, so I watched Suspicion (1941) instead.

[SpelingError]

Haven't seen either film.

[Citizen Rules]

And then there was one.


0/34 😰


Almost watched Spellbound, but I found out the twists first and thought they were pretty ridiculous, so I watched Suspicion (1941) instead.Are you the last one at 0/34 Stillmellow? Maybe tomorrow? Stay tuned:)

[beelzebubble]

Spellbound is my #23. I don't really think of it as noir but it was on a list I used to jog my memory. I haven't seen The Hitch-hiker but just looking at the stills it looks more noirish than Spellbound.. Was this remade with Rutger Hauer?

[seanc]

Two that are just okay for me. I really like the concept of Spellbound, but it didn’t quite live up to that for me.

[CosmicRunaway]

Funny that both Countdowns had a Hall of Fame film in them today! I saw Spellbound in the 3rd Noir HoF, and said this at the time:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=63675

Spellbound (1945)
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov

Spellbound is a film that requires some suspension of disbelief, since the science its plot depends upon has become less and less credible over the years. I still found it thoroughly enjoyable, but I can imagine it being an obstacle to certain audiences. As one would expect from Hitchcock, many shots are brilliantly framed, and the cinematography helps builds tension in many scenes. I've seen some criticisms online regarding Peck's performance, which surprised me because I quite enjoyed him in this. I thought he had great chemistry with Bergman, which given their alleged affair during filming, was likely authentic. Bergman was undeniably the real star though, and she carries much of the film on her own.

I personally think that Salvador Dalí is incredibly overrated as an artist. While I'm not a fan of surrealist paintings in general, I find his work to be particularly unappealing. However for some reason I absolutely love his contributions to this film. That dream sequence is simply fantastic, with initially startling imagery that becomes more bleak and angular as it continues. Every second of it was a treat to watch. It's very restrained in comparison to Dalí's paintings, but still strange enough to be intriguing. The black and white photography gives it a very clean look as well, and makes me wonder if I'd like his artwork more if the colours were different.

While I found the music to be quite effective overall, it was often far too loud and infringed upon the scenes rather than enhancing them. I'm not sure if that was a deliberate choice during production, or if I just didn't like the audio mixing on this particular release. I often have similar problems with the sound in older films, so it's probably just me. This restoration also included an extended overture that I almost couldn't sit through, though I'm not going to hold that against the film since those openings were typically intended for a theatrical setting anyway, and not the home viewing experience.



It wasn't on my list, but I'm glad to see it make the Countdown since that dream sequence alone is worth celebrating.

Seen: 11/34

My List: 4
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92
08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75
11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78
19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69

[Thief]

Spellbound is my #23. I don't really think of it as noir but it was on a list I used to jog my memory. I haven't seen The Hitch-hiker but just looking at the stills it looks more noirish than Spellbound.. Was this remade with Rutger Hauer?

Rutger Hauer did The Hitcher in the 1980s, but I don't think it's the same story.

[Thursday Next]

The Hitch-hiker was my #13. Incredibly intense film.

[WHITBISSELL!]

1 for 2. Spellbound was one that I never quite got around to watching when I went on a much needed Hitchcock binge a couple of years back. I really liked The Hitch-Hiker and especially Talman's performance. Neither made my list.

12 of 34 seen.

[cricket]

I can't specifically remember Spellbound but I know I've seen it. I used to love all Hitchcock but have soured on many of them in recent years.

I gave Hitch-Hiker 3 back in 2016

[stillmellow]

Are you the last one at 0/34 Stillmellow? Maybe tomorrow? Stay tuned<img src="/community/images/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Smilie" smilieid="1" class="inlineimg" />

As far as I know. Scarletlion has 2, and both Thief and Sedai have 3.

[Harry Lime]

For whatever reason (it was years ago) I didn't care for The Hitch-Hiker. Spellbound is mid tier Hitchcock. I think CR asked if any other Hitchcock films will make the cut...I think he'll probably win it with at least five but we'll see.

[Thief]

As far as I know. Scarletlion has 2, and both Thief and Sedai have 3.

I had two, but got both of today's so I'm at 4.

[Thief]

For whatever reason (it was years ago) I didn't care for The Hitch-Hiker. Spellbound is mid tier Hitchcock. I think CR asked if any other Hitchcock films will make the cut...I think he'll probably win it with at least five but we'll see.

I don't know how many are eligible, but Hitchcock made a whooping 24 films during that period so he's bound to get a couple more. Notorious, Shadow of a Doubt, and probably Rebecca should be shoe-ins.

[dadgumblah]

I saw Spellbound many years ago and enjoyed it. A re-watch is in order definitely. But like several MoFos, I don't really consider it noir, but mystery/suspense, which is apropos given that Hitchcock is the "Master of...", well, you know. :)

The Hitch-Hiker has long been on my radar but somehow, incredibly, I still haven't gotten to it! It's placing on the list, which I knew was coming, just makes me want to see it more.
EDIT: I remembered that Ida Lupino did another noir that I liked which was Women's Prison (1955). She was the evil warden of the prison of the title. This also stars Jan Sterling, Audrey Totter, and Lupino's husband, Howard Duff. Wonder if it will show up?


No placements today.

#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[GulfportDoc]

Spellbound (1945)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a screenplay by Ben Hecht and Angus MacPhail, this is more of a psychological thriller film more so than a noir. Rather than a detective, we have a psychoanalyst, while the early protagonists are not who or what that they appear to be.

The main characters are Gregory Peck, who plays the young newly installed head of a mental hospital, and Ingrid Bergman who shines as a prominent psychiatrist on staff. The inimitable Leo G. Carroll plays the previous head of the hospital who had been forced into retirement. Michael Chekhov (of the Chekhov acting method) plays Bergman’s teacher and mentor.

Bergman notices some peculiar behavior by Peck, and suggests psychoanalysis. During his analysis some shocking truths come out which set up a series of criminal discoveries, escape, further revelations, and death. Naturally Peck and Bergman are drawn to each other, which attraction flows to a romantic ending.

Mention must be made of the superb dream sequences authored by the surrealist artist Salvador Dali. They remain as some of the only video work by Dali in film. The sequences constructed by Dali and Hitchcock were reportedly initially 20 minutes in length, but producer David O. Selznick didn’t approve, and had them cut to roughly 2 minutes. This unfortunate deletion resulted in the loss of that valuable footage, remaining only in some photographic stills.

The score went to Miklos Rozsa when his normal collaborator, Bernard Herrmann was busy with other projects. The music featured the novel use of the theramin to underpin the weird scenes. Rozsa has used it once before to great effect in The Lost Weekend earlier in 1945.

Spellbound was the final film while under a 7 year contract with Selznick. Hitchcock had directed several films for other studios during that time, notable among them was Suspicion (1941) which was his first American film as both producer and director. Freed from Selznick’s meddling Hitchcock turned out several top pictures which lead into his most productive and memorable 1954-64 era.

Hitchcock characterized the film as, “Just another manhunt story wrapped up in pseudo-psychoanalysis.” Yet Spellbound is a fine film with an other-worldly feel to it despite its serious themes.

[GulfportDoc]

As a director Ida Lupino directed four film noirs: The Hitch-Hiker (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045877/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_37_dr), Outrage (1950) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042824/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_40_dr), On Dangerous Ground (1951) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043879/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_38_dr), The Bigamist (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045557/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_36_dr).

I've seen all of those except Outrage. The Bigamist is good! On Dangerous Ground not so much. The Hitch-Hiker is good and intense.

As an actress Lupino was in a lot of noirs, I can't even remember them all, High Sierra and They Drive By Night comes to mind. One of my favorite actresses and an excellent director.
I think it's an interesting distinction that Lupino, for The Hitchiker, was the first woman to direct a noir. She was director only in "B" films. She did very nice work, but I prefer her as an actress.

One standout in the otherwise pretty predictable picture is the photography by the great Nicholas Musuraca.

[rauldc14]

The Hitchhiker is something I just didn't care for at all. Spellbound is a fine film, but not anything special as far as Hitchcock's filmography goes.

[Wyldesyde19]

Not a fan of Spellbound. Among the weaker films from Hitch

The Hitchhiker was on my ballot. Can’t remember the number exactly, but it was there. You’re welcome.

[Harry Lime]

I don't know how many are eligible, but Hitchcock made a whooping 24 films during that period so he's bound to get a couple more. Notorious, Shadow of a Doubt, and probably Rebecca should be shoe-ins.
I'm thinking Strangers on a Train and The Wrong Man make it. Maybe Suspicion.

[Citizen Rules]

It's been awhile since I last watched The Hitch-Hiker but I did review it here at MoFo:


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=25103&stc=1&d=1461774144
The Hitch-Hiker (Ida Lupino,1953)

About: Two unlucky fishermen in need of a ride are given a lift in a stolen car by a psychotic escaped murderer. He tells them that he's going to kill them when they get to the end of the ride.



Review: I've seen Ida Lupino in earlier films and knew she had directed, but I had never seen one until now. She does a fantastic job as a director. I love the way she goes with down-angled closeup shots, during the opening credits. It's too bad the credits had to roll over her work as the opening shots of the hitch-hiker's boots & the pavement of the road & the tires of the victim's car...are intense.

I love the way she keeps the film tense with closeup shots in the car's interior...it adds a sense of claustrophobia which is perfect for a story about two men held captive by a psycho. We also get a few beautiful wide shots taken from up above on the rocks, as the car speeds along. The rock location is not only cool looking, but gives a sense of bleakness and isolation as does the stories choice of location in a remote region of Mexico. Written by Ida Lupino and her then husband Collier. This is a stark, no nonsense script and the cinematography matches that to a tee.

I always like Edmund O'Brien, he's particular good here. And William Talman as the psycho hitch-hiker made one helluva bad guy.

