The MoFo Top 100 Film Noir Countdown

[Citizen Rules]

97804

The Film Noir Countdown...Starts Now!

I'm amazed at the positive response the Film Noir countdown has received, it far surpassed my expectations. I love film noir and have wanted to do a noir countdown for years...Thank you all for making these countdowns a reality!

A big thanks to everyone who took the time to watch noirs for the countdown and to those who joined the two Film Noir HoFs...and to those who participated in the Noirvember 2023 - Rate the last noir you watched (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=69073) where we had 175 noirs watched and rated!...And of course thanks to all who submitted a ballot, we had 57 ballots.


Last but not least thanks to Thief for volunteering to host the Neo Noir countdown, which is the other half of MoFo's very first duel countdowns, yahoo!
I'll be presenting two noirs each day, starting at the bottom of the list and working up to the number 1 noir.

This is going to be a blast!!!

Let the Countdowns Begin!
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F24.media.tumblr.com%2F3b5eb8b3399dc02ca9d87ca852ad37ac%2Ftumblr_mov99sMFPx1snmmclo1 _500.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=4f57192bc89af7c17ee1ce60e5c3562c6dcd6972800067cd204edf9f8409760f&ipo=images

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F6c%2F72%2F93%2F6c72936fb547560ceb18eb730e2866f7.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=064dbac4d26e78c8be57e2afef93731580e39edf56d2134c8a59e7461897618a&ipo=images
Film Noir Top 100 List

100 Le Corbeau (1943) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2443482#post2443482)
99 Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2443483#post2443483)
98 Panic in the Streets (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2443764#post2443764)
97 Dangerous Crossing (1953) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2443765#post2443765)
96 Gaslight (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444038#post2444038)
95 Dead Reckoning (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444039#post2444039)
94 Body and Soul (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444271#post2444271)
93 Mystery Street (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444272#post2444272)
92 Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444511#post2444511)
91 Woman on the Run (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444512#post2444512)
90 I Want to Live! (1958)
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444819#post2444819)89 Brighton Rock (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2444820#post2444820)
88 He Walked By Night (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2445051#post2445051)
87 The Dark Corner (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2445052#post2445052)
86 Angel Face (1952) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2445415#post2445415)
85 Force of Evil (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2445416#post2445416)
84 Born To Kill (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2445687#post2445687)
83 All The King's Men (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2445688#post2445688)
82 The Amazing Mr. X (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446093#post2446093)
81 Too Late For Tears (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446094#post2446094)
80 Fallen Angel (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446475#post2446475)
79 Confidential Report (1955) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446476#post2446476)
78 This Gun For Hire (1942) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446723#post2446723)
77 Caged (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446724#post2446724)
76 Dark Passage (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446954#post2446954)
75 Ministry of Fear (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2446955#post2446955)
74 The Blue Dahlia (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2447141#post2447141)
73 Brute Force (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2447142#post2447142)
72 The Letter (1940) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2447405#post2447405)
71 The Desperate Hours (1955) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2447406#post2447406)
70 Drunken Angel (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2447692#post2447692)
69 Phantom Lady (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2447693#post2447693)
68 Spellbound (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448035#post2448035)
67 The Hitch-Hiker (1953) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448036#post2448036)
66 Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448271#post2448271)
65 The Woman In The Window (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448272#post2448272)
64 To Have And Have Not (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448637#post2448637)
63 Bob Le Flambeur (1956) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448638#post2448638)
62 On Dangerous Ground (1951) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448834#post2448834)
61 Act of Violence (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2448835#post2448835)
60 The Naked City (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449020#post2449020)
59 Kiss of Death (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449021#post2449021)
58 The Breaking Point (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449271#post2449271)
57 Detective Story (1951) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449272#post2449272)
56 Niagara (1953) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449544#post2449544)
55 The Live By Night (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449545#post2449545)
54 D.O.A. (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449860#post2449860)
53 Kansas City Confidential (1952) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2449861#post2449861)
52 The Big Combo (1952) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2450166#post2450166)
51 Crossfire (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2450167#post2450167)
50 High Sierra (1940) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2450514#post2450514)
49 Suspicion (1941) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2450515#post2450515)
48 The Harder They Fall (1956) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450806#post2450806)
47 Odd Man Out (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2450808#post2450808)
46 The Set-Up (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451080#post2451080)
45 Ride the Pink Horse (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451081#post2451081)
44 Criss Cross (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451386#post2451386)
43 The Narrow Margin (1952) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451387#post2451387)
42 Rififi (1955) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2451686#post2451686)
41 Elevator to the Gallows (1958) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2451687#post2451687)
40 The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451995#post2451995)
39 The Wrong Man (1956) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2451997#post2451997)
38 The Stranger (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452248#post2452248)
37 Leave Her to Heaven (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452249#post2452249)

36 Gun Crazy (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452543#post2452543)
35 Rebecca (1940) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452544#post2452544)
34 The Lost Weekend (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452730#post2452730)
33 Nightmare Alley (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452731#post2452731)
32 Stray Dog (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452955#post2452955)
31 The Lady from Shanghai (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2452956#post2452956)
30 White Heat (1949) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2453215#post2453215)
29 Scarlet Street (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2453216#post2453216)
28 Murder, My Sweet (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2453526#post2453216)
27 Gilda (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2453527#post2453216)
26 Key Largo (1948) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2453765#post2453216)
25 Night and the City (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2453766#post2453216)
24 Detour (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454018#post2454018)
23 The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454019#post2454019)
22 The Killers (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454277#post2454277)
21 Pickup on South Street (1953) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454278#post2454278)
20 Notorious (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454450#post2454450)
19 Ace in the Hole (1951) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454451#post2454451)
18 Strangers on a Train (1951) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454627#post2454627)
17 The Big Heat (1953) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454628#post2454628)
16 The Asphalt Jungle (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454888#post2454888)
15 Mildred Pierce (1945) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2454889#post2454889)
14 The Night of the Hunter (1955) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2455157#post2455157)
13 Kiss Me Deadly (1955) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2455158#post2455158)
12 Shadow of a Doubt (1943) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2455414#post2455414)
11 The Killing (1956) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2455415#post2455415)
10 Laura (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2455681#post2455681)
9 Sweet Smell of Success (1957) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2455927#post2455927)
8 The Big Sleep (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2456134#post2456134)
7 Out of the Past (1947) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2456272#post2456272)
6 In a Lonely Place (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2456590#post2456590)
5 Touch of Evil (1958) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2456776#post2456776)
4 The Third Man (1946) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2457025#post2457025)
3 The Maltese Falcon (1941) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2457384#post2457384)
2 Sunset Blvd. (1950) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2457702#post2457702)
1 Double Indemnity (1944) (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2457703#post2457703)

[Citizen Rules]

One Pointers

Not a dud in the bunch, but they only got one point, so they end up here.

97808
A Woman's Face (1941) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034399/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Black Widow (1954) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046791/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Anna Lucasta (1958) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051362/)
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049006/)
Crime Wave (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046878/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Crime%2520Wave%2520(1953)%2520)
I Wake Up Screaming (1941) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033740/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
Quicksand (1950) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042869/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Quicksand%2520(1950))
The Crimson Kimono (1959) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052713/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
The Guilty (1947) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039439/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)
They Drive by Night (1940) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033149/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_They%2520Drive%2520by%2520Night%2520(1940))

97809

[John-Connor]

96158
Crime Wave is cool! Too bad it didn't make the 100. Could've /should've put it on my ballot but it was just too crowded on there. Nice to see it at least got a mention, solid classic Film-Noir. 👍

[Thief]

The only one I've seen from the one-pointers is Quicksand. I don't even remember if I was the one that had it at #25 :laugh: but I'm happy to see it represented. It's a solid little noir with a lot of atmosphere (check out my review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2211419-quicksand.html))

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=96158
Crime Wave is cool! Too bad it didn't make the 100. Could've /should've put it on my ballot but it was just too crowded on there. Nice to see it at least got a mention, solid classic Film-Noir. 👍You said a mouthful! Crime Wave was my 1 pointer and I wish I could've voted it higher, but my ballot was too crowded. I love that movie, Sterling Hayden is a blast, and the story works really well. Loved the ending too.

[Citizen Rules]

The only one I've seen from the one-pointers is Quicksand. I don't even remember if I was the one that had it at #25 :laugh: but I'm happy to see it represented. It's a solid little noir with a lot of atmosphere (check out my review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2211419-quicksand.html))I just checked, not your #1. Funny as I would've thought it was as I remember you suggested it to me. I seen Quicksand with Mickey Rooney who's always likable in his films, well mostly likeable:eek: But he was likable and relatable in Quicksand which is a neat little noir about how an everyday guy through a chain of events can end up really screwed!

[Allaby]

Out of the one pointers I have seen: Black Widow, I Wake Up Screaming, Quicksand, and They Drive by Night.

[Thief]

I just checked, not your #1. Funny as I would've thought it was as I remember you suggested it to me. I seen Quicksand with Mickey Rooney who's always likable in his films, well mostly likeable:eek: But he was likable and relatable in Quicksand which is a neat little noir about how an everyday guy through a chain of events can end up really screwed!

The most "meaningless" choice can sink you into *dun dun dun* the quicksand!

[Citizen Rules]

I'm going to endeavor to watch every single movie on this countdown, I ain't done watching noir by any means:D So out of the one pointers I've seen these in bold:


A Woman's Face (1941)
Black Widow (1954)
Anna Lucasta (1958)
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
Crime Wave (1953)
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Quicksand (1950)
The Crimson Kimono (1959)
The Guilty (1947)
They Drive by Night (1940)

[Thursday Next]

Anna Lucasta was my pick. It's more of a melodrama than a noir overall, but with some noirish elements. Eartha Kitt was great as Anna and had some fun, snappy dialogue. It was interesting to see a film from the 1950s with an all black cast too.

[CosmicRunaway]

I had too many films vying for those last few spots on my list, so I didn't go with a traditional one-pointer this time around (though I did with my neo-noir list). I briefly considered putting the film I have at #20 there because I didn't think it would get many (if any) other votes, so I guess I'll now have to wait and see if I was right about that haha.

[Harry Lime]

No one pointer from me in this one. Big thanks to Citizen Rules for running this countdown. Lots of work adding it up manually. CR is old school, like a classic noir.

[cricket]

I know I've seen a few of those but when it comes to classic noir, I mix them up a lot if they don't stand out to me. This is a countdown which will have me checking my records a lot. Same thing with 50's westerns and Ozu.

[mrblond]

No one pointer from my list too.
Looking forward to see #100 and #99.

In the OP is given 175 noirs for Noirvember 2023. I wonder how many are the total movies in these 57 ballots?

[beelzebubble]

A Woman's Face is my one-pointer. Joan Crawford plays a scarred woman who is also a criminal. Part of what instigates her criminal behavior is her scarred face.

[Miss Vicky]

I didn't vote because I could only come up with four Noirs that I'd seen and liked. I Wake Up Screaming was one of those four. Nice to see that someone else appreciates it.

[Citizen Rules]

Anna Lucasta was my pick. It's more of a melodrama than a noir overall, but with some noirish elements. Eartha Kitt was great as Anna and had some fun, snappy dialogue. It was interesting to see a film from the 1950s with an all black cast too.I'd never heard of until you sent in your ballot. It's a must see for me.

No one pointer from me in this one. Big thanks to Citizen Rules for running this countdown. Lots of work adding it up manually. CR is old school, like a classic noir.Ha, I am old school! But I would've used the new system that Yoda made only it's for one countdown at the time, so Thief used that and I used a calculator:D

[Citizen Rules]

No one pointer from my list too.
Looking forward to see #100 and #99.

In the OP is given 175 noirs for Noirvember 2023. I wonder how many are the total movies in these 57 ballots?I can answer that: 57 Ballots with 186 Different Movies. Even the noirs that didn't make the countdown were still good ones.

A Woman's Face is my one-pointer. Joan Crawford plays a scarred woman who is also a criminal. Part of what instigates her criminal behavior is her scarred face. I seen that long ago when I was first getting into films, I watched a bunch of Joan Crawford's movies and that was a good one. She made a number of noirs and two that I really liked was The Damn Don't Cry (1950) and Possessed (1947).

[SpelingError]

Looking forward to this list. Good luck hosting!

[dadgumblah]

Of the 1-pointers, I've only seen They Drive By Night and that was so long ago I can't remember too much about it, so I need to catch it again. I'm really looking forward to seeing Crime Wave because I dig me some Sterling Hayden. And we're off!

[Little Ash]

Subscribed.

Edited:

Current revealed ballot:

01. (#06) In a Lonely Place
02.
03. M 1931 <- ineligible so just bump up everything below this by 1.
04. (#19) Ace in the Hole 1951
05.
06.
07.
08.
09. (#42) Rififi 1955
10. (#41) Elevator to the Gallows 1958
11. (#14) The Night of the Hunter 1955
12. (#09) Sweet Smell of Success 1957
13. (#07) Out of the Past 1957
14. (#11) The Killing #1956
15. (#23) The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946
16. (#34) The Lost Weekend 1945
17. (###) Repeat Performance 1947
18. (#33) Nightmare Alley 1947
19. (#38) The Stranger (1946)
20. (#60) The Naked City
21. (#67) The Hitch-Hiker
22. (#96) Gaslight 1944
23. (#56) Niagara 1953
24. (###) I am Waiting 1957
25. (#24) Detour 1945

[edarsenal]

Have not seen any of the one-pointers, may have to try to rectify on one or two.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen any of the one pointers.

[CosmicRunaway]

I know I've seen a few of those but when it comes to classic noir, I mix them up a lot if they don't stand out to me. This is a countdown which will have me checking my records a lot.
Same! I love noir, but my mind just lumps it all together and it's really hard to keep films straight. I also have a feeling there are going to be a lot of films on this Countdown that I've actually seen but just don't remember.

[PHOENIX74]

I've seen far too few classic movies that are film noir for me to have seen one obscure enough to be a 1-pointer. My 1-point selection will probably make the actual countdown. The ones that have shown up here all look pretty interesting, and actually really good. (I haven't seen any of them of course.)

[Citizen Rules]

97825
#100 Le Corbeau (1943)

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Production: Continental Films
Cast: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey
20 Points, 3 Lists

'A French village doctor becomes the target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.'


__________________________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97826
#99 Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

Director: Anatole Litvak
Production: Hal Wallis Productions
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey
21 Points, 2 Lists

'While on the telephone, an invalid woman overhears what she thinks is a murder plot and attempts to prevent it.'



_______________________________________

[Sedai]

Love the format! Well done, all. :)

That said, I've not seen either of these, so I am 0/2 so far!

[ApexPredator]

The only one I've seen from the one-pointers is Quicksand. I don't even remember if I was the one that had it at #25 :laugh: but I'm happy to see it represented. It's a solid little noir with a lot of atmosphere (check out my review here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/2211419-quicksand.html))

Quicksand is mine.

Back when I was playing with the idea of cutting the cord, I dove into this one when I saw it streaming one day.

It almost plays out as a junior noir with Mickey Rooney being suckered into borrowing a twenty from the drawer at work to impress this "femme fatale". But the friend he counted on to pay him back never does so and he finds himself in hot water with work, the law and the owner of a penny arcade (Peter Lorre) faster than you can say...quicksand.

Still, it packs a punch. And in doing this list, I realized that I haven't seen as many classic noirs as modern ones. Thus...

My List:

17. Quicksand (1950)

[mrblond]

Wow! That's nice!
So the start is at 20 points...

[ScarletLion]

Ooh I like that visual style of the reveals

[Citizen Rules]

Love the format! Well done, all. :)

That said, I've not seen either of these, so I am 0/2 so far!Thanks, the format and images for this countdown is all moi doing🙂 I'm very curious to see what Yoda and Thief cooked up for the Neo Noir countdown, I have no insider info on what it might look like...but it should be good!

[Citizen Rules]

Wow! That's nice!
So the start is at 20 points... Good question...The criteria was the movies had to have made two list and have 20 points or more. I was hoping for 25 points or more but the bottom 7 movies are under 25 points and who wants a Top 92 Film Noir countdown:p

[Thief]

Quicksand is mine.

Back when I was playing with the idea of cutting the cord, I dove into this one when I saw it streaming one day.

It almost plays out as a junior noir with Mickey Rooney being suckered into borrowing a twenty from the drawer at work to impress this "femme fatale". But the friend he counted on to pay him back never does so and he finds himself in hot water with work, the law and the owner of a penny arcade (Peter Lorre) faster than you can say...quicksand.

Still, it packs a punch. And in doing this list, I realized that I haven't seen as many classic noirs as modern ones. Thus...

My List:

17. Quicksand (1950)

I think that, in its simplicity, it perfectly showcases some of the most notable noir traits. That of otherwise "good" people being sucked into situations they just can't control. It's good stuff.

[seanc]

Added Sorry, Wrong Number to the Noir watchlist. Stanwyk and Lancaster should make me prioritize it.

You are going to hear a few things a lot from me in this countdown due to Noir being a plot heavy genre. Here is the first of one of those things, just saw Le Corbeau a couple years ago. Based on my star rating is was mid for me, but I don’t remember it at all. I said in my short review that I wish it had been fleshed out more. That it didn’t hold my interest with the mystery.

[Thief]

BTW, I'm starting with two donuts here. Haven't seen either of these two but I've heard good things about both.

[Citizen Rules]

Ooh I like that visual style of the revealsThanks! I wanted to be able to give people some images that might jog their memories reminding them that they had seen the movie, as noir titles can sound similar. Or entice them to watch it!

That's also why I included the top billed cast members and a mini synopsis of the film. Hoping the presentations will pique some interest and get some of these neat noirs watched:)

[Thief]

What is film noir?

https://americanpulps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/man-who-wasnt-there-noir-cinematography-1024x552.jpg

It is a label used to identify certain films that were made in the US during the 1940s and 1950s. It literally means "black film", which hints at the change in tone that was present in certain films, probably because of the war. However, it wasn't until 1946 that the term was coined by French film critics who hadn't had the chance to watch American films for several years. When the war ended, and they started catching up with the films that were made during the past five years, they noticed a trend towards a more pessimistic and fatalistic tone which they called "film noir".

https://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/08154654/noir-film-pic.jpg

So, perhaps this initial spurt of "dark films" was not intentional, but rather a product of the things that were going on in the world. But once studios caught up with the popularity of the trend, they started producing films of that kind in a more intentional way. Films about mysteries, worn down detectives meeting femme fatales in dark alleys and dimly lit offices, where the ending was not always the best for our protagonists. Stories were fate always showed its ugly head to remind us that we have no control over our destiny.

[Allaby]

I've seen both Le Corbeau and Sorry, Wrong Number. I thought they were just okay and rated them a 6/10.

[Citizen Rules]

..
You are going to hear a few things a lot from me in this countdown due to Noir being a plot heavy genre. Here is the first of one of those things, just saw Le Corbeau a couple years ago. Based on my star rating is was mid for me, but I don’t remember it at all. I said in my short review that I wish it had been fleshed out more. That it didn’t hold my interest with the mystery.I've seen both of today's reveals. I started my film interest with a yin for all Barbara Stanwyck films:D Sorry, Wrong Number is a good one for Hitchcock fans as it falls into the Hitch-thriller film trope. It's a good movie but I don't like thrillers per se if it involves a helpless victim being tormented for the duration of the film as they fight for their lives...and some noirs especially Hitch 'noirs' fit into that category.

[John-Connor]

Months of preparation and somehow Sorry, Wrong Number starring Lancaster and Stanwyck (of all actors) slipped under my radar? :rolleyes: Watchlisted! Seen 0/2, good start. :p
Reveal presentation art work looks good, nice job hosting team!

[Citizen Rules]

Of the 1-pointers, I've only seen They Drive By Night and that was so long ago I can't remember too much about it, so I need to catch it again. I'm really looking forward to seeing Crime Wave because I dig me some Sterling Hayden. And we're off!I'm a big fan of Sterling Hayden and Crime Wave is my favorite Sterling Hayden performance, he's just so Sterling Hayden in that film!

Same! I love noir, but my mind just lumps it all together and it's really hard to keep films straight. I also have a feeling there are going to be a lot of films on this Countdown that I've actually seen but just don't remember.Me too, even when working on the ballots I'd say to myself, here's one I haven't seen, then I'd look it up on IMDB and realize I just watched a few weeks ago. Noirs have crazy similar title.

I've seen both Le Corbeau and Sorry, Wrong Number. I thought they were just okay and rated them a 6/10.Batting a 1000!

[CosmicRunaway]

As others have already said, I love the format for the reveals, so great job there CR! 👍

Le Corbeau was nominated in the 3rd Noir HoF, and this is what I wrote about it at the time:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=62935

Le Corbeau (1943)
Directed by: Henri Georges Clouzot
Starring: Pierre Fresnay, Pierre Larquey, Ginette Leclerc

At the time of Le Corbeau's release, most films in France featured some form of escapism for its citizens, as audiences did not need to be reminded that informants were everywhere, and that you could even be betrayed by those closest to you. Instead of supplying any kind of relief, Clouzot took an incredibly daring chance with this dark, scandalous thriller that is steeped in paranoia. A film like this could not have been made in America, since it contains a lot of content that the Hays Code would have simply forbidden.

Le Corbeau provides a scathing view of the bourgeoisie, and contains social commentary that is still applicable to this day. Rumours and slander can forever alter a person's reputation regardless of their merit, and sometimes truths can have unintended consequences. The dangers of mass hysteria are also ever relevant, and hit particularly hard during the current global pandemic. So it's a shame that many perceived this film as an explicit condemnation of the French, and went as far as banning Clouzot from working in the country. It's scope is not that narrow.

While the film doesn't contain many of the elements that have since become synonymous with noir, its bleak vision of the world certainly fits into the genre. No character, not even the children, remain unblemished. Some of the lightning effects, especially those in the later scenes, do provide a touch of that familiar aesthetic as well. The mystery surrounding the titular Corbeau is quite intriguing, though its final revelations are not that shocking. I did find the conclusion satisfying regardless, and am glad that the film was nominated.

I liked it well enough, but it didn't manage to make my list. I think I saw part of Sorry, Wrong Number on tv ages ago, but don't remember anything about it.

Seen: 1/2

[John W Constantine]

Two good selections to start us off. Watched both a while ago, remember positive things for both. Le Corbeau may have been one of the first noirs I remember watching and really enjoying.

[Citizen Rules]

We also watched Le Corbeau in the Noir III HoF (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=61176), that's where I seen it and was impressed. I might have voted for it but it's been so long since I last watched it I hardly remember it, other than liking it.

An excerpt of my old review:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=63147

Le Corbeau (1943)

Very interesting seeing a film that was made in occupied France under the watchful eye of the Nazis, that alone makes this worth watching.
The plot of someone writing 'poison pen' letters in a small town and causing all sorts of mayhem and suspicion, made for lots of tension, especially in occupied France were suspicion could end one up in front of a Nazi firing squad.

Wartime propaganda? After WWII the free French claimed this film made by a German film company in occupied France was demeaning to the French people and the French resistances....Nah, that's not what the film is doing. It's telling a real event than occurred in a small French Town in 1917. If Le Corbeau had been made immediately after the war it would've been hailed as a homage to the French resistances...and the movie's suspicious & spying town's people akin to the French collaborators who worked with the Germans. But sometimes a movie is just a movie with no hidden agenda as is the case here with Le Corbeau.

[Thursday Next]

Seen Le Corbeau but it didn't make my list. I wonder how much foreign noir will make the countdown.

[Siddon]

https://cdn.traileraddict.com/content/extra-thumbs/262455466-2.jpg

Le Corbeau (1943)

A cynical doctor is torn apart by mysterious letters in occupied France in Le Corbeau (1943). Henri-Georges Clouzot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri-Georges_Clouzot) is a master of suspense and storytelling he's one of my favorite film-makers. While noir wasn't officially defined until a few years later Le Corbeau might be the first deconstruction of the genre. In 99% of noirs focus around a murder or a theft but Clouzot's work is more focused the elements of a crime rather than a major crime. In a lot of ways it builds towards what should be the film rather what we get is a prequel to a story we don't need to be told about.

Our lead is a doctor accused of sexual and moral crimes in a small town. He's giving women abortions and cheating on housewives, I'd imagine two huge crimes for the 40's. Germain is a strange man in himself a pitiless individual who is a stranger coming into town. Is this a man on the run (another theme in noir's)...well I'm not going to spoil that for you but for a subplot that's a pretty good one. Our narrator is unreliable which is really smart in a poison pen story.


Clouzot also refuses to give the audience any violence, all the death occurs off-screen we are only left with the results. Clouzot doesn't want you get tension from who lives or who dies it's more who's going to open and read a letter. It's subversion at it's best.

And yet even though it subverts and deconstructs it also does something even more important. The best noir's use metaphors that stand the test of time and in this film you can't help but see the comparisons to Nazi's taking in undesirables during this era. The film was funded by German's during the war and banned by the French after it...guess they missed the subtext. Fortunately the film and film-maker helped launch the French New Wave.


One of two foreign noir's to make my list...and my nomination for a previous Noir Hall of Fame. I adore Clouzot and this is one of his more complicated and brief films.

[beelzebubble]

I haven't seen Le Corbeau. I have seen Sorry, Wrong Number, but it didn't make much of a dent on my consciousness.

[Holden Pike]

The Crimson Kimono (1959) was my one-pointer.

97829

Sam Fuller made several classic Noirs, one or two of which will almost surely show up on the countdown. The Crimson Kimono isn't one of the better known Fuller flicks, but I have always loved it. Well ahead of its time culturally, it opens with a very memorable sequence where a stripper, stage name Sugar Torch, witnesses a murder in the backstage dressing room and is chased into the busy neon night where she is gunned down in the street. Those headline-making murders draw a pair of Detectives, Charlie (Glenn Corbett) and Joe (James Shigata), co-workers and friends despite their racial differences, working the Little Tokyo beat of Post-War Los Angeles. A portrait of Sugar Torch in a kimono seems to point to a new geisha theme she was working on for her act and their investigation leads them to a pretty artist (Victoria Shaw), who Charlie is instantly drawn to. While she likes Charlie just fine, she feels a much stronger connection to Joe. This love triangle brings tension between the two friends and complicates the investigation.