[Citizen Rules]

Guess what? I also reviewed Spellbound here at MoFo way back in the day:

http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/Spellbound%20pic%202.jpg

Spellbound(Alfred Hitchcock, 1945)

About: A woman psychiatrist (Ingrid Bergman) falls in love with her patient, (Gregory Peck) who suffers from amnesia. He's accused of murder, but believing him innocent they go on the lam, while she attempts to recover his memory that might prove his innocence.




Review: I enjoyed this! It's an, interesting, romantic, mystery-thriller, but doesn't feel like a noir. It was ground breaking in being one of the first films to portray psychoanalyze, and it portrays that branch of medicine in a good light. Back in 1945 the mentally ill were still being treated as objects of fear and scorn...and were still be subjugated to barbarous treatments...so this gentle style of care as shown, was important for people to see.

I thought Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck were quite good and very believable as a romantic couple struggling with the mystery of Peck's identity and the logic of love being more initiative than psychoanalysis. The film itself is aware that the love of the doctor for her patient is illogical...so I don't see that as a flaw.

The love conflict is a major theme of the movie and even the elderly doctor in Rochester points out to Ingrid (and to the audience) that her love for Peck is not sensible and not based on good science. But the films premise is that the heart can be more powerful than the mind and love can heal all. And I love that concept!

[PHOENIX74]

One I voted for!

#67 The Hitch-Hiker - This had been on my watchlist for years, and as I've been knocking films on my watchlist down one at a time it came up in time for the film noir countdown. Like many noir films, it's nice and lean at 71-minutes in length and straightforward - being about a hostage situation where a murderer trying to elude capture from law enforcement gets into the car of two buddies, Roy Collins (O'Brien) and Gilbert Bowen (Lovejoy) going on a fishing trip. From there on out it's one barked order after another, as the smarmy, narcissistic, rough and murderous Emmett Myers (William Talman) pushes them ever-onwards. At what point would you risk death or injury and go for the gun? In what kind of situation would you deem it a good enough bet to make a run for it? All of those questions are constantly being asked as the two men realise that Myers will probably kill them in the end. In the meantime, the audience hates Myers more and more as he runs his mouth off and makes as if he's a wise sage and knows best. Everyone who doesn't take what they want and damn the rest is a sucker according to him. To us though, he's an idiot. Blunt and to the point, The Hitch-Hiker won't mess you around - what you see is what you get, out in the sun-drenched deserts of California. I had it at #18 on my list.

The other film is unfamiliar to me.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen : 5/34
I'd never even heard of : 26/34
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 3/34
Films from my list : 1

#67 - My #18 - The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

[Citizen Rules]

98133
#66 Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Director: Otto Preminger
Production: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill
54 Points, 7 Lists

'Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. Will Dixon's vicious nature get the better of him?'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98134
#65 The Woman in the Window (1944)

Director: Fritz Lang
Production: International Pictures
Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Raymond Massey
56 Points, 8 Lists

'When a conservative middle aged professor engages in a relationship with a femme fatale, he's plunged into a nightmarish world of blackmail and murder.'

_______________________________________

[seanc]

Woman In The Window was really fun. I love Robinson, he was great here. Felt very Hitch as well. Landed at 24 on my list.

Where The Sidewalk ends falls into two stereotypical Sean categories. Don’t remember it and I gave it a low score so it should be rewatched but probably won’t be.

[Allaby]

Seen both. Where The Sidewalk Ends is great, but just missed my ballot. The Woman in the Window is pretty good, but was not a contender for my ballot.

Seen: 35/36

[Citizen Rules]

Sean isn't the only one...I just had to look up Where The Sidewalk ends to remember what the story was. I rated it average and felt it missed the mark, still a deceit watch.

The Woman in the Window is great fun, thanks to Eddie G. It's a satisfying movie 'world' to spend time in. I think it's under appreciated, but not at MoFo. Glad both noirs made the countdown.

[ScarletLion]

I'm back to not having watched these 2 after a solid 2/2 yesterday

[John-Connor]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/7PNu9QSTZRT6NWvQUEH8WqpkeRj.jpg
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a great classic film-noir and was in contention for my ballot, ended up at #30 on my list. Haven't seen The Woman in the Window, yet. Edward G. Robinson and Fritz Lang, looks like a must watch.

SEEN 9/36
BALLOT 00/25


44. Angel Face (1952)
36. Drunken Angel (1948)
32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)
30. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

[SpelingError]

Haven't seen either film.

[Thief]

The Woman in the Window is a very solid noir. Edward G. Robinson is always great, but my favorite part of the film is Dan Duryea, who steals the second half of the film. There is an obviously tacked-on ending, but I can let that slide. This was a fun one, and it was my #23. (You can read my full review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2346628-the_woman_in_the_window.html))

I haven't seen Where the Sidewalk Ends.


SEEN: 5/36
MY BALLOT: 2/25


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
22.
23. The Woman in the Window (#65)
24.
25.

[John W Constantine]

Two more for me (#19 and #14)

Where the Sidewalk Ends I believe at one point I had on my yearly favorite movie list, but I have to agree with others that have said they forgot most of what it's about after not seeing it for a long stretch. The downside I would say for noir is forgetting most of what a certain one is about because most of them are quite alike with maybe a sprinkle of something different.

The Woman in the Window I would say is one of those "a little different" enough for me to remember it as other have mentioned it's closer to Hitchcock.

[Wyldesyde19]

Not a fan of The Woman in The Window. Especially the ending.

[beelzebubble]

I am not sure if I have seen these. They are definitely not on my list. I will have to check them out. They tick a lot of boxes for me:Otto Preminger, Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Edward G. Robinson and Nunnally Johnson

[Thief]

By the way, Otto Preminger becomes the first director to have three films in the countdown:

1. Angel Face (1952) - #86
2. Fallen Angel (1945) - #80
3. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) - #66

Meanwhile, with The Woman in the Window, Fritz Lang joins the group of directors with two films. He had Ministry of Fear at #75.

[Hey Fredrick]

Woo hooo! Two from my list.

I had Brute Force at number 8. Liked everything about it but a special shout out to Hume Cronyn. What a despicable character and he nails it. One of my favorite kind of bad guys. The kind that you hate so much that you think that whatever happens to them isn't enough. You just want to lock 'em in a cage with a hungry bear or have Cliff Booth give them a tour of the living room.

Also had Woman in the Window down at number 21. The ending was just about perfect and then it kept going. Ugh! I wasn't going to knock it down a peg or two because of that ending but it happened, so I did. Up to three movies seen.

[Kaplan]

I've always been a fan of Where the Sidewalk Ends, with Dana Andrews as a cop with anger issues who isn't afraid to rough up someone. When he accidentally goes too far he chooses to do a cover-up and things go badly. I do agree the romance (with Gene Tierney) makes no sense and is forced, even by noir standards, but looking past that I think it's a top-notch film noir with an ending that has some emotional impact. I had it at #11. Glad to see it make it.

My List:
11. Where the Sidewalk Ends (#66)
20. This Gun for Hire (#78)

[Citizen Rules]

By the way, Otto Preminger becomes the first director to have three films in the countdown:

1. Angel Face (1952) - #86
2. Fallen Angel (1945) - #80
3. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) - #66

Meanwhile, with The Woman in the Window, Fritz Lang joins the group of directors with two films. He had Ministry of Fear at #75.
Preminger made six film noirs and three have already showed up, will there be more making the countdown? And he had a sense of fashion too!
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.dN9yJ68y80UCV8_7QcMojwAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=9ba1bd0c616b49f0e432dcce758a3f9fb553934f0a35227d31a80c6c2298a694&ipo=images

[Thief]

Preminger made six film noirs and three have already showed up, will there be more making the countdown? And he had a sense of fashion too!
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.dN9yJ68y80UCV8_7QcMojwAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=9ba1bd0c616b49f0e432dcce758a3f9fb553934f0a35227d31a80c6c2298a694&ipo=images

Laura for sure, which I assume will rank highly.

[Citizen Rules]

Laura for sure, which I assume will rank highly.I believe Gene Tierney was in three of his noirs. Off the top of my head: Where The Sidewalk Ends, Whirlpool, Laura

[WHITBISSELL!]

2 for 2! I could be wrong but it feels like we turned a corner and might be heading into more well known territory. Watched both of these with Where the Sidewalk Ends on my ballot at #21.

I remember watching Scarlet Street before The Woman in the Window. Scarlet Street was also directed by Fritz Lang and also starred Robinson, Bennett, and Duryea. Even though Scarlet Street is considered the superior film I enjoyed The Woman in the Window a bit more.

14 of 38 seen.

[cricket]

Woman in the Window was pretty good until the ending ruined it for me.

I enjoyed Where the Sidewalk Ends.

[Little Ash]

Drunken Angel - I've seen this, but I'm not a big fan of Kurosawa films.

The Phantom Lady - I've seen this, but don't remember it now. It does have Elisha Cook Jr. in it, so it's got something going for it.

Spellbound - Pretty sure I haven't seen this, but that pic of those eyes look familiar. I think it was part of a Dali art exhibit, so I'm guessing this is the one Hitch consulted Dali on.

The Hitch-Hiker - My #21! The plot synopsis pretty much covers it. Just a solid little crime movie. I keep meaning to watch more of Lupino's directed movies, but I've just never gotten around to them.

Haven't heard of the subsequent movies (looking back, I will confess, Preminger is still mostly a blindspot for me. I've seen a couple. Bunny Lake is Missing, Laura, and Anatomy of a Murder).

Seen count goes up by 3, ballot count went up by 1.

[rauldc14]

The Woman in the Window landed on my list at 24. Yeah Robinson is the man.

Where the Sidewalk Ends I enjoyed but it didn't make my list.

[Little Ash]

Rutger Hauer did The Hitcher in the 1980s, but I don't think it's the same story.