97830

Much like Robert Towne a generation later with Chinatown, Fuller knew a Los Angeles cop who worked that area, a man like Joe who was Nisei, Japanese born in America, who struggled to deal with racism while mired in the clash of cultures for his seedy job. Shigata, who you all know as the ill-fated Mr. Takagi in the Christmas classic Die Hard, is strong playing the conflicted Joe. Strippers and interracial lovers would have been dicey material for a Hollywood movie in the 1980s, so you can imagine how Fuller's Crimson Kimono must have played in 1959!

I just may have at least one more Sam Fuller movie on my ballot. Stay tuned.

HOLDEN'S BALLOT
25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3aZXe0-44w

[mrblond]

None of the first reveals is in my portfolio of seen film-noirs.

[Citizen Rules]

The Crimson Kimono (1959)...I watched this back when Holden sent in his ballot. I had never seen it before but the premise sounded interesting and it was directed by one of my favorite directors, Sam Fuller...so I watched it. Enjoyed it too. The Crimson Kimono has a fresh feel about it when compared to other late 1950s noir. I'd say it was ahead of it's time and that's thanks to Fuller who never forces scenes though staging, composition and blocking but allows his actors to dominate the scenes which feels more like how many good indie films today are made. I thought the racism angle was very balanced as it never gets preachy and is seen from both sides so that it's not an agenda film. My wife liked this movie too.

[Wyldesyde19]

They Drive by Night was my 1 pointer. Big fan of Walsh.

Of the reveals, Le Corbeau was on my list. Somewhere in my top ten but I don’t remember where.

Haven’t seen the other one.

1/2

[Kaplan]

I remember Le Corbeau as excellent but never thought of it for the list, and I would have had to watch it again remember it for sure.

[SpelingError]

I watched Le Corbeau and enjoyed it, but it didn't make my ballot. Here's something I wrote on it in Takoma's thread:

I watched this last week or so. Not at all what I was expecting, which might have colored my rating for the film somewhat, but it still managed to move me as the ruminations on the various ways gossip can impact people were very moving. I also liked how the tension of the poison pill letters was depicted. It didn't result in a conventional thriller so much as their normal lives being occasionally disrupted by the letters to varying degrees.

I haven't seen Sorry, Wrong Number.

[cricket]

I don't believe I've seen Sorry, Wrong Number because I don't recognize the title, great cast though.

Seen the other and liked it.

[GulfportDoc]

#100 Le Corbeau (1943)

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Production: Continental Films
Cast: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey

20 Points, 3 List

'A French village doctor becomes the target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.'


__________________________________________________

A little commentary from 4 years ago:

Le Corbeau (1943)

I had never seen this film before an older HOF, so it was interesting to see how the French were doing it in 1943—at least how director Henri Clouzot was. It’s a bit of a jumble of a film, more a melodramatic mystery than a film noir.

Having seen no French films from the war era, the way this film was done might have been typical of its type, but I have nothing to compare it to. Translated “The Raven” or “The Crow”, the story relates how certain people in a French town start receiving threatening or accusatory anonymous letters which put them into compromising situations and even death. Various suspects are accused before the culprit is dealt with in the end by a subject’s spouse.

There seemed to be a lot of yelling in the film, which was contrasted by some provocative sexual seduction moments. There was a very nice Hitchcockian scene where a letter is dropped from the rafters onto a church congregation whose attention is drawn upward as the letter flutters to the floor. There were some themes that would have been censored in the U.S. involving prostitution, abortion, and the like. Shot during the Occupation, reportedly the film was produced by Germans in France for two reasons: One, those themes would not have been tolerated in Germany, and, two, the themes were likely meant to show the disdain for, and immorality of the French people.

The film put me in mind of a cinematic presentation of a radio drama—something similar to pictures commonly seen in the early 1930s U.S. Le Corbeau is worth a watch, and has a few nice elements, but it’s really more of a B movie, not in the same league of some of the better noirs of the 1940s.

[Iroquois]

no votes. haven't seen either.

[Harry Lime]

I like Le Corbeau but it's been a while. And sorry but I haven't seen Sorry, Wrong Number but with Stanwyck and Lancaster seems like I need to add it to the watchlist.


The reveals look great, CR. Loving the idea of including stills from the films.

[Citizen Rules]

97833
Anna Lucasta (1958)


This was one of the 1 pointers and I watched it last night. Glad I did. I'd never seen Eartha Kitt in anything other than as Catwoman on the old Batman TV show. It's a pity she didn't make more movies like this. When she's with Sammy Davis Jr they are electric. The play off each other so well. It's a good story too of a young woman kicked out of her house by her overly religious dad who seems to have some deep seeded troubles. She comes back into the family home when it's learned her father's friend is sending his son out to California with $4000 in his pocket. The scheming family has plans to get that money, including marring off the wayward daughter who has been working as a prostitute. The middle of the film reminds me of Little Foxes. The end is more noir and heartbreaking watching poor Eartha being treated like dirt by her alcoholic father. Good film!

[PHOENIX74]

Seen neither, heard of neither - I'm afraid that's going to happen to me a lot during this countdown, but in the end the list will work for me as a de facto watchlist and I'll be getting around to seeing all of these films. Never liked film noir before but now that's been completely turned around.

Films seen : 0/2

[beelzebubble]

Seen neither, heard of neither - I'm afraid that's going to happen to me a lot during this countdown, but in the end the list will work for me as a de facto watchlist and I'll be getting around to seeing all of these films. Never liked film noir before but now that's been completely turned around.

Films seen : 0/2


Good morning, PHOENIX74!

[PHOENIX74]

Good morning, PHOENIX74!

Howdy howdy. It is a fine morning.

[SpelingError]

I imagine PHOENIX secretly watching all us American posters as we sleep.

[PHOENIX74]

I imagine PHOENIX secretly watching all us American posters as we sleep.

https://media.tenor.com/pADWVlv58esAAAAM/jim-carrey.gif

Edit - does this mean everyone on MoFo secretly watches me as I sleep?

[Little Ash]

Same! I love noir, but my mind just lumps it all together and it's really hard to keep films straight. I also have a feeling there are going to be a lot of films on this Countdown that I've actually seen but just don't remember.


Yeah, kind of a similar situation, except I find myself more loving the idea of noir films while only actually enjoying a lot of the actual films. Like, I don't have TCM, but I could imagine turning on Noir Alley, which a number of people on this forum speak highly of, and probably enjoy it as comfort food. But for top 25 list, I'd kind of wanted films that stood out a little bit more to me than that.

[Little Ash]

Haven't seen either. Don't think I had heard of Le Corbeau, but it's Clouzot, so I should at least keep it in mind.


Sorry, Wrong Number was a title I was familiar with (even if I didn't know what the plot was) and was on my watchlist for this, but didn't manage to get around to it.

[dadgumblah]

I've not seen Le Corbeau. I have seen Sorry, Wrong Number but it's been forever and a day since. But it still resonates with me. Both Lancaster and especially Stanwyck were so fine in that film and the end is devastating and so very, very noir.

Great start and I'll echo with the congrats on the great look of the reveals with the film strips in black and white of course! :cool:

[James D. Gardiner]

https://i.imgur.com/5ZKRzza.jpg


Great start to the countdown folks. No one pointers from me but I have seen Black Widow, I Wake Up Screaming, Quicksand and They Drive By Night. The latter I'm surprised didn't get more votes. I have seen the 1938 Swedish version of A Woman's Face with Ingrid Bergman, so will need to check out the Joan Crawford one and the rest of these fine looking films. Great choices.

Sorry, Wrong Number was my #16, owing to a fair degree of the so-called recency bias I think. It's been a film I've wanted to see for ages and went into watching it with a lot of enthusiasm. The film has its flaws and can be confusing at first until you get a handle on the phone conversations apparently taking place in real time, and the multiple layers of flashbacks that build up the story of what's unfolding. It came from a successful radio play so it's easy to understand how it would be very effective in that original medium. Great looking production and whilst all the performances are good it's Barbara Stanwyck that really carries the film - overacting to an extent but very well suited to the character. And holy blazes that ending! I'm still coming down from it. In 1948 it must have been shocking.

Haven't seen Le Corbeau but it looks like a classic. Nice job with the graphics also, CR. :up:

[moongirl]

Sorry, Wrong Number was my #16, owing to a fair degree of the so-called recency bias I think. It's been a film I've wanted to see for ages and went into watching it with a lot of enthusiasm. The film has its flaws and can be confusing at first until you get a handle on the phone conversations apparently taking place in real time, and the multiple layers of flashbacks that build up the story of what's unfolding. It came from a successful radio play so it's easy to understand how it would be very effective in that original medium. Great looking production and whilst all the performances are good it's Barbara Stanwyck that really carries the film - overacting to an extent but very well suited to the character. And holy blazes that ending! I'm still coming down from it. In 1948 it must have been shocking.




Sorry, Wrong Number was my #15, so we're the two who put it on the list! The radio play is great, have you ever heard it?

[moongirl]

I agree that the reveal looks great, and I'm really impressed with the fast turnaround time! Thank you for doing this!!

[James D. Gardiner]

Sorry, Wrong Number was my #15, so we're the two who put it on the list! The radio play is great, have you ever heard it?

Right on! Never heard the radio play, but based on your recommendation I shall seek it out. Thanks! :)

[moongirl]

Right on! Never heard the radio play, but based on your recommendation I shall seek it out. Thanks! :)


I hope you enjoy it!

[Citizen Rules]

97842
#98 Panic in the Streets (1950)

Director: Elia Kazan
Production: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Richard Widmark, Barbara Bel Geddes, Jack Palance
22 Points, 2 Lists

'A doctor and a policeman in New Orleans have only 48 hours to locate a killer infected with pneumonic plague.'


_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97844
#97 Dangerous Crossing (1953)

Director: Joseph M. Newman
Production: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Jeanne Crain, Michael Rennie, Max Showalter
23 Points, 2 Lists

'When a beautiful bride boards an ocean liner with her new husband, he goes into hiding, and she becomes the target of a murder conspiracy.'


_______________________________________

[Allaby]

Seen both, neither made my list. Panic in the Streets was pretty good and I rated it a 7/10. Dangerous Crossing was somewhat interesting and I felt that it had some effective moments, but not everything worked. I rated it a 6/10.

Seen: 4/4

[John W Constantine]

Panic in the Streets was okay, outside of the plot I don't remember much as I was in the process of knocking out entries on TSPDT. I do like Kazan. First time hearing of the other, some homework for today.

[Thief]

Two more donuts for me. I don't think I had even heard of Dangerous Crossing.

[seanc]

1 for 2 again. Watched Panic In The Streets for the list. I liked it well enough but wasn’t close to making my list. Loved the family stuff in the movie the most.

[rauldc14]

Panic in the Streets is the first I've seen. I wasn't a big fan though.

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen Panic in the Streets, but like so many other movies it was years and years ago. I can remember liking it, especially the interesting idea of a noir that's fighting against time to stop a pneumonia plaque.

I watched Dangerous Crossing in prep for this countdown and wrote about it in the Noirvember 2024 thread. I previously wrote this:
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.bT7vCHSQF2_Lie3mNUuo2QHaEl%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=5109fcfbe6f48b9a32e230a4e7962208b33614185afaaa3095cfa46ad454b00a&ipo=images
Dangerous Crossing (1953)

A wealthy bride boards an ocean liner with her new husband on their honeymoon...But before the champagne can be uncorked, the groom disappears. As she frantically searches the ship for him, the crew begins to suspect she's delusional, as no one has seen the man she claimed boarded the ship with her...CR


Ohh, this one was so fun! Clocking in at only 75 minutes, this taunt mystery-noir kept me on my toes...I was glued to the TV set and not only because Jeanne Crain is so lovely but because the script was so well thought out and the mystery played out quite logically with several different outcomes seemingly possible. Michael Rennie as the handsome ship's doctor who tries to comfort Jeanne Crane.

[Citizen Rules]

The 2nd post on the 1st page now has the list of the noirs that have made the reveal so far.


I've seen 4 for 4:)

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen either film.

[John-Connor]

Haven't seen Panic in the Streets or Dangerous Crossing yet. Does the entire film take place on the ocean liner? And is it shot in studio or on location/the ocean?

SEEN 0/4
BALLOT 0/25

32. Crime Wave (1953)

[Little Ash]

Another 0 for 2 for me. I probably should have watched Panic in the Streets back when The Next Picture Show covered it, but... well, it's not the only movie I missed (but still listened to the episode).

Dangerous Crossing's title sounds familiar, but I don't know where from. One of those, did I see it on a list of noir films or, and I'm going to keep wondering this on almost every entry, "was it one of the movies mentioned when I listened to the audio book of either Crying of Lot 49 or Inherent Vice way back when?"
Reading the plot it sounds like a similar premise to both Bunny Lake is Missing and The Lady Vanishes. I greatly prefer the first one.

[Citizen Rules]

...Dangerous Crossing yet. Does the entire film take place on the ocean liner? And is it shot in studio or on location/the ocean?
Studio sets with some stock footage of the ocean and the ship. You can always tell if an ocean liner in a movie is a set because ship cabin's aren't that big and the hallways aren't that wide!

Filmed on the same sets as Titanic (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046435/?ref_=tttrv_tr), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/?ref_=tttrv_tr), and A Blueprint for Murder (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045566/?ref_=tttrv_tr)The name of the ship is never mentioned. It is variously represented in stock footage of the Île-de-France, the Queen Mary and by a Fox Studio, Titanic model modified to have only three funnels.

[moongirl]

Dangerous Crossing


Ohh, this one was so fun! Clocking in at only 75 minutes, this taunt mystery-noir kept me on my toes...I was glued to the TV set and not only because Jeanne Crain is so lovely but because the script was so well thought out and the mystery played out quite logically with several different outcomes seemingly possible. Michael Rennie as the handsome ship's doctor who tries to comfort Jeanne Crane.



I totally agree! I absolutely LOVE this movie -- where I live, there's a channel that shows this every few weeks, and I'm riveted every time. I love how Jeanne Crane plays it, she really makes you start to doubt her story almost as much as the others do.


This one was #5 on my list, and the only reason why it wasn't higher was I thought some of the other films on my list were better films -- but this is one I could watch over and over again and enjoy it every time.

[Citizen Rules]

Dangerous Crossing

I totally agree! I absolutely LOVE this movie -- where I live, there's a channel that shows this every few weeks, and I'm riveted every time. I love how Jeanne Crane plays it, she really makes you start to doubt her story almost as much as the others do.

This one was #5 on my list, and the only reason why it wasn't higher was I thought some of the other films on my list were better films -- but this is one I could watch over and over again and enjoy it every time.I'm glad you voted for Dangerous Crossing otherwise it wouldn't have made the countdown. I know of two other film noirs set on ocean liner ships Between Two Worlds (1944) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036641/) and The Hairy Ape (1944) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036892/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_42_act) both good films. I can think of another one, but can't remember the title?

[Harry Lime]

I've seen Panic in the Streets - it was a while back but I did like it. I think it was actually a rare recommendation from my dad! Those usually only involve old TV shows.

[Holden Pike]

Panic in the Streets was towards the bottom of my ballot.

97846

In between Elia Kazan’s Oscar-winning triumphs of Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) he made this cracking good Noir-ish thriller shot wonderfully on location in New Orleans, LA. A couple of low-level murderous hoods Blackie and Fitch, a perfectly cast Jack Palance and Zero Mostel, are unknowingly carrying pneumonic plague around the seedier parts of town, tracked by Richard Widmark’s Public Health officer and Paul Douglas’ Police Captain who are trying to prevent an outbreak. The criminals don’t realize exactly why so much heat is coming down on them, but the race to find them is on.

97847

Yes, it gets a tad melodramatic here and there, but the filmmaking and cast rise above it, building to a fantastic climax. Widmark played more heavies than good guys, especially in that early phase of his career. Several of those dark types will almost surely place here, but his intensity works well with Douglas’ weary cop and the real stars are Mostel and Palance. It’s just too much fun to leave off of my ballot. I had it at number twenty-two, good for only four of its 22 points, but it was enough to sneak it onto the bottom of the list so I’ll take it!


HOLDEN'S BALLOT
22. Panic in the Streets (#98)
25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP)

[beelzebubble]

Panic in the Streets was towards the bottom of my ballot.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=97846

In between Elia Kazan’s Oscar-winning triumphs of Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) he made this cracking good Noir-ish thriller shot wonderfully on location in New Orleans, LA. A couple of low-level murderous hoods Blackie and Fitch, a perfectly cast Jack Palance and Zero Mostel, are unknowingly carrying pneumonic plague around the seedier parts of town, tracked by Richard Widmark’s Public Health officer and Paul Douglas’ Police Captain who are trying to prevent an outbreak. The criminals don’t realize exactly why so much heat is coming down on them, but the race to find them is on.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=97847

Yes, it gets a tad melodramatic here and there, but the filmmaking and cast rise above it, building to a fantastic climax. Widmark played more heavies than good guys, especially in that early phase of his career. Several of those dark types will almost surely place here, but his intensity works well with Douglas’ weary cop and the real stars are Mostel and Palance. It’s just too much fun to leave off of my ballot. I had it at number twenty-two, good for only four of its 22 points, but it was enough to sneak it onto the bottom of the list so I’ll take it!


HOLDEN'S BALLOT
22. Panic in the Streets (#98)
25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP)
I have never seen Panic in the Streets but your review intrigues me.
I have seen Dangerous Crossing. I wasn't crazy about it and didn't think of it as noir.

[dadgumblah]

Haven't seen Panic in the Streets but it was recommended to me many years ago. I still haven't gotten around to seeing it although it's on my watchlist. I look forward to it.

I've seen Dangerous Crossing but it's been years. I remember being very caught up in it and the mystery behind the husband-gone-missing scenario. And of course who can resist Jeanne Crain? :love:

I just have to say that this countdown has had me watching films that have been on my watchlist forever, and re-watching movies that are already on my list for this countdown because this era of noir (as opposed to neo-noir) is my favorite. I have a list of noir to-watch that isn't on my list for the countdown that backs up all the way to Peoria! What fun!

[Citizen Rules]

...I've seen Dangerous Crossing but it's been years. I remember being very caught up in it and the mystery behind the husband-gone-missing scenario. And of course who can resist Jeanne Crain? :love:Now you're talking! Jeanne's lovely and so classy on screen. One of my favorites. By my count she made four noirs:
Leave Her To Heaven (1945) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037865/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_54_act)
Dangerous Crossing (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045669/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_39_act)
Vicki (1953) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046515/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_38_act)
The Tattered Dress (1957) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051058/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_29_act)

I wonder if any of those made the countdown?

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial01.shutterstock.com%2Fpreview-440%2F5857463a%2F158ee73f%2FShutterstock_5857463a.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=c278f83ffc125b9e2b791dcc03560036a8679feb9195961a8926f0771f94a159&ipo=images

[PHOENIX74]

Still the big fat doughnut - which will persist until we get to about the top 40 I expect. These reveals look like a lot of fun though - looking forward to seeing them.

Seen - 0/4
Heard of - 0/4

[GulfportDoc]

Haven't seen Panic in the Streets or Dangerous Crossing yet. Does the entire film take place on the ocean liner? And is it shot in studio or on location/the ocean?

SEEN 0/4
BALLOT 0/25

Dangerous Crossing is a good movie featuring a gorgeous Jeanne Crain, and a good post-Klaatu (The Day the Earth Stood Still) role for Michael Rennie.

It's really just a good mystery film though, not too dissimilar to Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes.

[dadgumblah]

Oh, I've seen Leave Her to Heaven once. Once! It's the only film I've seen Jeanne in that would make me think of despising her. 🙂 But I supposed I will chance it again since it's been quite a while. But that swimming scene I'm not looking forward to again. :(

[Citizen Rules]

Oh, I've seen Leave Her to Heaven once. Once! It's the only film I've seen Jeanne in that would make me think of despising her. 🙂 But I supposed I will chance it again since it's been quite a while. But that swimming scene I'm not looking forward to again. :(That was Gene, not Jeanne😊 if you now what I mean...hey that rhymes:D Both are lovely!

[dadgumblah]

That was Gene, not Jeanne😊 if you now what I mean...hey that rhymes:D Both are lovely!

D'oh! Their last names aren't even the same! I don't care, I love them both! And I've found the cable channel that I saw Dangerous Crossing on. It's called Movies! It has lots of Noir on it but they do have commercials. I don't care as they don't edit out anything. Here's the link:
https://www.moviestvnetwork.com

[James D. Gardiner]

Not seen Panic in the Streets but it looks pretty interesting with a good cast.

I have seen Dangerous Crossing and remember liking it for the same reasons others have stated, mainly an engaging story and the endearing Jeanne Crain.

[moongirl]

I'm glad you voted for Dangerous Crossing otherwise it wouldn't have made the countdown. I know of two other film noirs set on ocean liner ships Between Two Worlds (1944) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036641/) and The Hairy Ape (1944) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036892/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_42_act) both good films. I can think of another one, but can't remember the title?




Wow, I had completely forgotten about Between Two Worlds! The Hairy Ape -- I don't think I've seen this, but I'll check it out, thanks!

[ApexPredator]

First, a correction. I had Quicksand as my #18, not my #17.

I had Le Corbeau as my number 16. There's a sense of claustrophobia that builds up particularly when a series of anonymous poison pen notes start showing up in unexpected places such as a funeral wreath and flying from the rafters of a church. It starts out with a doctor being the victim of a campaign but soon others in a small French town get called out by a source only known as The Raven.

There's another memorable sequence towards the end as the police come up with a way of finding out who the Raven is by having the men of the town write a series of the Raven's letters to see who will give up or give away the identity.

I was a bit tired from a long day of work when I saw this, but I can appreciate its final shot and the production design.

My List:

16. Le Corbeau (aka The Raven) (1943)
18. Quicksand (1950)

[moongirl]

I just have to say that this countdown has had me watching films that have been on my watchlist forever, and re-watching movies that are already on my list for this countdown because this era of noir (as opposed to neo-noir) is my favorite. I have a list of noir to-watch that isn't on my list for the countdown that backs up all the way to Peoria! What fun!


Exactly! I just wish I had started sooner so I could have watched or rewatched some films beforehand. There were many films I had seen but didn't remember well enough to include, and others I've seen parts of on TV and really liked, but didn't include because I hadn't seen the whole thing (yet).

[moongirl]

D'oh! Their last names aren't even the same! I don't care, I love them both! And I've found the cable channel that I saw Dangerous Crossing on. It's called Movies! It has lots of Noir on it but they do have commercials. I don't care as they don't edit out anything. Here's the link:
https://www.moviestvnetwork.com


Movies! is the channel I was talking about in an earlier post! Dangerous Crossing is shown a lot on that channel -- and yet, not often enough :yup:

[John-Connor]

Studio sets with some stock footage of the ocean and the ship. You can always tell if an ocean liner in a movie is a set because ship cabin's aren't that big and the hallways aren't that wide!

Dangerous Crossing is a good movie featuring a gorgeous Jeanne Crain, and a good post-Klaatu (The Day the Earth Stood Still) role for Michael Rennie.

It's really just a good mystery film though, not too dissimilar to Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes.

Thanks Doc and CR, added to my ever-growing ‘@ Sea Watchlist’ But first up are; The Battle of the River Plate and Murphy's War.

[honeykid]

I've not seen any yet, but I own Le Corbeau. I have done for years, so I doubt I'll see it any time soon. :D
Panic In The Streets is one of those films I think I might've seen, but I really can't be sure. Some days I lean more yes, others no. I do know that whenever I hear or read the title, I think "Fire in the disco".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-FxmoVM7X4

[Citizen Rules]

97855
#96 Gaslight (1944)

Director: George Cukor
Production: MGM
Cast: Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten
23 Points 3 Lists

'Ten years after her aunt was murdered in their London home, a woman returns from Italy in the 1880s to resume residence with her new husband. His obsessive interest in the home rises from a secret that may require driving his wife insane.'


_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97857 #95 Dead Reckoning (1946)

Director: John Cromwell
Production: Columbia Pictures
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Lizabeth Scott, Morris Carnovsky
23 Points, 4 Lists


'A soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.'


_______________________________________

[Allaby]

Seen and liked both Gaslight and Dead Reckoning but neither made my ballot. Both are 8/10 for me and I'm glad they both made the countdown.

Seen 6/6

[mrblond]

After three rouuds of reveals, I'm still not in. I guess, I've watched mostly noirs of the main course which are to be shown later on... :yup:

[Holden Pike]

97860

Cukor's Gaslight was #41 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1940s.

[Little Ash]

I have seen Gaslight!
So first one I've actually seen.
Um, enjoyable. Good to see just or know where the term, "gaslighting," comes from.

[Wyldesyde19]

1/6

Not a good start. 👀
Gaslight is something I should have watched by now but just haven’t gotten around to it. Consider me ashamed.

[Holden Pike]

As longtime MoFos will know, I am a huge fan of Lizabeth Scott. I could have easily included six or seven of her titles on my ballot. I somehow limited myself to only two, so of course I am overjoyed that Dead Reckoning made the cut, even without any help from me. It was the film that made me fall for her. Way to go, MoFo!

97863
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ztsUnwbkow

[Thief]

Still getting donuts here. I've heard good things about both, though; especially Gaslight.

[John-Connor]

Gaslight is very good. More Gen Z-ers should watch it, I've noticed they very often misuse the term 'gaslighting'.

SEEN 1/6
BALLOT 0/25

[seanc]

Really want to see Gaslight again, it’s been a long time. Think I originally saw it for a Hall towards the beginning of my Mofo life.

Dead Reckoning is another to add to the watchlist.

[CosmicRunaway]

At first I thought I hadn't seen any of the last four films, but I had Dead Reckoning crossed off already, so I investigated further... and after watching a few clips I can confidentially say that I have indeed seen it. I know I did watch a number of films during a Humphrey Bogart marathon on tv many years ago, so if I had to bet on where I'd seen it, that would be where I'd put my money.

I wonder how many other films I'm going to have to investigate as the Countdown continues? haha

Seen: 2/6

[Siddon]

Gaslight is another film I nominated in another HOF...it didn't win which was a TRAVESTY and ABSURD....but yeah this is a personal favorite of mine.

[beelzebubble]

Gaslight is another film I nominated in another HOF...it didn't win which was a TRAVESTY and ABSURD....but yeah this is a personal favorite of mine.
I fully agree!!