There was a Twilight Zone episode called The Hitch-Hiker* thought I thought The Hitcher was a remake of, and seemed to be going in that direction, but then didn't do the reveal at the end, so maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.

*: An RKO audio-play with Orson Welles also predated this episode (I believe), so it might have been based on a short story or something, for all I know.

[GulfportDoc]

Where The Sidewalk Ends is a strong noir. What caught my interest was the casting of 3 actors who would later make it big on American TV: Karl Malden (The Streets of San Francisco), Harry von Zell (The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, among others), And Craig Stevens (Peter Gunn). Malden of course became a popular movie star as well.

I really like The Woman in the Window, directed by Fritz Lang. Both the acting and the plot were believable, and the tension built. I loved the ending.

The next year, 1945, Scarlett Street, also with Robinson, Dureya, and Joan Bennett, seemed like a sick parody to me-- melodramatic and over acted. It was a miss for me.

Neither film cracked my 25.

[Citizen Rules]

My old review of...
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zekefilm.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FWoman-in-the-Window_3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=25adb492663ed1fe4517536cda13eb00d05623768d7babc378c6637c5e8163f3&ipo=images
The Woman in the Window (1944)
This is the third time I've seen it and if anything I've grown to appreciate it more with each viewing. Edward G. Robinson is just perfect in this role and Joan Bennett, wow! Especially in that sparkling black outfit with the sheer top. She really looks like a million bucks...and so did her apartment, I guess she was a kept woman? Though the film never says, nor does it need to.

Fritz Lang's direction is sublime and I could tell that this was a masterpiece even if I turned the sound off...the camera work and the scene transitions and editing was so professional that the film is a thing of beauty, kind of like Joan Bennett!

I use to not like the ending of the film, but this time around I think it fit the overall tone of the movie and fit Edward G. Robinson's character and the ending especially fits what he and his club mates were talking about at the start of his journey. One of the great films and features one of my favorite noir bad guys Dan Duryea.

[stillmellow]

0 of 36 seen 😥


Clearly, I have amnesia, have forgotten every film noir movie ever made, and have been framed for a crime I didn't commit.

[James D. Gardiner]

Nothing from my ballot over the past several reveals. Seen Dark Passage, Brute Force, The Desperate Hours, Spellbound, The Hitch-Hiker and The Woman in The Window, and enjoyed them all in their own ways, some more than others. Spellbound in particular impressed me on first viewing and set me wanting to see all of Ingrid Bergman's films.

Need to watchlist many of the others. Phantom Lady looks especially good.

[dadgumblah]

Have both The Woman in the Window and Where the Sidewalk Ends on my Watch List but have yet to watch them. I did catch The Hitch-Hiker last night and really liked it. Lupino did a fine job on this and I look forward to more from her.

#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[Harry Lime]

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a great film noir that was in contention to make my list but I decided to go with only Otto Preminger/Gene Tierney/Dana Andrews film. It's a classic.


The Woman in the Window could have been a classic with Fritz Lang's direction and a great cast...but I couldn't get past the ending. Not for me.

[Citizen Rules]

98156
#64 To Have and Have Not (1944)

Director: Howard Hawks
Production: Warner Bros.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Walter Brennan
60 Points, 4 Lists

'During World War II, American expatriate Harry Morgan helps transport a French Resistance leader and his beautiful wife to Martinique while romancing a sensuous lounge singer.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98157
#63 Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
Production: Organisation Générale Cinématographique
Cast: Roger Duchesne, Isabelle Corey, Daniel Cauchy
60 Points, 5 Lists

'After losing big, an aging gambler decides to assemble a team to rob a casino.'

_______________________________________

[Allaby]

To Have and Have Not is fantastic and made my ballot at #19. I haven't seen Bob Le Flambeur yet.

Seen: 36/38

[Citizen Rules]

To Have and Have Not is fantastic and made my ballot at #19. I haven't seen Bob Le Flambeur yet.

Seen: 36/3836/38 dang son, you are very well watched. Which two haven't you seen?

[Iroquois]

one vote. bob le flambeur was my #23 - arguably appreciable more as a rough draft for the kind of crime flicks melville would go on to make, but still a stylish and fatalistic exercise in french noir anyway. have only seen to have and have not once and do remember liking it, though it wasn't my first choice for a bogart/bacall joint.

[cricket]

Seen both, voted for neither, don't feel like looking up my ratings at the moment!

[Allaby]

36/38 dang son, you are very well watched. Which two haven't you seen?

Caged and Bob Le Flambeur are the two I haven't seen.

[John-Connor]

98158
Finally one from my list! Bob Le Flambeur is my favorite French Noir, gotta love Melville. Had it at #10. Not sure if I've seen To Have And Have Not.

SEEN 10/36
BALLOT 1/25


44. Angel Face (1952)
36. Drunken Angel (1948)
32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)
30. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
-----------------------------------------
10. Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

[Harry Lime]

Same as John-Connor above finally one from my list makes it and it's Bob le flambeur that I had at #15. It is early Melville and while I may prefer other films by him over this one it's still a quality film/film noir that felt right including here. It may be a French film noir but it's got classic American gangster film written all over it, and would of course influence his future films and those of the French New Wave.
How can you go wrong with Howard Hawks and Bogie & Bacall. It's tough. Didn't make my list but would have been top 40.

[SpelingError]

Finally a couple films I've seen!

To Have and Have Not is pretty good, though it feels like a lesser Casablanca in some respects.

Bob le Flambeur is very good and is an atypical Melville film since the usual feelings of outside forces closing in on the main character are reversed. I voted for a different Melville though.

Neither film made my ballot.

[WHITBISSELL!]

1 for 2. I loved To Have and Have Not. As far as Bogart goes I think it deserves a place alongside classics like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. The chemistry between Bogart and Bacall is off the charts and Walter Brennan is a pitch perfect sidekick/comic relief.

And it's a tossup as to which French heist flick I want to see first, Bob le Flambeur or Rififi.

15 of 40 seen.

[Sedai]

Honestly spaced out on To Have or to Have Not or it probably would have made my list. I have another Bogie/Bacall picture on my ballot, which I am sure will place eventually. I've not heard of the other reveal today.

4/38 seen

[Thief]

Back to zero's with these two.


SEEN: 5/38
MY BALLOT: 2/25


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6.
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11.
12.
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14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
22.
23. The Woman in the Window (#65)
24.
25.

[Thief]

How many Bogey films have we had so far? Three?

[seanc]

I don’t remember To Have Or Have Not even a little. Apparently I watched it and gave it a 3.

I have watched Bob twice now. I adore Melville, so I feel like I should like it more, but it’s just okay for me.

[dadgumblah]

To Have and Have Not is an all-time classic, with Bogart and Bacall throwing off palpable sparks, despite his being in his mid-40s and she only 19-years-old. I liked her calling him "Steve" despite that not being his name, and him calling her "Slim," both of which were supposed to be nicknames that director Howard Hawks and his wife gave each other. Don't know if it's true but it makes a good story. For me, all the story about Harry ("Steve") helping a resistance leader and his wife escape Vichy-controlled Martinique is secondary to the personalities and characters that float about the movie, including Harry, "Slim," Walter Brennan's "Eddie," Hoagy Carmichael, and Sheldon Leonard, among many. The infamous "You know how to whistle, don't you?" line, and Eddie carrying on about the dead bee makes this movie a lot of fun, unlike most standard noirs. No matter how many times I see it, it's so easy to slip back into this one and just kick back.

I've not heard of Bob le Flambeur so no vote there. In fact, neither made my ballot, although Bogie will appear eventually.

#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[Thursday Next]

Seen both, voted for neither.

[Citizen Rules]

Count me as a big fan of Bogie, Bacall & Brennan in To Have and Have Not. It's one of the very few movies I could watch multiple times. It's such a fun film to spend time with. I wrote this:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftrailersfromhell.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F07%2F5159c.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f0df30213ac50372e226f3337ca52431b37e163c4781c3b1d821174f2ced87d5&ipo=images
To Have And Have Not (1944)


Bogie and Bacall were magic on the screen...so was Eddie (Walter Brennan), I really liked him in general and here he had a lot of heart...and that was important as it made me care about his character. I loved the dialogue in this movie, it's so melodic and snappy. We spend a lot of time hanging out with Harry, Slim and Eddie and not a lot of movies dedicate so much time to casual conversation. It's like the characters are our personal friends and we're along for the ride.

There's not much tension, it's a cake walk for Bogie and I think that's because the writers William Faulkner and Jules Furthman put their focus on developing Bogie, Bacall and Brennan's characters, and not on scene development or plot tension. The story itself isn't that exciting but for me that's OK, as I like movies that are low key and light on tension. I was happy to hang out in this 'other world' of Martinique.

My favorite scene was after the French wife faints during the bullet removal and Bogie picks her up in his arms and carries her out of the room. When he's out of sight of the others, he pauses and looks at her in his arms, and you know what he's thinking.....Then, in comes Bacall and says in her insulate tone, "What are you trying to do, guess her weight?"

[rauldc14]

If I was smarter I would have voted for To Have and Have Not. It might even be my favorite Hawks film.

[Citizen Rules]

If I was smarter I would have voted for To Have and Have Not. It might even be my favorite Hawks film.Me too, I didn't vote for it, I don't know why. It looks like alot of my ballot films won't make the countdown.

[Little Ash]

To Have or Have Not - I have not seen this, but I also haven't seen a Howard Hawks film that I love (at least that I recall) despite loving some of Carpenter's films that are showing his love of Hawks' films.


I've seen Bob the Gamber, but don't remember much from it. I feel like Riffifi (not a Melville film) actually feels more similar to Melville 's later neo-noirs, particularly Le Cercle Rouge.

[Citizen Rules]

98166
#62 On Dangerous Ground (1951)

Director: Nicholas Ray
Production: RKO
Cast: Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond
61 Points, 6 Lists

'Rough city cop Jim Wilson is disciplined by his captain and is sent upstate, to a snowy mountain town, to help the local sheriff solve a murder case.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98167
#61 Act of Violence (1948)

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Production: MGM
Cast: Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh
62 Points, 6 Lists

'An embittered, vengeful POW stalks his former commanding officer who betrayed his men's planned escape attempt from a Nazi prison camp.'

_______________________________________

[stillmellow]

*Reads newspaper. Avoids eye contact.*


0 - 40

[Allaby]

On Dangerous Ground is good, but didn't make my ballot. I was meaning to see Act of Violence, but never got around to it.

Seen: 37/40

[Iroquois]

no votes. wasn't overly fond of on dangerous ground. haven't seen act of violence.

[Torgo]

My first 2 for 2. Ground is my #12 while Violence is my #10. My writeups:

On Dangerous Ground

This is a lean yet affecting film noir from Nicholas Ray. After 11 years on the police force in a crime-ridden metropolis while mourning the loss of the football career that never happened, Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan) is at his wit's end. After brutalizing one too many suspects, Captain Brawley (Ed Begley in a small and functional role that he still makes memorable) assigns him to a small town in the mountains to join the hunt for a murderer on the run. There, he meets Mary (Ida Lupino), a lonely blind woman with whom he bonds and sees a little bit of himself in (no pun intended).

Jim's pursuit of the killer and his time spent with Mary amount to an affecting story about the importance of not letting your work rob you of your humanity. His assignment ends up being just what he needs to realize this because aside from meeting Mary, he sees how he would have ended up if he had stayed on his previous path in Walter (J.K. Simmons ringer Ward Bond), the father of the murder victim who only has vengeance on his mind. Luckily, the movie is not all human drama: those who love film noir for its tension and action will find it here, the highlight being when Jim and Walter pursue a suspect through the Colorado wilderness. Again, the movie is lean - perhaps too lean - and while the ending is sweet, it seems a little tacked on and studio-mandated. The movie is still guaranteed to satisfy even die hard film noir fans, especially ones who aren't particularly satisfied with their jobs. Oh, and Bernard Herrmann's bombastic score is one of his best.

Act of Violence

L.A. resident Frank Enley (Van Heflin) has an outstanding life: big house, beautiful wife (Janet Leigh), a baby, a successful construction business, etc. Suddenly, a man from Frank's past named Joe (Robert Ryan) he never wanted to run into again starts asking around for him. What does he want? I won't say, but I'll at least mention that he makes Frank's life a lot less comfortable. What follows is a tense noir that more than successfully explores one of the genre's main components: America reckoning with its involvement in World War II and its resulting good fortune.

From the foggy nighttime skyline of New York in the opening frames to the shadowy streets and alleys where most of the movie takes place, L.A. (do any other places in Hollywood's America matter?), the movie certainly nails the vibes associated with film noir. The look and feel of the train station in the finale is the highlight, which I partly wanted to last longer so I could take it in. This movie wouldn't work if the one playing Frank didn't convince at expressing the kind of guilt and remorse about something that would force an involved party to travel across America, and thankfully, Heflin is up to the task. Another moment involving a train, for instance, made me forget to breathe and fear for his safety. Ryan, who I also enjoyed in the noir On Dangerous Ground, also deserves praise for how unwavering he is in his mission. Another review I read compared Joe to the Terminator, which I agree with. Again, I don't want to say what drives Joe, but it's a dilemma that will make you wonder who to root for or if there's anyone to root for at all with each revelation. The perspectives of the much more forgiving women in Frank and Joe's lives make the dilemma even more interesting to ponder, especially for how they make you wonder how different the world would be if they had more say at the time.

The specter of World War II lurks in the corners of pretty much every film noir, but it's especially obvious in this one. If that is your least favorite component of the genre, I still think you should seek it out. Regardless of your interest in that subject, the ways the movie successfully exploits the fear of someone not only coming out of the blue to threaten your stable existence, but also who won't listen to reason makes up for it. For this reason, it would pair well with movies like Cape Fear and Caché.

[SpelingError]

Haven't seen either film.

[Siddon]

Definitely turning the table into the more familiar titles...both films are great.


Both films had solid production values...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry04YYpQnJQ

[seanc]

Watched both of these for list prep. Enjoyed both, but neither moved the needle enough to get my vote.

[Harry Lime]

On Dangerous Ground was in semi-contention. Not really. But it would make a top 50. The direction of Ray adds to the overall quality of the film. I haven't seen Act of Violence.

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen both of today's reveals, twice. I really like both too, but surprised so many MoFos knew about On Dangerous Ground. I didn't realize that was a noir that people were really familiar with...glad they were though!

[WHITBISSELL!]

2 for 2. I've seen both of these Robert Ryan noirs, On Dangerous Ground and Act of Violence. No one did low boil, seething anger like him. But such was his talent that his two characters were distinctly different. I liked ODG's snowbound setting and Ward Bond and Ida Lupino's supporting performances. The ending was a bit too Hollywood but all in all it was a satisfying watch.

AoV had some great supporting roles too with Janet Leigh and Mary Astor and Berry Kroeger as the thuggish Johnny. Van Heflin and Robert Ryan made for a really intriguing dyad as the pursued and the pursuer.

Neither of these were on my ballot. I must have miscounted somewhere. I'm actually at 17 of 40 seen.

[GulfportDoc]

On Dangerous Ground was never one of my favorites, although the acting is good. Nicholas Ray is a fine director (They Live By Night; In a Lonely Place), but I've never felt this to be much of an example of noir. Nice score by the great Bernard Herrmann.

Act of Violence is the real McCoy. Some comments:

This is an interesting but uncomfortable and tawdry message tale of a man with a past who is tracked down by a fellow surviving soldier who seeks vengeance against that man who had been responsible for the death of his comrades in a Nazi prison camp.
It’s noir bona fides center on a typical theme displayed in classic noir films: a man makes an unfortunate choice which ultimately leads to his destruction.

It’s a sweaty, tense, and suspenseful film that features fine performances from the entire cast: Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor, and Phyllis Thaxter. Astor was a standout playing a world weary prostitute who tries to save the protagonist. Ryan’s star was on the rise since his electrifying portrayal of an unhinged soldier 2 years before in Crossfire (1947). He continued with that intensity in this picture.

It’s interesting that it was both director Fred Zimmerman’s (High Noon, The Day of the Jackal) and DP Robert Surtees’ (Ben-Hur, The Sting) only forays into noir. Still they were able to exquisitely portray the innocent safeness of suburbia on one hand, but the down and out grime of skid row on the other-- both contributing to one of the best noirs of 1949.

[dadgumblah]

Cool, a Robert Ryan two-fer! Both are on my Watch List but neither made my personal list. I do have a Robert Ryan film on my list and I hope it makes it. I saw one the other night that I wish I'd watched before the Countdown and I'd like to see it make it.

#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[WHITBISSELL!]

I do have a Robert Ryan film on my list and I hope it makes it. I saw one the other night that I wish I'd watched before the Countdown and I'd like to see it make it.Is either of them The Set-Up? That's my #24.

[cricket]

I gave On Dangerous Ground 3 back in 2016.

Don't know if I've seen Act of Violence.

[Sedai]

Two more misses for me!

4/40 seen

[Thief]

I saw Act of Violence for one of the latest Hall of Fame's. I really liked it, but barely missed my ballot. You can read my review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2429536-act_of_violence.html), but here is an excerpt from it:


"I think that was my favorite thing about the film; how it manages to contrast and juxtapose these two characters, none of which are entirely free from blame or wrong-doing. For a 1940s film to present the complexity of those things that "happened in the war" and that we can't understand, it is quite something, and I like that the film never fully commits to any side. Neither Joe nor Frank are demonized or idolized, but are rather presented as two damaged individuals."


I haven't seen On Dangerous Ground.


SEEN: 6/40
MY BALLOT: 2/25


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21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
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23. The Woman in the Window (#65)
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[Thief]

*Reads newspaper. Avoids eye contact.*


0 - 40

If anything, you have a lot of stuff to look forward to.

[Citizen Rules]

I gave On Dangerous Ground rating_3 back in 2016.

Don't know if I've seen Act of Violence.I think you'd like Act of Violence way more than On Dangerous Ground.

[Citizen Rules]

As usual I hae reviewed today's reveals sometime ago on MoFo. Previously I wrote this in the Noirvember 2023 thread:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=96427On Dangerous Ground (Nicholas Ray 1951)


The last time I watched this I looked for that above shot in the movie, but it wasn't there. The tough cop (Robert Ryan) did go to the blonde's apartment. She was wearing a black robe and he even gave her a cigarette. But he never lit it, the scene ended before that. I wonder if there's a longer version of this? Or was that image a still photo used for publicity? Oh well just wondering.

The sad thing is, I was sure I hadn't seen this and yet once again as I watched the movie I realized I had indeed seen it before. After the movie was over I checked MoFo and it was only two years ago that I had watched and reviewed it! At least I did start to recall the movie when Ryan heads up to the snowy north.

Now the funny thing is, I didn't like On Dangerous Ground the first time I I seen it...but the second time around I thought it was pretty good. I'm a sucker for a romance story and even though this is about the pursuit of a killer, tough cop Ryan eventual softens some after encountering a blind Ida Lupino. And why not, she's pretty and has a nice house too, ha...while Ryan lives in a crappy one room apartment.

Loved all of the on-location exterior shots in the countryside. The exterior shots done in the city was a nice choice too. And what a score, bam! It hits hard, I liked it.
rating_3_5+

[Citizen Rules]

And I reviewed this in the Noir HoF IV (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=69067) that I ran to support this countdown. I wish more people had joined in, it was a blast!