[cricket]

I watched Gaslight with my wife and we both enjoyed it quite a bit. I've also seen Dead Reckoning but I don't remember it by the title alone. The 2 entries before those are blind spots.

[Citizen Rules]

Gaslight is another film I nominated in another HOF...it didn't win which was a TRAVESTY and ABSURD....but yeah this is a personal favorite of mine.In the 19th HoF (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2030120#post2030120) Gaslight came in 4th behind: #3 Cinema Paradiso, #2 The Godfather, #1 Pulp Fiction. Even the number 1 noir in this countdown wouldn't have probably been able to beat Pulp Fiction and The Godfather. There's nothing absurd about coming in 4th behind some of the great films of cinema. Your film Gaslight tied with Bergman's The Virgin Spring, that's a pretty good showing I'd say.

[rauldc14]

Gaslight is pretty good. Not on my list though.

[Harry Lime]

I watched Gaslight years ago and it's a quality film but it's been a while. Haven't seed Dead Reckoning but I reckon that I should since it's got Bogie and looks pretty good.

[SpelingError]

I like Gaslight quite a bit, but it didn't make my ballot. I haven't seen Dead Reckoning yet.

[GulfportDoc]

#95 Dead Reckoning (1946)

Director: John Cromwell
Production: Columbia Pictures
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Lizabeth Scott, Morris Carnovsky
23 Points, 4 List


'A soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.'


I think Dead Reckoning is a good noir mystery, with very nice photography by Leo Tover (The Day the Earth Stood Still).

It didn't elbow into my top 25, but I'd put it in the top 50.

[GulfportDoc]

IMO Gaslight is a picture to be seen once. It's a landmark film-- a psychological thriller. I don't quite see how it qualifies as noir, but oftentimes noir is in the eyes of the beholder.

The plotting-to-drive-the-spouse-crazy trope may have been started by Gaslight, and there have been many imitators. It certainly had a heavyweight cast, with Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotten-- not to mention Angela Lansbury. But in my view the attempt to drive Paula nuts got ever so slightly long in the tooth. My guess is that Bergman wanted the maximum amount of emoting time...;)

[beelzebubble]

Gaslight is one of my favorite films. Ingrid Bergman is such a treasure and Boyer always has a kind implicit threat about him. But I don't think of it as noir. There's no mean streets of a modern city. I think of it as a psychological thriller, but I need that grittiness.

As for Dead Reckoning, I have no idea whether I have seen it or not. I mean how many noirs did Bogie and Liz Scott each do? He's in at least three of my picks and Liz is in one and none of them are Dead Reckoning.

[Citizen Rules]

Following my usual following up for today's reveals:D I'll post excerpts of my past reviews, that way they aren't that long....I hope.
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=97868
Gashlight (1944)


Gaslight was nominated for seven Academy Awards including:
Best Picture, Best Actor (Charles Boyer), Best Supporting Actress (Angela Lansbury), Best Screenplay, Best B&W Cinematography.

And Won two: Best Actress (Ingrid Bergman) & Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, B&W.

It launched the career of Angela Lansbury and further made Ingrid Bergman a household name. Indeed both actresses act up a storm here and that's the strong point of the film.

Gaslight is consider one of the great films, but was it really all it's cracked up to be? While it's a good film with strong performances by the actors, the script which was padded out to 2 doesn't have enough meat in it to sustain the suspense. To make matters worse, the audience knows who 'done it' almost immediately. We know poor Ingrid isn't really crazy, and we know it's her manipulating husband played by Charles Boyer who's the culprit...and that takes the suspense out of it.

Now the film could be still amazing if it was a deep character study, but it's not...Or the film could have had a couple subplots going, that could have added extra dimensions, but it doesn't.

The film does hint that the young maid played Angela Lansbury, might be having an affair with the husband, or at least it seemed that way, but that issue is never explored. So instead we have two hours of Ingrid being slowly driven mad by her husband and that got tedious for me. The film would have been better at 90 minutes.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_8nVRS34Yi_w%2FS0bSoPoZO5I%2FAAAAAAAAAEk%2Fe2n-1XDFhdw%2Fs400%2FDead%2BReckoning%2B1.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=dc55a90890dd9dedde0f12ce28461f7d0953639f2c14bf08e8f6c275c54308d6&ipo=images

Dead Reckoning (1947)


A decent noir. but for me it was middle of the road as far as noirs go. With Bogart and Lizabeth Scott I guess I expected more. Both leads are good actually and make the film worth a watch. I've become quite the fan of Miss Scott...but the script and direction is close to a 'phone in the performance' level, not bad but not tops. Dead Reckoning reminded a bit of one of Bogart's best The Maltese Falcon with Lizabeth Scott's character either being a love interest or a murderer. You'll have to watch to find out which it was.

[Harry Lime]

How about the 1940 version? You don't really hear about it. Just reading apparently MGM tried to have it destroyed. Classy.

[Siddon]

In the 19th HoF (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2030120#post2030120) Gaslight came in 4th behind: #3 Cinema Paradiso, #2 The Godfather, #1 Pulp Fiction. Even the number 1 noir in this countdown wouldn't have probably been able to beat Pulp Fiction and The Godfather. There's nothing absurd about coming in 4th behind some of the great films of cinema. Your film Gaslight tied with Bergman's The Virgin Spring, that's a pretty good showing I'd say.


Yes but Gaslight is better because I nominated it....


what are you new here

[Citizen Rules]

How about the 1940 version? You don't really hear about it. Just reading apparently MGM tried to have it destroyed. Classy.Underwatched I's say. I've not seen it and a search of MoFo only yielded one person who had wrote about it. The liked it too.



Gaslight rating_3_5

I watched the British 1940 version and really enjoyed it. It is completely melodramatic and good performances all round. It's enjoyably suspenseful, if very of its time. Best appreciated for what it is- typical melodrama.

[Miss Vicky]

I've seen Gaslight (and also the 1940 version) and I respected it but didn't love it. I didn't think of it when trying to compile a list, but it only would've brought me to five movies so I still wouldn't have been able to vote.

Here's what I wrote about it for the 19th HOF (in which I mistakenly watched the 1940 version before realizing it was the wrong one):

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MovieLog/gaslight1944.jpg

Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944)
Imdb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036855/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1)

Date Watched: 06/01/19
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 19th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by Siddon
Rewatch: No.

Well, I've got some mixed feelings on this one. I realize that my task in this Hall of Fame is to compare this film to the other nine nominations but after my little mix-up it is of course impossible not to compare this film to the 1940 version.

First I'll talk about its strengths. I thought the performances were much stronger here. They felt a little more natural than in the earlier film and I had an easier time buying into the charm of Charles Boyer's "Gregory Anton" than in Anton Walbrooks's "Paul Mallon." I also felt more strongly for Ingrid Bergman's "Paula" than for Diana Wynyard's "Bella." (I see what you did there with the names, writers.) Paula seemed far less frail in the beginning than Bella and so her husband's efforts to break down her mind felt more tragic. I also think it was smart to change it from the husband being the nephew of the previous owner to the wife being the niece and heir to the house, rather than a random victim with money enough to allow the husband to buy the house.

Now to its big weakness: the length and pacing. I felt less engaged with this film than with the earlier version and paused it a few times to take some breaks. I'll allow that part of my struggle with it was the familiarity with the basic plot, having just watched the other version the previous day, but mostly it was the unnecessary padding of the story. There was no need for us to actually see the romance between Gregory and Paula and those scenes only made the opening drag and make a story that took 84 minutes to tell in 1940, plod on for nearly 2 hours. I was also rather irritated with Miss Thwaites - the utterly pointless and annoying nosy neighbor character whose scenes also padded out the film.

Overall still a very good story and a strong film, though I can't say for certain which version I liked better.

3.5-

[WHITBISSELL!]

Of the 1 pointers I've only seen The Crimson Kimono and They Drive By Night. Some of these other ones look pretty promising though.

[PHOENIX74]

#95 Dead Reckoning (1946) - A major shock for me - there's been a film revealed that I've actually seen! I'd been wanting to watch Dead Reckoning for years, and the approach of this countdown stirred me to do so. I thought Humphrey Bogart looked a little old to be playing the paratrooper pal of what looks like a much younger guy, but Lizabeth Scott is all kinds of acceptable to me. She was great in this. Then there's the misogyny - I guess it's possible a lot of it's tongue-in-cheek, but it's still pretty brazen in places. I know noir has that element to it, but it just seemed meaner and more malicious in this film. The rest is very standard - a murder rap, and a conga-line of suspects including Humphrey Bogart's buddy, who joined up when he was fingered for the crime. This was just squeezed off my ballot, despite me not having seen a whole heap of early film noir - pretty much a stock standard example of the genre.

I've heard of Gaslight, but don't know much about it. I really like Joseph Cotten, so it looks like one I'd probably enjoy.

Seen : 1/6
Heard of : 1/6
Never heard of : 4/6

[beelzebubble]

Underwatched I's say. I've not seen it and a search of MoFo only yielded one person who had wrote about it. The liked it too.
You can find the 1940 version of Gaslight on YouTube.

[Iroquois]

no votes. only one i've seen is gaslight, which i liked.

[James D. Gardiner]

Seen both of these a good few times and not surprised to see either make the countdown.

I like Gaslight and don't have much to add to what's already been said. High quality studio production with great period sets and costumes, though I agree it's closer to psychological thriller than noir and is very close along the lines of something Hitchcock would have directed. The Hitchcock-Bergman collaborations unsurprisingly began immediately after this, and her well deserved Academy Award from this was almost obligatory at this stage given her success in Hollywood at the time. Could have been done better in some regards as has been mentioned above but still holding up as a classic of the '40s. Incidentally, the other Boyer-Bergman film Arch of Triumph (1948) is lesser known and a lot more noirish in my opinion.

Dead Reckoning loses me a bit due to the script in what's otherwise a solid film noir. I just find it sometimes overly indulgent with the noir heavy tones in the dialogue, too much saturation and a bit out of place at times. Otherwise Bogart and Scott are in fine form, so is the production - the lighting and cinematography. The quiet self-narration from Bogart also adds a nice touch. Decent example of the genre.

[dadgumblah]

I've seen Gaslight and liked it quite a bit. The star power was what drew me, especially Ingrid Bergman, but I was blown away by a nice-looking and young Angela Lansbury. It did drag on for a bit but it really didn't interfere with my enjoyment.

Dead Reckoing is one I still haven't seen. Love Bogie. Love Lizabeth Scott. I've got at least one of her Noirs on my list but not this one. So far, zip on the ballot.

[Little Ash]

How about the 1940 version? You don't really hear about it. Just reading apparently MGM tried to have it destroyed. Classy.


Tax write-off?
Joking/not-joking

[Little Ash]

I have seen Gaslight!
So first one I've actually seen.
Um, enjoyable. Good to see just or know where the term, "gaslighting," comes from.

Oh. Oops!


Just checked my ballot. Number 21 on my ballot, I think (I had one ineligible, so everything shifted up one I believe).


When we get down ticket on my ballot, I'm going to forget some of the ones I put on there.


Like I said, before. Enjoyable.

[Sedai]

0/6 for me so far!! I really need to watch more noirs!

[ScarletLion]

Just been made aware of this Noir re-telling of Macbeth!!! Wonder if anyone nominated that one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ViSppxoznQ

[Holden Pike]

Joe Macbeth is OK. Overall I'll take Men of Respect (1991), which similarly reworks the Shakespeare tale with mobsters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQOq53-CaX8&t=56s

[Citizen Rules]

If you didn't save your ballot...I do have a copy of everyone's ballots and can message them back to you...Also a copy of your ballots are probably in your Sent folder, take a look there.

[Citizen Rules]

97874
#94 Body and Soul (1947)
Director: Robert Rossen
Production: United Artist
Cast: John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, William Conrad
24 Points, 3 Lists


'A talented boxer's young career hits difficult terrain when an unethical promoter takes interest in him.'


_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97875
#93 Mystery Street (1950)

Director: John Sturges
Production: MGM
Cast: Ricardo Montalban, Elsa Lanchester, Marshall Thompson
25 Points, 2 Lists


'A small-town policeman is assisted by a Harvard professor after the discovery of a human skeleton on a Massachusetts beach.'


_______________________________________

[Allaby]

I've seen Body and Soul and thought it had good cinematography and fine performances, but it didn't make my ballot. I haven't seen Mystery Street and haven't heard much about it at all.

Seen: 7/8

[Thief]

Ha! what are the odds?? Two Robert Rossen films in both countdowns.

[John-Connor]

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/jcLpa4Z6GkF5cD5vy1LEG3apPls.jpg
Body and Soul is great and was very close to making my list, I have it at #31.
Ultimately chose another Film-Noir starring John Garfield and another boxing related Film-Noir.

SEEN 2/8
BALLOT 0/25


32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)

[Holden Pike]

I didn't vote for it, but glad Body & Soul made it. I have another boxing flick on my ballot, but that one should be up way high on the collective list.

[seanc]

Two more to add to the watchlist. Not doing too well so far 3 for 8.