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FM%2FMV5BMmI4OWRmOGQtNGIxNS00ZmRmLWIyZTYtMWUyYWI2Mjk5MTExXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzk4OT I2MjM%40._V1_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=c95fa5d145401447c587bacea59d54e8831fa2116a95953e988b9eef62b4b311&ipo=images
Act of Violence (1948)
*Spoilers*


There's a saying on Broadway, 'If it isn't on the page, it's not on the stage.' Same is true for movies and luckily Act of Violence has one well crafted screenplay. Another noir could've just simply focused on the war vet with the dark secret and built tension from the mystery man with the limp who stalks him....That would've worked too, but what I really appreciated was just how fleshed out the characters' back stories were. Van Heflin isn't just a man being chased by some psycho, who believes he's guilty...He is guilty and by degrees we learn just how guilty he really is and in that way we understand his reluctance to fight back. Those background details added much depth to the story.

Van Heflin is great here, he's a favorite actor and this is one of his best performances. But for my money Mary Astor steals every scene she's in. She was totally believable as a b-girl who looked as cheap as her character was, she made this movie much more than just a chase movie. Janet Leigh was also very good in a role that might have been handled by another director as a two dimensional role. But Janet Leigh gets a lot of mileage out of her screen time, thanks to her and the director.

Gotta say I loved the score and normally I don't notice that. What blew me away was the way the last scene was filmed...With the sound of wind howling in the night and two men approaching each other down a wide empty street...all filmed from above, on a crane. It reminded me of a shootout in a western. Very satisfying film.
4

[Harry Lime]

I guess I should add Act of Violence to the old watchlist.

[Thief]

Stats: Pit Stop #4
https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/womanontherun-MS-crop.jpeg

-

After hitting our fourth pit stop (60), here's were we are now:

Yearly Breakdown


1940 = 2
1941 = 0
1942 = 1
1943 = 1
1944 = 5
1945 = 2
1946 = 3
1947 = 4
1948 = 7
1949 = 2
1950 = 5
1951 = 1
1952 = 1
1953 = 2
1954 = 0
1955 = 2
1956 = 1
1957 = 0
1958 = 1
1959 = 0



1948 still at the top with 7 entries, but 1950 and 1944 are both getting closee with 5 entries each.


Repeating Directors


Otto Preminger = 3
Fritz Lang = 2
William Wyler = 2
John Cromwell = 2
Robert Rossen = 2
Robert Wise = 2


Otto Preminger is the only director so far with three consecutive entries, while Fritz Lang joined the group of 2 in this last batch.

[PHOENIX74]

Another one I voted for :

#61 Act of Violence - I saw this one in a film noir Hall of Fame and I liked it well enough to include it on my list. Starts with a real sense of mystery - what did Frank R. Enley (Van Heflin) do during World War II that would have Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan) hunt him down the way he does, resolutely and without mercy? The unalterably damaged veterans of the Second World War get some acknowledgement here for what they went through - there probably wasn't enough attention paid to the psychological scars war gives the men who participate in it when it came to that conflict. 1946 documentary Let There Be Light dealt with it directly, but it was still an issue that was swept under the carpet a little because mental health was a bit of a taboo subject - men were men, and in the culture of those days men just had to deal with it by trying to bury it or push it aside. Act of Violence gives audiences a glimpse of how a person is never the same after going through the torment, and in doing so Fred Zinnemann also turned the issue into a compelling and exciting film. I had it at #21 on my film noir list.

I know nothing of any of the other films revealed since my last post here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen : 6/40
I'd never even heard of : 31/40
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 3/40
Films from my list : 2

#61 - My #21 - Act of Violence (1949)
#67 - My #18 - The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

[WHITBISSELL!]

I have to confess that I got On Dangerous Ground briefly confused with another noir I watched. It also took place in a snowy locale. At least part of it did. I was going to ask you guys or maybe try the Movie Questions forum but I managed to suss it out. Anyway, I hope it shows up in the countdown because it was actually pretty good. It had just enough idiosyncratic elements to make it fairly distinctive. If I had thought of it then I would have made room on my ballot.

[Citizen Rules]

I have to confess that I got On Dangerous Ground briefly confused with another noir I watched. It also took place in a snowy locale. At least part of it did. I was going to ask you guys or maybe try the Movie Questions forum but I managed to suss it out. Anyway, I hope it shows up in the countdown because it was actually pretty good. It had just enough idiosyncratic elements to make it fairly distinctive. If I had thought of it then I would have made room on my ballot.What was the other noir with a snowy locale?

[CosmicRunaway]

Repeating Directors


Otto Preminger = 3
William Wyler = 2
John Cromwell = 2
Robert Rossen = 2
Robert Wise = 2
Fritz Lang as well. He had Ministry of Fear at #75 and Woman in the Window at #65.

[James D. Gardiner]

On Dangerous Ground

"Sometimes people who are never alone are the loneliest".

https://i.imgur.com/zBh8jbY.jpg

I placed this right up there at #3. As one of the earliest examples of noir I recall seeing it had a defining impression on my perception of the genre. As I've said in the past I went through a phase of video taping tons of old late night movies. Being young and very naive I didn't even bother to check a tv guide - just started a 4 hour tape going around midnight. The very first haul from this method yielded this exact film followed by Armored Car Robbery (1950). I was hooked!

It wasn't at the time though that I thought this film was particularly well made or anything. I was tapping into a new genre of film that I'd had little exposure to and for all I knew was otherwise unobtainable. Even beyond the film noir genre or being a classic movie, it was a connection with another side of American culture from that period. I'd seen Hitchcock stuff and similar from that era but this was different. This was rain-soaked night-time alley ways, city hardened cops working the streets in a '49 Ford, listening for a radio call and looking out for a cop killer, cheap bars with women of questionable age or profession, hoodlums around every corner, and a cop whose hatred for it all was boiling over into an all out private war on the city. Really great atmosphere in that first 30 minutes.

When the main character is re-assigned out into the countryside it's almost like a sequel rather than the same movie. It's a stark contrast between the heavy night-time darkness of the city and the predominantly daylight exterior scenes in the snow covered wilderness. Through his own self-reflection the relationship that begins with Ida Lupino's character makes for a surprisingly innocent romance, despite the tension of impending drama in a chase for yet another killer. My own sentimentality towards the film can forgive any shortcomings the ending may have had.

[rauldc14]

Act of Violence was pretty close to making my list.

Haven't seen On Dangerous Ground.

[Citizen Rules]

98172
#60 The Naked City (1948)

Director: Jules Dassin
Production: Mark Hellinger Productions
Cast: Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart
62 Points, 7 Lists

'A step-by-step look at a murder investigation on the streets of New York.'
_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98173
#59 Kiss of Death (1947)

Director: Henry Hathaway
Production: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray
62 Points, 8 Lists

'A crook arrested for a jewelry heist initially refuses to give up his accomplices, but he changes his mind once his wife dies under worrying circumstances.'
_______________________________________

[Allaby]

Seen both, neither made my ballot.

Seen: 39/42

[Citizen Rules]

Love both of today's reveals, but didn't have room for them on my ballot. So far I've only had 1 noir from my ballot make the countdown.

[Sedai]

4/42

Hoping to see another from my ballot soon! ;)

[Harry Lime]

I've seen both but it was a long time ago but I thought The Naked City was a good film and liked the realist approach but was kind of meh on Kiss of Death. I guess a couple of classics though that this list would be incomplete without.

[Thief]

Fritz Lang as well. He had Ministry of Fear at #75 and Woman in the Window at #65.

Yeah, I knew I was missing something. I was literally dozing off at that moment and I knew I would screw it up somehow :laugh: Thanks!

[Thief]

Yeah, I knew I was missing something. I was literally dozing off at that moment and I knew I would screw it up somehow :laugh: Thanks!


Repeating Directors


Otto Preminger = 3
William Wyler = 2
John Cromwell = 2
Robert Rossen = 2
Robert Wise = 2


Otto Preminger is the only director so far with three consecutive ajmperis.

Told you :laugh: Kids, don't post anything when you're falling asleep. I'm glad that my keyboard doesn't translate drool :laugh:

[Thief]

Haven't seen the last two, but both have been on my radar.


SEEN: 6/42
MY BALLOT: 2/25


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18.
19.
20.
21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
22.
23. The Woman in the Window (#65)
24.
25.

[Thief]

Both Jules Dassin and Henry Hathaway join the group of directors with at least two entries. Dassin had Brute Force at #73 and Hathaway had The Dark Corner at #87.

[Holden Pike]

98174

Both placed on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1940s. The Naked City was #84 and Kiss of Death was #81.

[Thursday Next]

Every time I look at the title and think "oh I've seen that one" then look at the pictures and don't recognize them and it turns it out I've seen a completely different film with 'city', 'kiss', 'man' or 'angel' in the title :laugh:


0/2 for me today

[SpelingError]

Haven't seen either film.

[Thief]

So Bogey has had four films show up in the countdown (Dead Reckoning, Dark Passage, The Desperate Hours, To Have and Have Not), and that's without touching his 4 or 5 big big film noirs, which will probably come up in the second half. Will he be the actor with most appearances on the countdown?

[WHITBISSELL!]

What was the other noir with a snowy locale?Nightfall (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049552/). It's directed by Jacques Tourneur which is what first drew my attention. But it also features an eclectic cast and locales. It does end in wintertime Wyoming. The ending is also different than anything else I have seen.

[WHITBISSELL!]

The very first haul from this method yielded this exact film followed by Armored Car Robbery (1950).
:up: I kept running across this title last night when I was trying to find the name of another noir I couldn't remember. Charles McGraw and William Talman among others. I had never heard of it but it's also going on my watchlist.

[John-Connor]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/AqzpOrBANF0Goz9vf91Tn2LjlI4.jpg
Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death delivers a great example and blueprint for a lot of your favorite film noir and neo noir villains and antagonists. I just had to give praise and put it on my ballot at #25.
Check out this very interesting closer look at Richard Widmark's work and influence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYb66PW9u1U

SEEN 15/42
BALLOT 2/25


44. Angel Face (1952)
36. Drunken Angel (1948)
32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)
30. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
-----------------------------------------
25. Kiss of Death (1947)
10. Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

[WHITBISSELL!]