[Citizen Rules]

Ha! what are the odds?? Two Robert Rossen films in both countdowns.I just now checked out Robert Rosssen's directorial films on IMDB...he didn't make many but looks like he made some fun ones. I'll have to check out more of his work. I did see he made three film noirs:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjQyN2MwMjAtNmJmZS00OWZlLWE1NGQtOGZmYmRjZjIyNWEyL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1 _QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpgAll the King's Men (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041113/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_8_dr)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2M2ZWU0ZDctOWI3MS00NDBlLWJmMDktMTA5Y2E3NDcyYjI4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY5Nzc4MDY@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2 ,90,133_.jpgBody and Soul (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039204/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_9_dr)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWM0MjMyMTMtMTE3ZS00ZTZlLWI4NTktNjcwNTg5ZGMyNzlmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDI2NDg0NQ@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1 ,90,133_.jpgJohnny O'Clock (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039515/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_10_dr)

[Citizen Rules]

CR's stats:

Seen 8/8
Ballot 0/25

[Holden Pike]

I just now checked out Robert Rossen's directorial films on IMDB...he didn't make many...
Rossen was infamously blacklisted during the McCarthy era and, like Elia Kazan, eventually he more infamously named names, burning a lot of bridges. He died early at the age of 57.

[Citizen Rules]

Rossen was infamously blacklisted during the McCarthy era and, like Elia Kazan, eventually he more infamously named names, burning a lot of bridges. He died early at the age of 57.Thanks Holden....I guess that's why his film directorial career is so short.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Finally one that I watched. Mystery Street was#6 on my ballot. Ricardo Montalban deserved some love so I had to choose between it and Border Incident. Same with The Crimson Kimono and House of Bamboo. Both Samuel Fuller films with a firm grounding in Japanese culture. Went with HoB as my#25.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen either film :(

[Thursday Next]

Body and Soul is pretty good and was on my long list but not my final 25. Haven't seen the other one.

[Harry Lime]

I haven't seen either of them!

[rauldc14]

Body and Soul? Meh.

I'm 3/8 only but knew I'd bat a little under .500

[CosmicRunaway]

I watched Body and Soul when it was nominated in the 2nd 1940s HoF, but it wasn't something I considered for my ballot because in the few years that have passed since I saw it, the only thing I really remembered about it was that it had to do with boxing. According to what I wrote at the time though, I was pleasantly surprised by it and liked the cinematography.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=31062

Body and Soul (1947)
Dir. Robert Rossen
Starring: John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Joseph Pevney

I'm not a fan of boxing, and might even go as far as saying that I find almost everything about it repulsive. Fortunately, none of that bias had any impact on my enjoyment of Body of Soul, which is as much a film about corruption, hubris, and the seductive powers of success and money as it is the story about a poor Jewish kid who becomes a World-class boxer. The plot is nothing new, but it's told in a very engaging manner which captivated me from beginning to end.

There's a lot of great cinematography in this film, particularly with how some of the shots are aligned. The height disparity between certain characters stood out to me, such as Roberts asserting his power by standing over Charlie on the stairs before the last match, and I also enjoyed the framing of Charlie in the interior window when he visits his mother early in the film. While the revolving wall in Charlie's apartment was a little gimmicky, I did like the visual symbolism and how it reflected Charlie himself throughout the film.

Body and Soul is something I likely never would have watched if it hadn't been nominated, so I'm very glad that it was. I was a little apprehensive going in, due to its association with a sport I don't like, but the only thing I walked away dissatisfied with the fact that Garfield looked far too old to be called a kid so often, but since that's a common problem with films from this era (and sometimes today still, really), I'm not going to hold that against it.

It's too bad it didn't really leave a lasting impression.



Seen: 3/8

[Thief]

I just now checked out Robert Rosssen's directorial films on IMDB...he didn't make many but looks like he made some fun ones. I'll have to check out more of his work. I did see he made three film noirs:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjQyN2MwMjAtNmJmZS00OWZlLWE1NGQtOGZmYmRjZjIyNWEyL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1 _QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpgAll the King's Men (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041113/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_8_dr)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2M2ZWU0ZDctOWI3MS00NDBlLWJmMDktMTA5Y2E3NDcyYjI4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTY5Nzc4MDY@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2 ,90,133_.jpgBody and Soul (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039204/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_9_dr)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWM0MjMyMTMtMTE3ZS00ZTZlLWI4NTktNjcwNTg5ZGMyNzlmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDI2NDg0NQ@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1 ,90,133_.jpgJohnny O'Clock (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039515/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_10_dr)

All the King's Men is the only film of his I've seen, and it's a pretty good one. It could've made my list, but for me, it's borderline noir, so I really didn't think of it when making it.

[GulfportDoc]

These pictures were photographed by two of the best in the business:

John Alton (Mystery Street)
James Wong Howe (Body and Soul)

[Thief]

Forgot I wanted to post this during the first day or two, but well...

What are the characteristics of film noir?

https://culturedvultures.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Maltese-Falcon.jpg

These are some of the most notable narrative and visual traits of film noir. However, not all of them have to be present in a film for it to be classified as "noir".



Anti-hero protagonist, someone who usually sets out to investigate a mystery or perhaps is running away from a mystery.
Femme fatale, typically presented as the protagonist's love interest but who often ends up being a source of deceit.
Tight, concise dialogue, sometimes presented in narration and non-linear narratives, flashbacks, etc.
High-contrast lighting, emphasizing light and dark, and the use of unconventional angles to symbolize a skewed point of view.
Post-war disillusionment and a pessimistic perspective of the world and life, sometimes transmitted through bleak twists and endings.


Again, not all traits have to be present. There are film noirs in color (Leave Her to Heaven) and there are film noirs with no femme fatale (Shadow of a Doubt). Also, although many films noir fall in the crime thriller genre, the label can be applied to numerous films from other genres.

https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5cc7335eb36101408cceb62f//w_1200,h_919,c_limit/GOAT-OutOfThePast-1200.jpg

One interesting exercise, as the list goes on, is to try to identify these elements on each film noir you've seen ("there's the femme fatale!", "see? they used a dutch angle here") to see that "connective tissue" across all these films.

[PHOENIX74]

No, haven't seen and nor have I heard of these two. I've seen Robert Rossen's All the King's Men and like it a lot, but that's neither here nor there.

Seen 1/8
Heard of 1/8
Never heard of 6/8

[James D. Gardiner]

First round I haven't seen either but I'm expecting that to happen quite a few times. Heard of Body and Soul but not Mystery Street.

[Citizen Rules]

Count me as a big fan of Mystery Street. I didn't have room on my ballot for it but was glad to see it made the countdown. It's a quite, investigative noir. My old review:

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=33426&stc=1&d=1502593694
Mystery Street (John Sturges 1950)


"A small town policeman is assisted by a Harvard professor when the skeletal remains of a pregnant prostitute turn up on a Massachusetts beach."

Don't you hate it when pregnant prostitutes get killed...I sure do. But you know it's a film noir so someone has to get knocked off. And so Jan Sterling who's a B-girl, takes a powder...which is too bad as she was aces in the first 15 minutes of the film.

...and that's why I'm talking about her, because even with the little screen time she had, she made an impact. If you recognize the name Jan Sterling..then let me say that she was in Ace in the Hole, the noir she's most famous for.

But once she's dead and buried, there are more actors that get a chance to stand out...and one of them is the detective, Ricardo Montalban. Mystery Street is ahead of it's time as it gave the lead role to a Hispanic actor...and most importantly Ricardo gets to play a regular person and not some caricature. He's really good too as the gentile and even courteous detective on the trial of the killer.

Mystery Street is a different kind of noir as for the first time it introduces to audiences forensic procedural detective work. In a way this reminds me of the TV show Quincy. The forensic work is given a lot of time and the film gets into specifics of modern crime solving.

This didn't really even feel like a noir, there's no femme fatales, it's more of an investigative film with an innocent man who was last seen with the B-girl. The man is believed to be guilty...and only forensics can determine the real killers identity. This all worked very well and it made for an interesting, one of a kind film.

[Citizen Rules]

And I also like but didn't vote for Body and Souls...also glad to see it make the countdown. John Garfield was in a number of noirs and was a fine actor. My old review:

97888
Body and Soul(Robert Rossen1947)



Right off the start....I noticed this had some impressive people working on it. The Assistant Director is Robert Aldrich and the Cinematographer is the legendary, James Wong Howe. The story unfolds seamlessly with just the right touch of artistic cinematography but not too much for a boxing movie. Every element fits together nicely, a very smooth movie.

Boxing rags to riches....this is the kind of story I love. We hunker down and really get to know the characters and their neighborhood. We're transported back in time to the depression era in a poor New York neighborhood full of gambling, speakeasies and hoods trying to make a quick buck. This all looked pretty real to me too.

The Boxing scenes....Geez those looked real to me. I don't follow boxing but Garfield looked like he knew his way around the ring. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he was a boxer at some point in his life. The other wickedly cool thing about the boxing scenes was the way they were filmed. To me it looked like a different camera was used, as it looked more grainy than the reaction shots of the crowd watching the match. I'd wouldn't be surprised to learn that they used a super 8mm or something along those lines. I can't put my finger on it, I just know the format looks different and so does the frame rate, it seemed reduced.

[dadgumblah]

Haven't seen Mystery Street but it's on my Watch List. Body and Soul is a great film in my book. I've known about it since I was a kid. My Dad was a huge boxing fan and told me about this one when I was young. So the first time it came on television (way back in the days of 3 or 4 TV channels) I watched it, and have remained a fan ever since. Still, even though it's got a lot of the Noir elements, I think of it as a John Garfield boxing movie because of my Dad. John Garfield was popular in our household but I've only got him on one entry on my ballot. Still, great to see Body and Soul make the list!

[Iroquois]

no votes. haven't seen either. think i should quit posting unless i've seen at least one of the movies, if not voted for it.

[Little Ash]

I don't think I have heard of Mystery Street or Body and Soul before.

[cricket]

I had Body and Soul all the way up as my #7

Mystery Street rings no bells

[Citizen Rules]

97891
#92 Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

Director: Boris Ingster
Production: RKO
Cast: Peter Lorre, John McGuire, Margaret Tallichet, Elisha Cook Jr.
26 Points, 2 Lists


'A small-town policeman is assisted by a Harvard professor after the discovery of a human skeleton on a Massachusetts beach.'


_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97892
#91 Woman on the Run (1950)

Director: Norman Foster
Production: Fidelity Pictures Corporation
Cast: Ann Sheridan, Dennis O'Keefe, Robert Keith
26 Points, 3 Lists


'Frank Johnson becomes an eyewitness to a murder. He's pursued around San Francisco by his wife, the police, and the killer.'


_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

I had Body and Soul all the way up as my #7

Mystery Street rings no bellsI remember you nominated Body and Soul in a HoF and I liked the movie but not John Garfield. Since then I've seen a number of his movies and can see he was a really good actor who could play different types of roles. Sadly he died very young and only made 36 films.

[Harry Lime]

I haven't seen either...again.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen either film.

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen both of today's reveals and both are certainly worth watching.
As usual:p my past review:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=95916
Stranger on the Third Floor
(Boris Ingster, 1940)


The Noirvember 2023 - Rate the last noir you watched (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2421123#post2421123) thread really paid off for me as I discovered many different and ususual noirs being reviewed there by the MoFos, that's were I found out about Stranger on the Third Floor from a post by Culliford.


The visual look of the film which culminated with this really wild and stunning looking dream sequence brought the art direction and lighting to the forefront of the movie. The film's look is thanks to the Latvia director Boris Ingster who had worked with the famous Russian director Sergei Eisenstein.

It's interesting that a film critic back in 1940 said this: Bosley Crowther of The New York Times called the film pretentious and derivative of French and Russian films, and wrote "John McGuire and Margaret Tallichet, as the reporter and his girl, are permitted to act half-way normal, it is true. But in every other respect, including Peter Lorre's brief role as the whack, it is utterly wild. The notion seems to have been that the way to put a psychological melodrama across is to pile on the sound effects and trick up the photography.And I thought only us surly MoFos called films we didn't like 'pretentious':p. I do agree that the male and female leads were quiet natural in their performances. It felt like they were real people which maybe wasn't the way to go with such a heavy visual film. Peter Lorre was Peter Lorre and that's a good thing to me. I enjoyed this 64 minute noir.

[Citizen Rules]

I guess I didn't write much about Woman on the Run, but I did almost include it on my ballot. It was a last minute cut.
I watched Woman on the Run (1950) I loved Ann Sheridan's character especially her dialogue when being questioned by the police inspector. She was quite surly, which reminded me of Bogart in Maltese Falcon when he's being questioned about a murder. I read that Ann Sheridan and Dennis O'Keefe wrote much of their own dialogue. It was quite snappy. Great film with a unique story telling, thanks for recommending it.

[Thursday Next]

Haven't seen either either! I feel like that will be a recurring refrain on this thread.

[seanc]

Dang, homework not paying off as much as I thought it would this list. Another 0 for.

[Citizen Rules]

Haven't seen either either! I feel like that will be a recurring refrain on this thread.

Dang, homework not paying off as much as I thought it would this list. Another 0 for. I doubt you'll be saying that tomorrow🙂 Well maybe one of you will but the other won't:D

[Allaby]

I haven’t seen Stranger on the Third Floor, but I have seen and liked Woman on the Run.

Seen 8/10

[Harry Lime]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=95916


The film's look is thanks to the Latvia director Boris Ingster who had worked with the famous Russian director Sergei Eisenstein.