2 for 2 . I consider both The Naked City and Kiss of Death classics. At first glance Barry Fitzgerald would appear to be a case of miscasting but IMO he ends up making the movie. And who doesn't love some Tommy Udo? Neither of these made my ballot.

19 of 42 seen.

[Miss Vicky]

Kiss of Death was one of the few Noirs I enjoyed and would have gotten my vote if I could have voted.

[Citizen Rules]

Every time I look at the title and think "oh I've seen that one" then look at the pictures and don't recognize them and it turns it out I've seen a completely different film with 'city', 'kiss', 'man' or 'angel' in the title :laugh:...That happens to me too and I'm the host:eek: One of the titles for tomorrow's reveals didn't ring a bell...so I looked it up and I had seen it only a couple of months ago. Good noir too, but from some reason the title just didn't stick in my head.

Nightfall (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049552/). It's directed by Jacques Tourneur which is what first drew my attention. But it also features an eclectic cast and locales. It does end in wintertime Wyoming. The ending is also different than anything else I have seen.Aldo Ray stars, I like him and he didn't seem to make that many movies. At least I haven't seen him in all that much. Added to my noir watchlist.

2 for 2 . I consider both The Naked City and Kiss of Death classics. At first glance Barry Fitzgerald would appear to be a case of miscasting but IMO he ends up making the movie. And who doesn't love some Tommy Udo? Neither of these made my ballot. Tommy Udo was great but Richard Widmark is so damn lucky that he didn't get stereotyped into only playing those type of roles. The next year he starred with Ida Lupino and Cornel Wilde in Roadhouse. Widmark is solid in that movie but in the last third of the film he 'turns' into Tommy Udo and it's just too much, but still one of my favorite noirs and Widmark one of my favorite actors.

[cricket]

In 2017 I gave Kiss of Death 3+ and The Naked City 3.5+

[beelzebubble]

Nothing from my ballot in the last four days. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I have seen To Have and Have Not. It wasn't on my ballot. I love the scene with Hoagy Carmichael and Bacall wiggling out of the room giving Bogey the eye. But I couldn't tell you what the movie was about. That may be why this one wasn't on my list.

[Citizen Rules]

Nothing from my ballot in the last four days. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I have seen To Have and Have Not. It wasn't on my ballot. I love the scene with Hoagy Carmichael and Bacall wiggling out of the room giving Bogey the eye.

But I couldn't tell you what the movie was about. That may be why this one wasn't on my list.It's about Bogie and Bacall having a ball:p

[GulfportDoc]

I really like The Naked City, although it's not really a noir-- more of a police or crime procedural. I particulaly enjoyed Barry Fitzgerald as the Det. Lieutenant. Director Jules Dassin did direct several good noirs, including Night and the City and Rififi.

The sole standout in Kiss of Death was Richard Widmark's over the top portrayal of the psychopath Tommy Udo-- especially the pushing-granny-down-the-stairs bit. I thought Victor Mature did a good job as the ex con, but he was nearly pushed out of every scene that he shared with Widmark due to Widmark's scenery chewing.

The Tommy Udo character really put Widmark on the map, but to me his portrayal was so exaggerated and annoying that it practically ruined the picture for me.

[dadgumblah]

Okay, that's two from my ballot making it today. I love both of them. In The Naked City I loved Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, and Ted de Corsia who appears in quite a few of these noirs. Maybe he'll be a runner-up for most appearances in the Countdown? I even liked the narration in the movie, which some people like and some don't. It wasn't typical noir narration, like the detective telling about the dame who appears in his door, etc. But it worked for me.

Kiss of Death was really great stuff, and I liked Victor Mature a lot. Yeah, Richard Widmark was great in it, with his giggling psycho stealing the show. I was prepared to really hate him for pushing the old lady down the stairs till I heard her popping her mouth off like a wise guy, er, gal. I thought, well, he's just giving her what she asked for. Don't mouth off to the psychos unless you've got a gun trained on him. :) I liked the tension of Mature hiding out and expecting Udo or his guys to show up at any time.

My ballot is looking a bit better after a long stretch:
#14 Kiss of Death List Proper #59
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#16 The Naked City List Proper #60
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[Citizen Rules]

98188
#58 The Breaking Point (1950)

Director: Michael Curtiz
Production: Warner Bros.
Cast: John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter
64 Points, 5 Lists

'An otherwise moral captain of a charter boat becomes financially strapped and is drawn into illegal activities in order to keep up payments on his boat.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98189
#57 Detective Story (1951)

Director: William Wyler
Production: Paramount Pictures
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix
65 Points, 6 Lists

'On one day in the 21st Precinct squad room, assorted characters form a backdrop for the troubles of hard-nosed Detective Jim McLeod.'

_______________________________________

[Allaby]

I liked Detective Story, but it didn't make my ballot. I own The Breaking Point on blu ray, but still haven't watched it.

Seen: 40/44

[seanc]

Nice! I thought Detective Story might not show. I have only watched it the once, it’s one I really wanted to rewatch but didn’t get to. That once left a very strong impression on me as a great little flick that doesn’t get enough love. I had it at 18

Breaking Point looks great. Added to my ever growing Noir watchlist.

I think a couple would f us Mofos should start a Noir streaming service. So many of these are $15 to buy, $5 to rent. I would totally subscribe to a service like that. Shudder for people who love a superior genre. ;)

[Thief]

Haven't seen either, but The Breaking Point is on my watchlist. ThatDarnMKS is a big fan and has spoken very highly of it.


SEEN: 6/44
MY BALLOT: 2/25


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
22.
23. The Woman in the Window (#65)
24.
25.

[Thief]

With Detective Story, William Wyler joins Otto Preminger as the only two directors with three entries in the countdown so far. Wyler had a 1-2 punch last week with both The Letter and The Desperate Hours at #72 and #71 respectively.

[Harry Lime]

I haven't seen either but both look like potential with interesting stories and quality directors and cast behind them. Both added to the watchlist.

[Citizen Rules]

Detective Story is one of my favorite noirs and is the second to show up from my ballot, yeah! I had it as my #18. It was also once my nomination in the 50's Part II Hall Of Fame (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=45257)

The Breaking Point was a nomination in the Film Noir HoF V (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=69315) and I enjoyed it.

[rauldc14]

Seen Detective Story and it's ok.

Havent seen The Breaking Point

[John-Connor]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/2MQuJkwOYF9GL85ECKpVAoI5Hjk.jpgThe Breaking Point was on my ballot (#11) and Detective Story should've been, just checked my inbox but it's not on there.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Anyway, love em both and I think both deserve higher placement than 57 and 58, obviously.
SEEN 17/44
BALLOT 3/25

44. Angel Face (1952)
36. Drunken Angel (1948)
32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)
30. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
26. Detective Story (1951)
-----------------------------------------
25. Kiss of Death (1947)
11. The Breaking Point (1950)
10. Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

[Citizen Rules]

My old review:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.themoviescene.co.uk%2Freviews%2F_img%2F1886-3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=d09cef6f5599887726fd64976f2079f81e3b4e5aeb854766e5de61c4e82e5d17&ipo=images
Detective Story
(William Wyler,1951)


About: A hard nosed detective (Kirk Douglas) who's been suspended in the past for police brutality, finds himself on a case so disturbing that his negative emotions spill over to his wife (Elanor Parker). During a one day period at the police precinct room we see a wide range of assorted characters and criminals, each with their own stories.

Review: Kirk Douglas was known for intense acting such as in 1951's Ace in the Hole. Here in Detective Story he's even more intense and more forceful. Thanks to a well crafted backstory, his character has real motivation to act in such a zealot manner. IMO this is one of Kirk Douglas' best performances...and he gave a lot of great performances!

Elanor Parker who's first big role was in Caged (1950), gives a more well rounded performance as the wife of a out of control cop, who's dealing with a marriage that is falling apart. She's able to get her acting chops into the part and as much as I liked her in Caged, I like her performance here better.

The story construction of Detective Story is unique for a film noir and works well. We get the main story of Kirk Douglas as he pursues a suspect and is willing to do anything to get his man. That might be enough for most films but here, every action he takes, causes a secondary story-line to unfold with his wife. That's cleaver. Finally there's even a third subplot running through the story about a young teen accused of a petty crime. All of this is wrapped up in a birds eye view of the inner workings of a police precinct.

rating_5

[Gideon58]

My old review:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.themoviescene.co.uk%2Freviews%2F_img%2F1886-3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=d09cef6f5599887726fd64976f2079f81e3b4e5aeb854766e5de61c4e82e5d17&ipo=images
Detective Story
(William Wyler,1951)


About: A hard nosed detective (Kirk Douglas) who's been suspended in the past for police brutality, finds himself on a case so disturbing that his negative emotions spill over to his wife (Elanor Parker). During a one day period at the police precinct room we see a wide range of assorted characters and criminals, each with their own stories.

Review: Kirk Douglas was known for intense acting such as in 1951's Ace in the Hole. Here in Detective Story he's even more intense and more forceful. Thanks to a well crafted backstory, his character has real motivation to act in such a zealot manner. IMO this is one of Kirk Douglas' best performances...and he gave a lot of great performances!

Elanor Parker who's first big role was in Caged (1950), gives a more well rounded performance as the wife of a out of control cop, who's dealing with a marriage that is falling apart. She's able to get her acting chops into the part and as much as I liked her in Caged, I like her performance here better.