I wonder if he was a fan of Dziga Vertov too.
https://i.etsystatic.com/13513569/r/il/1bbea9/1932745255/il_570xN.1932745255_gvih.jpg

[Citizen Rules]

I wonder if he was a fan of Dziga Vertov too.
https://i.etsystatic.com/13513569/r/il/1bbea9/1932745255/il_570xN.1932745255_gvih.jpgGood call...there's a lot of similarities there.

[mrblond]

Yep... This time I'm here with my two cents for #91. Woman on the Run (1950), meaning, I have it at #23 on my ballot. Well, as I can see, it would make the list even without me, anyway.

This was one of the last noirs I've watched in my attempt to form a full ballot. There were some issues with the screenplay, as with most of these films but it was good enough to vote for it. I liked Ann Sheridan's performance.

97893
-----

My Ballot
▽
...
23. Woman on the Run (1950) [#91]
...

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

-----

[Thief]

I'm still not on the board. Haven't seen any of these two either.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Haven't watched either Woman on the Run or Stranger on the Third Floor. I do remember starting SotTF just on the strength of Peter Lorre being in it but a few minutes in something came up. Had to put it on hold with every intention of giving it another shot at a future date. But, as so often happens, never got around to it. Even though I try to avoid doing this last night I remembered never finishing And Then There Were None (from 1945). So I did. Pretty good version of the Agatha Christie classic.

[CosmicRunaway]

Stranger on the Third Floor was a film I saw in the Noirvember thread while looking for a few more "new to me" titles to watch for the Countdown, and I was quite impressed by it. Not only did I put it on my list, but I placed it incredibly high at #3. I love noirs that lean heavily on German expressionism for their visual aesthetic, and that dream sequence literally made me sit up straighter in my chair and really pay attention. And of course it's always nice to see Peter Lorre!

Seen: 4/10

My List: 1
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92


https://64.media.tumblr.com/960003b39f878ef0c29aaf24fff6b3f5/tumblr_oyjvtl6xWP1tr6ni8o1_500.gif

[edarsenal]

As per usual, CR, crackin job on Hosting and LOVE the graphics, my man!!!

I scored a big fat goose egg with the one-pointers which is understandable since my viewing of noir has been a more high-profiled listing than the lesser known so I'll be checking out those unknown gems that will show up on this countdown.

For the first ten on this list, I have scored a couple from my list:

100 Le Corbeau (1943)
I am VERY happy to see this one that I seriously considered, along with a few other French noir films, and REALLY should have added but, sadly, did not.
I was hooked from the opening shots of the town, which showed Le Docteur Rémy Germain stepping out of a house to the waiting elderly women, his hands bloody. Through the nosey side looks and whispered conversations, we are shown a very ripe location for gossip and half-truths to be planted and run wild in. An anonymous letter writer who sprinkles just enough truth into their accusations to turn the town and its inhabitants into a hungry mob. Hellbent on destroying one another.
My favorite scene that depicts this brilliantly is at the grave site of a suicide victim from one of the poisoned letters. As the crowd turns on the one they believe guilty, the mother, in black, stares upward to the heavens. Too grief-stricken to acknowledge any of it.

The spinning of the web of deceit and paranoia was done exceedingly well and shows just how easy it is for people who've known one another all their lives to turn on one another in the worst possible way.
The whodunit aspect of this, where everyone is suspected, had a fantastic twist once it is discovered who was writing them and what happens to them. Making for a fantastic ending for me. Especially since just how much I loved the character and their cavalier attitude to all of it. I was completely hoodwinked by that person and utterly hooked by the false lead, whom I was 100% sure was the culprit from the first time I saw her bouncing a ball against the inside wall, listening in on Remy's and Laura's conversation.

Coming in at #8
https://harvardfilmarchive.org/public/upload/events/medium/5cf02e54b4fc3.jpg
https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/panicinthestreets_widmark_and_douglas.jpg
https://i.makeagif.com/media/2-16-2020/dmLXlG.gif
98 Panic in the Streets (1950)

Director Elia Kazan's penchant for the seedier of human aspects as well as the talent, insight, and realistic perspective while at the same time delivering the beauty of the beast onto celluloid is that of a true craftsman. The drama he is capable of drawing out of his actors is incredible.
And this is no exception.

What would become a practical checklist for Clock Running thrillers for so many modern films, Kazan's almost noirish approach brings a gravitas that so many attempts but rarely achieve.
Found at the docks in New Orleans is a dead immigrant with two bullet holes in him. What initially appears as murder is quickly discovered that the dead man would have been just as dead because he was carrying the pneumonic plague. Enter Richard Widmark as gung-ho Health Official, Lt. Cmdr. Clinton Reed. Hellbent to find the killer(s) within 48 hours. Not for Justice but to stop the plague from spreading. An uninvited partner to Paul Douglas' Capt. Tom Warren of the New Orleans Police. There is a kind of Buddy Cop relationship going on as they bang heads and earn each other's respect as they set out on the trail, both taught with tension and done with realism and true leg-work.
An additional aspect that I truly enjoyed (along with everything else) was seeing Jack Palance as Blackie and his subordinate, Zero Mostel, in a serious role as Raymond Fitch. Two of the three men responsible and thereby sought out by Reed and Capt. Warren.
Palance is the epitome of menace, and most times that I've seen his early work, his screen time is somewhat limited and given little to say or do but BE menacing. But here, holy crap, the man is given plenty to say and do, and he utterly f@ckin shines doing it.
The pacing is pretty impeccable as the tension builds and the Search draws to a climactic end.

For anyone who enjoys an Old-School Thriller done right, without all the outlandish, over-the-top procedures of most modern versions, I highly recommend this.


96 Gaslight (1944)
It did not make my list, but an excellent addition here. I was completely endeared by Ingrid Bergman's transformation from victim to victor. I've enjoyed this one a number of times.


Coming in at #24
https://i0.wp.com/notesonfilm1.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/lizabeth-scott-smokes.gif?resize=604%2C453&ssl=1

95 Dead Reckoning (1946)

This is my only Recent Watch addition to my list. In 1946, Humphrey Bogart's persona on screen was at its height, and a moviegoer was ensured that was what they would be thrilled by. Paired off with a smoldering Lizabeth Scott, Bogart remains in complete control, even when he's getting his @ss handed to him. This is a solid noir with every box checked and adhered to. A war hero delving into the mysterious past of a fellow war hero and friend, he finds shady gangsters and the gorgeous femme fatale that ruled his buddy's heart and soul.
The storyline is well played out and uses flashbacks, aka a "confession" to a priest who is also back from the war, very well. The shadows and cinematic compositions are not artistic but solid. The characters are typical but, again, exactly what you'd hope for and fully get.


Coming in at #23
https://64.media.tumblr.com/338da47e22cd4e2529ad5e7ca981d55d/tumblr_nuoitalClD1qi2gavo1_r1_500.gif
https://www.karanliksinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Body-and-Soul-1947-12.jpg

94 Body and Soul (1947)

John Garfield does an excellent job, but he doesn't actually garner empathy, which I think is a very positive thing. I've seen so many films where you are drawn to the character who fights his way to the top, only to be devoured by the vultures that lie in wait for new fodder.
There is a realistic grittiness (I hate to use that word, but it's too d@mn apropos) to Garfield's character. He's no philosophy, no idealist in search of a better life. While, at the same time, he's not a brawling ape either. He's a fighter. From a poor neighbor, wanting the good life and willing to take it at any price. Though, in the end, that price never sits well with him. And with that, there is a kind of redemption in his darkest hours.

Through this, there is a strong cast of characters that plays out almost like a Shakespearean play. Covering the archetypal roles.
The Savvy Best Friend who believes in him and does his all to get him in the door, and the good, Honest Parents who only want something better for him—both of which were done with genuine sincerity. The mother's wisdom and comments were some of the best lines for me.
The Good Woman who is left behind for the allure of money and fame. I really loved this character. Her artistic intellect was a wonderful contrast that complemented both of them. The Greedy Woman that Seduces, while playing a basic character, her performance was very deep, mixing tragedy and bravado with surpassing talent. The Corrupt Manager and the Sovereign Gangster. Much like the Greedy Woman, not only did they play their parts very well, but they also brought a lot more to those parts than the usual expectations of such characters.
Finally, the Possible Future and Past, played by the old champ, Ben Chaplin, and the up-and-coming Marlowe. With them, we see the recycling of the fodder that the greedy and the parasitic callously feed upon. It is through them, especially Ben Chaplin, lies the crossroad that Garfield's character; Charlie, must face and, in the end, decide his own fate.

The sojourn itself is a rough, unforgiving journey that is filmed with great finesse. It opens near the end, and then we flashback. One of my favorite scenes was actually during the montage, which showed close-ups as he went from fight to fight, and the bruises and blood grew more and more apparent, letting us know the grinder he was being put through.




Watched 5 out of 10 (50%)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Panic In The Streets (1950) (#98)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23. Body And Soul (1947) (#94)
24. Dead Reckoning (1946) (#95)
25.

[cricket]

Both of todays entries sound familiar and look interesting but I don't think I've seen either.

[GulfportDoc]

Forgot I wanted to post this during the first day or two, but well...

What are the characteristics of film noir?

These are some of the most notable narrative and visual traits of film noir. However, not all of them have to be present in a film for it to be classified as "noir".



Anti-hero protagonist, someone who usually sets out to investigate a mystery or perhaps is running away from a mystery.
Femme fatale, typically presented as the protagonist's love interest but who often ends up being a source of deceit.
Tight, concise dialogue, sometimes presented in narration and non-linear narratives, flashbacks, etc.
High-contrast lighting, emphasizing light and dark, and the use of unconventional angles to symbolize a skewed point of view.
Post-war disillusionment and a pessimistic perspective of the world and life, sometimes transmitted through bleak twists and endings.

Again, not all traits have to be present. There are film noirs in color (Leave Her to Heaven) and there are film noirs with no femme fatale (Shadow of a Doubt). Also, although many films noir fall in the crime thriller genre, the label can be applied to numerous films from other genres.
...
Good list. One ingredient that's present in almost all good classic noirs (and sometimes virtually the only ingredient) is that a character or characters are presented with a choice which is morally or legally wrong. They take the wrong path, and as a result suffer the consequences.

[GulfportDoc]

#91 Woman on the Run (1950)

Director: Norman Foster
Production: Fidelity Pictures Corporation
Cast: Ann Sheridan, Dennis O'Keefe, Robert Keith
26 Points, 3 List


'Frank Johnson becomes an eyewitness to a murder. He's pursued around San Francisco by his wife, the police, and the killer.'



Very good noir with nice work by O'Keefe and the lovely Ann Sheridan.

I could never understand how they chose the title because, as you know, it's in fact a MAN who goes on the run. I think it's a fresh story, nicely photographed by Hal Mohr (An Act of Murder).

Although the story was set in San Francisco, there's some nice scenes shot at Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica, which close in 1956.

[Little Ash]

I'm pretty sure I've heard of Stranger on the Third Floor, I don't think I've heard of Woman on the Run.

I've seen neither.

[Citizen Rules]

[Woman on the Run]Very good noir with nice work by O'Keefe and the lovely Ann Sheridan.

I could never understand how they chose the title because, as you know, it's in fact a MAN who goes on the run. I think it's a fresh story, nicely photographed by Hal Mohr (An Act of Murder).

Although the story was set in San Francisco, there's some nice scenes shot at Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica, which close in 1956.Loved those last scenes at the Ocean Park Pier, especially the climax on the roller coaster, very exciting. It was ThatDarnMKS who recommended Woman on the Run to me in the Noirvemver 2022 thread. I watched several Ann Sheridan noirs back then...count me as a fan of hers. A week ago I watched a really different and interesting 'noir' with Ann Sheridan, Steel Town (1952) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Town_(1952_film)). There were many scenes set inside a steel mill and they actually filmed at Kaiser Steel in California. Good grief! When seen in color that steel mill with it's red hot molten steel was more frightening than Robert Mitchum on a bender!...Though not a noir by my book, it was still a good watch.

[rauldc14]

So far just 3/10. But that's ok.

[Thief]

Stats: Pit Stop #1
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-krxFrjHyZWI/XnWYT4Ak1MI/AAAAAAAAIu0/-4JpONALtRITM7ab5x-7eaa3XzPjb4ezgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/KissMeDeadluy.png

-

Now that we've hit the first pit stop (90), here are some stats:

Yearly Breakdown


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



Good showing from 1950!

Also, no point in doing a director breakdown cause there have been no repeats so far.

[PHOENIX74]

Not ringing any bells - even faint ones.

Seen : 1/10
Heard of but haven't seen : 1/10
New to me : 8/10

[dadgumblah]

Stranger on the Third Floor is one that I haven't seen but will look for. Woman on the Run is a Noir I've yet to see but I'd already put it on my Watch List before it hit the countdown. My Watch List grows and grows with Noir as I find I enjoy these films like crazy, no matter who's suffering, who's doomed or makes it out of the jam they're in. I laugh at the person playing the sap and root for the bad Femme Fatale as she shows no sign of remorse and leaves a pile of chumps in her wake. It's all so enticing. And they all look great! (the films that is, but a whole slew of the ladies.)