The story construction of Detective Story is unique for a film noir and works well. We get the main story of Kirk Douglas as he pursues a suspect and is willing to do anything to get his man. That might be enough for most films but here, every action he takes, causes a secondary story-line to unfold with his wife. That's cleaver. Finally there's even a third subplot running through the story about a young teen accused of a petty crime. All of this is wrapped up in a birds eye view of the inner workings of a police precinct.

rating_5

Liked this movie...a link to my review:

https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2114446-detective_story.html

[cricket]

Seen Detective Story once and thought highly enough of it to put it on my ballot.

Don't think I've seen Breaking Point.

7. Body and Soul (#94)
13. Detective Story (#57)
15. Force of Evil (#85)
20. The Blue Dahlia (#74)
24. Drunken Angel (#70)
25. The Letter (#72)

[WHITBISSELL!]

1 for 2 for these latest ones.

I've never even heard of The Breaking Point but Detective Story is as self-contained a noir as there ever was. Crime and punishment with all sorts of little dramas playing out on the periphery. Great cast. Lee Grant and William Bendix. And I thought Joseph Wiseman did a great job as a ticking time bomb. Just a good solid movie all around.

20 of 44 seen.

[SpelingError]

Haven't seen either film again. I'm feeling like a broken record right now.

[beelzebubble]

Neither of these is on my list nor have I seen them.
But as everyone else has said, they look really good.
I'm definitely going to check them out.

[Diehl40]

Finally on the board with Act of Violence. I do hope to get some more hits further up the ballot as a result of participating in the HOF's.

[GulfportDoc]

The Breaking Point(1950)

The chief recommendation for this over-wrought melodramatic crime picture is Patricia Neal’s alluring and sexy performance of Leona Charles, a free spirited vamp who tries to seduce John Garfield’s character, Harry Morgan. She commands the viewer’s attention whenever she appears on screen. Otherwise this noir themed tale of a man who, in order to save his charter boat, but against his better judgment, signs on to an escape plot for several heist gangsters, which inexorably leads to a bad outcome.

Phyllis Thaxter turns in a reliable performance as Harry’s wife, Lucy. And Wallace Ford is his sleazy shady best as F.R. Duncan, who continually tempts Harry into illicit money making schemes. The veteran Juano Hernandez does a reliable job as Wesley Park, Harry’s boat assistant and conscience.

The prolific Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) directed on a screen play by Ranald MacDougall (Mildred Pierce). The cinematography by Ted D. McCord (Johnny Belinda) was competent and realistic, but not in the least noirish.

This was the second screen adaptation of Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not, and although it was reported to be more faithful to the novel, this version was not quite as absorbing as the 1944 looser adaptation with Bogart and Bacall.

[dadgumblah]

I've heard of both films but for some insanse reason I didn't watch either in time for the Countdown. They are definitely on my Watch List!

My ballot is looking a bit better after a long stretch:
#14 Kiss of Death List Proper #59
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#16 The Naked City List Proper #60
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[Iroquois]

no votes. detective story is good, though.

[Little Ash]

The Naked City (1948) - #20 on my ballot. I'll be honest, it's been a while since I've seen it and my memory is beyond spotty on it (true of many a movie I have watched at this point). But it stuck out in my memory for its procedural aspect and I recall some neo-realism creeps in via all of the different people they investigate.

I have not seen any of the other ones.

[stillmellow]

*Leaves hole. Doesn't see shadow. And by shadow, I mean any of the 44 movies listed*


0 for 44



Looks like we have an early spring. 😅

[PHOENIX74]

There's another one :

#58 The Breaking Point - The more I think about The Breaking Point the more I like it. There's so much to it, and it speaks to us in economic terms, moral terms and psychological terms. In many films that explore these issues men are forced to commit crimes just so their business can survive, they can afford to feed their family and they can pay their rent. One bad situation after another, no fault of protagonist Harry Morgan (John Garfield), occur, which have him smuggling illegal immigrants and helping bank robbers escape with loot. In the meantime he's being seduced by another woman, because why not add that to the plethora of issues Harry is going through. He's just a family man who wants a decent life for his wife and daughter(s), and this film often segues to and from a kind of typical noir tone depending on where Harry is - closer to home, and this is closer to a normal film. Once on the dock, in his boat, or in a seedy nightclub, everything gets much darker - and the dangers are much closer to hand. There seems to be so much squeezed into The Breaking Point, and Michael Curtiz guides it all with panache. I had it at #23.

I've never heard of #60, #59 nor #57. Much, anyway.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen : 7/44
I'd never even heard of : 34/44
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 3/44
Films from my list : 3

#58 - My #23 - The Breaking Point (1950)
#61 - My #21 - Act of Violence (1949)
#67 - My #18 - The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

[James D. Gardiner]

The Naked City's a good movie and I did consider it for my ballot. Enjoyed Detective Story and also Panic in the Streets which I recently checked out. Need to see Kiss of Death and The Breaking Point.

Seen: 24/44

[crumbsroom]

*Leaves hole. Doesn't see shadow. And by shadow, I mean any of the 44 movies listed*


0 for 44



Looks like we have an early spring. 😅


You say this like it's a bad thing. I've also got a lot of 'not seens' on this list, which to me is ideal. I'd probably be at my happiest if I ever came across a best of list where I'd seen none of them. It means there is this whole undiscovered ecosystem of movies I have yet to enter, when I'd been stupidly under the impression that I'd already seen everything


How exciting!

[Citizen Rules]

*Leaves hole. Doesn't see shadow. And by shadow, I mean any of the 44 movies listed*


0 for 44



Looks like we have an early spring. 😅I'm always glad to see you post because I'm hoping with each reveal you'll score 1! You seem to have a real positive spirit, I like that🙂...So here comes two more reveals, fingers crossed for you!

[Citizen Rules]

98196
#56 Niagara (1953)

Director: Henry Hathaway
Production: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters
65 Points, 7 Lists

'As two couples are visiting Niagara Falls, tensions between one wife and her husband reach the level of murder.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98197
#55 They Live by Night (1948)

Director: Nicholas Ray
Production: RKO
Cast: Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva
65 Points, 9 Lists

'An escaped convict injured during a robbery falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.'

_______________________________________

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen Niagara.

They Live By Night is very good, but it didn't make my ballot. A different Nicholas Ray film did.

[Allaby]

They Live By Night is excellent and made my ballot at number nine. Niagara is very good, but didn't make my ballot.

Seen: 42/46

[stillmellow]

You say this like it's a bad thing. I've also got a lot of 'not seens' on this list, which to me is ideal. I'd probably be at my happiest if I ever came across a best of list where I'd seen none of them. It means there is this whole undiscovered ecosystem of movies I have yet to enter, when I'd been stupidly under the impression that I'd already seen everything


How exciting!



That's a very good point! I have a lot to check out.... including today's two movies. Oh well, more to see.

[Sedai]

Almost halfway through the list and I still have yet to land one from my ballot... I must have exquisite taste!

[seanc]

Niagara is fine. Wouldn’t have made my list even if I considered it though.

They Live By Night is awesome. I put it at 11. I could see it going up even higher on rewatches. I absolutely loved that central relationship, and the movie looks fantastic.

[Citizen Rules]

Niagara is fine. Wouldn’t have made my lust even if I considered it though....I see what you did there:p

[seanc]

I see what you did there:p

My god. That happens so often you would think I would have learned to check by now. Niagara would definitely make my lust list. 😀

[Holden Pike]

98204

[Little Ash]

Niagara was my #23 (or #22 if we bump everything up one from my #3 being ineligible). I mean, it's a noir, with a man kind of disintegrating from his experience in the war.

Another Nicholas Ray film made my ballot quite high. I tried watching They Live By Night but couldn't get into it and finish it. I don't know how much of that was due to too high expectations from the other Ray film (likely). I keep meaning to give it another try, but I still haven't done so.

[Citizen Rules]

As usual, my previous review from the 2023 Noirvember (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=69073&highlight=They+Live+By+Night)thread.

https://i0.wp.com/thelastdrivein.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/they-live-by-night-8.jpg?resize=490%2C317&ssl=1
They Live By Night
(Nicholas Ray 1948)

I liked this noir alot, probably because it was a different slant than most noirs. In They Live By Night we learn of two young people who were born into lives of poverty and end up on the wrong side of the law. What the film does that's special is it gives these two Bowie (Farley Granger) and Keechie (Cathy O'Donnell) a lightness of soul and a longing for a normal life that has been denied to them. They seem to have a chance to redeem their lives and live in peace and love, only the law is not about to forgive an escape murderer and so at every turn of the road they're in danger of losing their youthful dreams.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.yoqiV9EfsLB2T5AsOkEDnQHaFZ%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=3221989136fd0f24f219fa5c506378618f0f97612f3dbb714d18c95d0c0bfd88&ipo=images

In contrast to the young couple the people around them are harsh and corrupting...I especially liked the cigar chomping, Chickamaw (Howard De Silva) with his fierce temper and one bad eye....and the great Jay C. Flippin as (T-Dub) the older wiser criminal who's still not a nice guy. I liked that the world of these poor thieves, some who are related was explored so well in the film, especially in the first half at the old rundown gas station.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.1S27OgV3HBsINd661F4U_wHaFj%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=e46e09b7585f31b3510fca5042200c6f275e0c8db37b431703b4b29aab3bf6a4&ipo=images

This was Nicholas Ray's first job as director and I was amazed to see aerial scenes in such and early movie. I read that the first scene he ever directed for a movie was this one from a helicopter!


rating_4

[WHITBISSELL!]

1 for 2. I'd heard of Niagara but had no idea it was a noir. I enjoyed They Live by Night. I liked the names of the characters, Keechie and Bowie. Chicamaw and T-Dub. Liked the combination of Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell. They also costarred together in Side Street, another great noir (which I'm hoping shows up later in the countdown). O'Donnell was seemingly typecast as the girl-next-door type (at least in the roles I saw her in like SS, The Best Year of Our Lives and Detective Story). I haven't seen Robert Altman's remake, Thieves Like Us.

21 of 46 seen.

[mrblond]

#56. Niagara (1953) is my one pointer at #25 on my ballot.

Saw it for the countdown.
Great scenery, nice cast... alas, screenwriters were incapable to develop a fully decent story that this place deserves. It was just something fastly fabricated. That's why it took my lowest slot. By the way, I found Jean Peters extremely beautiful.
3+
65/100
98207
-----

My Ballot
▽
...
21. Spellbound (1945) [#68]
22.
23. Woman on the Run (1950) [#91]
24.
25. Niagara (1953) [#56]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/f9ZXZkbgZmQhYDnGHoMPaFIbSbh.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/8RttDdrSVwYSSwGpmil0z3vu98g.jpg https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/m9ftjuwaaKHR4iv5SgMpXA5pIGN.jpg

-----

[Thief]

Another blank round for me.

As for list facts, Henry Hathaway gets another notch on his belt; he has three (3) so far. Meanwhile, Nicholas Ray gets his second one on the list.

[Thursday Next]

They Live By Night was my #14. I really felt for Bowie and Keechie and their inability to escape the past.


I have not seen Niagara but after seeing the stills on this thread I think I need to rectify that forthwith.

[beelzebubble]

#56. Niagara (1953) is my one pointer at #25 on my ballot.

Saw it for the countdown.
Great scenery, nice cast... alas, screenwriters were incapable to develop a fully decent story that this place deserves. It was just something fastly fabricated. That's why it took my lowest slot. By the way, I found Jean Peters extremely beautiful.
rating_3+
65/100
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=98207
-----



What he said except it wasn't on my list.


They Live By Night is another story. I haven't seen it. I used to avoid things about regular folks, because as a regular folk it doesn't interest me. I am also not a big Farley Granger fan. He is very good-looking but that is about it.

[rauldc14]

Niagara made the list and this far? Interesting.

[Citizen Rules]

I didn't have room on my ballot for this gorgeous looking, three strip technicolor, wide screen film. But I did write this once:

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=82656
Niagara (1953)


This is a gorgeous looking film and it's not solely because of Marilyn Monroe...though the camera does love her and this was her first lead starring role and her first technicolor film too.

What made Niagara so fascinating to see was the stunning cinematography which featured Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. Very unusual for an early 1950s technicolor film to be filmed primarily on location and that makes all the difference. We don't just see the falls, we see them from the river angle and from an aerial angle and from various different view points. And the falls do figure prominently into the story too.

I won't spoil anything, I promise! I'll just say at the start of the film we learn Marilyn Monroe is stuck in an unhappy marriage to Joseph Cotton who just got out of an Army mental care hospital. And yes there's some noir stuff going on, enough to make this film worthy of a noir fan. I'll just say there's this one scene that's haunting in how it's shot.


Oh and this is cool:
The famous walk by Marilyn's character Rose Loomis across the cobblestone street holds the record for the longest walk in cinema history - 116 feet of film...27 seconds.

[Harry Lime]

For whatever reason I didn't care for Niagara at all. It's probably my lowest rated on the list that I've seen so far. It looked great. Marilyn looked great. Joseph Cotten usually is great. But the story didn't work for me. It was a long time ago that could change on a rewatch but I'm not in a rush. They Live by Night is another quality film from Nicholas Ray but not the one I voted for.

[dadgumblah]

I've not seen Niagara, have long meant to, knew it was considered a film noir but didn't even try to watch it for the countdown. So many that I've put on my list that came first and will probably get watched first. But seeing those lovely pics that Citizen Rules, Holden Pike, and mrblond posted, it may get watched sooner than later.

And They Live by Night is way up high on my Watch List, mainly because, um, Cathy O'Donnell! :love: Yes, thank you and please!

#14 Kiss of Death List Proper #59
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#16 The Naked City List Proper #60
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78

[cricket]

I gave They Live By Night 3.5- in 2017

Don't think I've seen Niagara.

[Iroquois]

no votes. i watched niagara for the first time recently and found it quite enjoyable. haven't seen they live by night.

[Citizen Rules]

98214
#54 D.O.A. (1949)

Director: Rudolph Maté
Production: Cardinal Pictures Inc.
Cast: Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler
68 Points, 9 Lists

'Frank Bigelow, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

98215
#53 Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Director: Phil Karlson
Production: Associated Pictures Productions
Cast: John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston Foster
69 Points, 8 Lists

'An ex-con trying to go straight is framed for a million dollar armored car robbery and must go to Mexico in order to unmask the real culprits.'

_______________________________________

[Holden Pike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbRdEZx9cfQ

[Thief]

https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbDFrcmppd2g3aG1uNXV0bDc3OHUwMXY2a2FiNGVpbjY4N3gzNXJ2dyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/mks5DcSGjhQ1a/giphy.gif

BOOM! 2 for 2 seen AND 2 for 2 from my ballot!

D.O.A. is an interesting who-dunit with a killer opening. It has a solid cast, Maté's direction is great, and I really like the twists and turns the film takes. It was my #24.

Kansas City Confidential was my #25! I didn't think it would get enough votes, but here we are. Here's something I wrote when I first saw it years ago:

Most of the cast is pretty good and the film moves at a nice pace as we see the planning, execution, and aftermath of the robbery. I do think that the film loses some momentum during the last act as the criminals prepare for the payoff, and we are introduced to Helen (Coleen Gray), who happens to be "Mr. Big"'s daughter, but also becomes the love interest of Rolfe.

Overall, a pretty cool and slick film.


SEEN: 8/48
MY BALLOT: 4/25


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. The Hitch-Hiker (#67)
22.
23. The Woman in the Window (#65)
24. D.O.A. (#54)
25. Kansas City Confidential (#53)

[Torgo]

Kansas City Confidential is my #17. My thoughts:

I have yet to see a bad movie that uses the "team of criminals who don't know each other" trope and this one is no exception. This one's a little different in that one of the team members didn't know he signed up to commit a crime! John Payne plays wronged flower delivery man Joe, and how well he conveys frustration at being an unwitting accomplice and a desire for justice keeps things tense until the end. That Joe is an awarded war veteran adds welcome historical significance and puts it into "true film noir" territory, if you will. My favorite line, which Joe says when someone mentions his medals, is "try and buy a cup of coffee with them." The use of '50s witticisms like this one and slang keep things fun, as do the rest of the performances, and this isn't the movie's fault, but I wish I recognized some of the actors (Lee Van Cleef is in this, but in his "Italian face," he's barely recognizable). Also, as is typical of movies like this, the conclusion threw me for a loop and in a good way for how the surprise makes sense and doesn't come out of left field. It's not perfect: the fights are kind of bloodless - I spotted a few Sonny Corleone-style phantom punches - and its depiction of Mexicans make Speedy Gonzalez seem PC, but it lives up to the intrigue that its title promises.

Oh, and you can watch it at a lot of places and for free. Thank goodness for the public domain.

[Allaby]

Seen and liked both, but neither made my ballot.

Seen: 44/48

[John-Connor]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/Aci296MDG4kI5ZZgmf77ftEGthu.jpg
Excellent, classic Film-Noir with a terrific cast and tense plot. Also high on my all time heist films list.
Kansas City Confidential was my #20.

SEEN 18/48
BALLOT 4/25

44. Angel Face (1952)
36. Drunken Angel (1948)
32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)
30. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
26. Detective Story (1951)
-----------------------------------------
25. Kiss of Death (1947)
20. Kansas City Confidential (1952)
11. The Breaking Point (1950)
10. Bob Le Flambeur (1956)

[Thief]

Some notes about the list so far...


The 3 points gap between D.O.A. and yesterday's They Live by Night is the second biggest so far. Like I just said at the neo-noir thread, most of it so far has been pretty tight with lots of ties and 1 or 2 points gaps. But as expected, as we go further, the spread gets bigger.
Yesterday's Niagara has one of the lowest IMDb scores of the countdown so far at 7.0; tied with Fallen Angel and He Walked by Night.

[Citizen Rules]

Yes! another from my ballot...I had Kansas City Confidential as my #17. It's been awhile since I seen this well crafted noir but I never forget the lovely Coleen Gray!

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Fc9%2F45%2Fbd%2Fc945bd58e4dc592277f92d1058043d94.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=3166e857561aa26c3eab1f8c578ed86bbae88120a1001339dc8c8f8eaed55549&ipo=images
My review:
Kansas City Confidential (1952)

This was a cool story that instantly drew me in. I really liked all five of the main actors, each did an excellent job. All the three bad guys were really good & nasty and each had his own quirk too. John Payne made a good regular Joe, who's forced to take on some tough thugs to clear his name. And of course I liked the lovely Colleen Grey.



The film takes us to four different 'worlds'. Each interesting to see: I liked the crime set up and the actual job part. I liked even more the time in the police station when the cops rough up poor John Payne. But I really liked the time in Mexico, both when he's on the tail of Jack Elam (who was great in this) and finally when they all meet up in a sleepy Mexican fishing village. I like the ending too and how the story wrapped up.

Kansas City Confidential is gritty and gripping with a lot of interesting scenes and characters.
rating_4+

[John-Connor]

https://i.gifer.com/SqU1.gif

Actor Stats Pit Stop

4
Humphrey Bogart
(Dead Reckoning, Dark Passage, The Desperate Hours, To Have and Have Not)

3
Dan Duryea
(Too Late for Tears, Ministry of Fear, The Woman in the Window)
Elisha Cook Jr.
(Stranger on the Third Floor, Born to Kill, Phantom Lady)
John Garfield
(Body & Soul, Force of Evil, The Breaking Point)
William Bendix
(The Dark Corner, The Blue Dahlia, Detective Story)
Whit Bissell
(He Walked by Night, Brute Force, The Desperate Hours)
Walter Burke
(Mystery Street, All the King's Men, The Naked City)



https://media.tenor.com/oHE-FE5YclQAAAAM/dave-letterman-viewer-mail.gif