[Citizen Rules]

97897
#90 I Want to Live! (1958)

Director: Robert Wise
Production: Walter Wanger Productions
Cast: Susan Hayward, Simon Oakland, Virginia Vincent
27 Points, 2 Lists


'A prostitute, sentenced to death for murder, pleads her innocence.'


_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97898
#89 Brighton Rock (1948)

Director: John Boulting
Production: Associated British Picture Corporation
Cast: Graham Greene, Terence Rattigan, Richard Attenborough
27 Points, 3 Lists

'In Brighton in 1935, small-time gang leader Pinkie Brown murders a journalist and later desperately tries to cover his tracks but runs into trouble with the police, a few witnesses, and a rival gang.'

_______________________________________

[Allaby]

Seen both, voted for neither.

Seen: 10/12

[edarsenal]

My first Rectification is inspired by seeing Cosmic's post and her high placement of this one.
Stranger on the Third Floor was a film I saw in the Noirvember thread while looking for a few more "new to me" titles to watch for the Countdown, and I was quite impressed by it. Not only did I put it on my list, but I placed it incredibly high at #3. I love noirs that lean heavily on German expressionism for their visual aesthetic, and that dream sequence literally made me sit up straighter in my chair and really pay attention. And of course it's always nice to see Peter Lorre!

Seen: 4/10

My List: 1
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92


https://64.media.tumblr.com/960003b39f878ef0c29aaf24fff6b3f5/tumblr_oyjvtl6xWP1tr6ni8o1_500.gif

https://dasg7xwmldix6.cloudfront.net/episodes/1009575_6fhTYwSV.jpg
https://apaladewalsh.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/stranger-on-the-third-floor.jpg?resize=633%2C414

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

At a very short 1 hour and 3 minutes, this was a quick and easy watch, and much like Cosmic applauded it for, the German Expressionism in terms of visual aesthetic was definitely delivered in spades. And yes! Seeing Peter Lorre, especially in an early role, was the absolute highlight for me.
I think my only critique on this very enjoyable noir was the lead role was a little lackluster for me, but still a great noir with some excellent visual composition. Very cool!



Watched 6 out of 10 (60%)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Panic In The Streets (1950) (#98)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23. Body And Soul (1947) (#94)
24. Dead Reckoning (1946) (#95)
25.


Rectification List
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) (#92)

[Harry Lime]

I've seen Brighton Rock but like I suspect many on this list that I've seen it was quite a while ago and never given it a rewatch. My notes indicate I liked it but nothing memorable - which is great because I don't remember much. The system works.

[Citizen Rules]

My first Rectification is inspired by seeing Cosmic's post and her high placement of this one.

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

At a very short 1 hour and 3 minutes, this was a quick and easy watch, and much like Cosmic applauded it for, the German Expressionism in terms of visual aesthetic was definitely delivered in spades. And yes! Seeing Peter Lorre, especially in an early role, was the absolute highlight for me.
I think my only critique on this very enjoyable noir was the lead role was a little lackluster for me, but still a great noir with some excellent visual composition. Very cool!Very cool idea that you were inspired to watch Stranger on the Third Floor. Like you and Cosmic said it is the expressionism visuals that make the film.

[Thief]

Wow, two more donuts from me. I assume it's gonna be that way until we hit the halfway mark 😔

[CosmicRunaway]

My first Rectification is inspired by seeing Cosmic's post and her high placement of this one.
I'm happy that seeing my praise for the film's visuals intrigued you enough to see it for yourself, and I'm really glad you ended up liking it as well! <3

I probably would've felt bad if you found it a slog, but at least it would've only been an hour wasted as opposed to 2 or more haha. I really appreciated the breezy runtime when I saw it, and wished I had more short films like that on my watchlist.

[CosmicRunaway]

Wow, two more donuts from me. I assume it's gonna be that way until we hit the halfway mark 😔
I don't think you're alone in that, so you're in good company!

I don't think I've seen either of today's films either, but some of those screenshots of Brighton Rock look very familiar (as does the name), so I might need to investigate further in case I have seen it haha.

[John-Connor]

SEEN 2/12
BALLOT 00/25


32. Crime Wave (1953)
31. Body and Soul (1947)

https://media2.giphy.com/media/3og0ISYKeK4m63gOQM/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952w0xoh2ynno4u7weyt4pi94nb9azyr6nz6xpuiqrs&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif

[Thursday Next]

Brighton Rock was my #7. What an ending! And what a nasty little character Pinkie is, played so well by Richard Attenborough. Based on the book by Graham Greene who also wrote the screenplay for The Third Man (which I imagine is still to come on this countdown).

[WHITBISSELL!]

Have watched Brighton Rock (and enjoyed it). But not I Want to Live! (even though I've had several opportunities to do so). Seemed kind of soap opera-ish to me. Didn't vote for either of them. If I would have remembered BR I might have considered doing so.

So I'm 2 for 12 so far.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen either film once again :(

[Citizen Rules]

Brighton Rock was my #7. What an ending! And what a nasty little character Pinkie is, played so well by Richard Attenborough. Based on the book by Graham Greene who also wrote the screenplay for The Third Man (which I imagine is still to come on this countdown).Good thing you voted for it, you gave it 19 points which was enough to get it on the ballot.

Have watched Brighton Rock (and enjoyed it). But not I Want to Live! (even though I've had several opportunities to do so). Seemed kind of soap opera-ish to me. Didn't vote for either of them. If I would have remembered BR I might have considered doing so.

So I'm 2 for 12 so far.I really wouldn't call I Want to Live! soap opera-ish at all, just drama with a hard hitting ending.

[WHITBISSELL!]

I really wouldn't call I Want to Live! soap opera-ish at all, just drama with a hard hitting ending.Yeah, that's on me. But that's what so great about these countdowns. They prod one's memory about films you should watch. I already added Woman on the Run to my watchlist. :up:

[cricket]

Brighton Rock was a contender for my list although I don't remember it. A lot of these noirs made or didn't make my ballot based upon my records.

I've not heard of the other.

[ApexPredator]

Yeah, I haven't seen squat so far other than the ones I've picked on my list. I knew this would be more of a making aware list than one I'd feel confident I've seen a good amount of.

My List:

16. Le Corbeau (1943)
18. Quicksand (1950)

Seen: 1 for 10

[Citizen Rules]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/9e/da/1c9eda6938ac3f1e47fd7e04bf363524.gif
Countdown Stats for HoF Performance
Just something to look at:cool:


We've made it through all the #90s reveals...So a new feature! A lot of these noirs on the countdown have gotten traction by their exposure in the Hall of Fames. To recap 100-90, we had three noirs that had been nominated in past HoFs.

#100 Le Corbeau (1943) was in the Film Noir III (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=61176)where it finished
7th out of 9 nominations.

#96 Gaslight (1944) was in the 19th HoF (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=59380) where it finished
4th out of 9 nominations.

#94 Body and Soul (1947) was in the 1940s Hof Part 2 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=49452) where it
6th out of 11 nominations.

[GulfportDoc]

#90 I Want to Live! (1958)

Director: Robert Wise
Production: Walter Wanger Productions
Cast: Susan Hayward, Simon Oakland, Virginia Vincent
27 Points, 2 List


'A prostitute, sentenced to death for murder, pleads her innocence.'



Oh, man! I'll NEVER forget seeing that film. I was 14 or 15 when it came to one of our three local theaters. In those days people just went to see whatever was showing, oftentimes not knowing anything about the picture except for its title.

I innocently took a date to the film. It was fascinating enough, but it got bleaker and darker as it went on. The ending was very graphic and shocking. We more or less crawled out of the theater, the film having put us in a hang dog mood. We made up for that later in her living room..:cool:

Later I found out that the writers took major liberties with the actual story. In actual fact Barbara Graham (Susan Hayward) was guilty. The film delighted early opponents of capital punishment folks, like Arthur Miller and Paddy Chayevsky.

But Hayward's performance was absolutely stunning, and she deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar.

[Sedai]

0/12 so far!!! Yikes!

I have some noir watching to do!

[PHOENIX74]

Another one I've seen!

#90 I Want to Live! - Susan Hayward's big Oscar moment. That's what had me watching this film, which I've seen a few times. I mean, what a title - it says it all, and activates our curiosity because the emotional melodrama connected with the condemned does really interest us. Behind it all you have a justice system which cruelly twisted a lot of what happened - which can be an argument against capital punishment. I mean, you can't overturn anything once the person is dead. I have I Want to Live on DVD, and really didn't expect it to show up on the film noir countdown, but I think it's cool that it has (yeah, yeah, mostly because it's actually something I've seen.) To me, personally, I think killing is wrong even if it's the state that's mandating it. I simply think killing is wrong full stop - unless it's in self defense.

I've never heard of Brighton Rock, but it sounds really interesting.

Seen : 2/12
Heard of but not seen : 1/12
Never heard of : 9/12

[stillmellow]

I'm a bit ashamed to admit I haven't seen any of the films in the top 100 so far. I gotta add them all to my watch list.


0/12 in my list
0/12 seen

[dadgumblah]

I've seen both films on today's reveal. I Want to Live! is a movie I saw as a kid. My parents were pretty liberal with what I watched so I saw it before I even reached my teens. As I've only seen it that one time, some details have diminished but I remember Susan Hayward being great, and that ending really struck me. It didn't unsettle me as a kid but it made me realize that a woman could be sentenced to death, something I didn't know at the time. I've never forgotten the film but never thought of it as a Noir film since I haven't sought the film out since the one viewing.

I saw Brighton Rock just last year and thought Richard Attenborough was fantastic in it. His role as Pinkie was a wonder. Not that I didn't think he could pull it off, it's just that I'd never seen him in anything other than a good guy role so I really dug him in it, even though he played a murderous thug in it.

Still 0/0 on my list.

[Citizen Rules]

I've seen both of today's noirs. I watched I Want To Live! back when I was doing a Susan Hayward filmography watch. I hadn't really been familiar with her work previously but when I watched The Forrest Rangers (1942) I notice she had something special about her so I watched all of films. She made a wide range of films including other noirs and westerns. Some were pretty great and some were just OK but she was always worth watching when on screen and that's how I came across I Want To Live!....what a powerful ending, wow it gives one chills.

[Iroquois]

no votes. i remember liking brighton rock well enough.

[Wyldesyde19]

Haven’t seen either, although I have heard of them.
Pretty rough start for me, but I figured it might be

[Little Ash]

Don't think I've heard of any since the last time I chimed in. The really question feels like at roughly what point in the countdown it'll start switching from, "haven't heard of," to "haven't seen," to, "seen, but not on my ballot."


So far, I think the only one I've seen is the one I voted for, Gaslight, which I had apparently forgotten I had voted for).

[edarsenal]

I'm happy that seeing my praise for the film's visuals intrigued you enough to see it for yourself, and I'm really glad you ended up liking it as well! <3

I probably would've felt bad if you found it a slog, but at least it would've only been an hour wasted as opposed to 2 or more haha. I really appreciated the breezy runtime when I saw it, and wished I had more short films like that on my watchlist.
Like many of us here there is a select list of fellow MoFos that when they praise a film it goes straight to our Watchlist and you are very much one of them for me. Adding the short view time it was even easier to make the time to check out and enjoy, so thank you so much!

[Citizen Rules]

97917
#88 He Walked By Night (1948)

Directors: Alfred L. Werker, Anthony Mann
Production: Bryan Foy Productions
Cast: Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts
27 Points, 4 Lists

'This film-noir piece, told in semi-documentary style, follows police on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.'

_______________________________________

[Citizen Rules]

97918
#87 The Dark Corner (1946)

Director: Henry Hathaway
Production: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix
28 Points, 2 Lists

'A secretary tries to help her boss who's been framed for murder.'

_______________________________________

[rauldc14]

Haven't seen either of these.

[Citizen Rules]

Brighton Rock was a contender for my list although I don't remember it. A lot of these noirs made or didn't make my ballot based upon my records...You keep records or notes about what you watch? I probably should've started doing that years ago. I can never remember what I watched and what I thought of it if the movie was 10 years or longer ago.

Oh, man! I'll NEVER forget seeing that film. I was 14 or 15 when it came to one of our three local theaters. In those days people just went to see whatever was showing, oftentimes not knowing anything about the picture except for its title.

I innocently took a date to the film. It was fascinating enough, but it got bleaker and darker as it went on. The ending was very graphic and shocking. We more or less crawled out of the theater, the film having put us in a hang dog mood. We made up for that later in her living room..:cool:
...Doc, what a date! Did you ever keep up with the young lady and know whatever happened to her?

[Sedai]

Man, two more I haven't even heard of!

Some noir fan I turned out to be!

[ScarletLion]

Man, two more I haven't even heard of!

Some noir fan I turned out to be!

I think I'm 0/14

:D

[Thief]

Man, two more I haven't even heard of!

Some noir fan I turned out to be!

Same. Look forward to check some of these, though.

[Thief]

I think I'm 0/14

:D

I don't think. I *AM* 0/14 :laugh:

[SpelingError]

Dang, I haven't seen those two either. What's happening???

[Allaby]

Seen both, voted for neither. He Walked By Night was pretty good. I thought The Dark Corner was just alright.

Seen: 12/14

[seanc]

He Walked By Night was my 25. Watched it for this list and thought it was fantastic. Looked amazing.

The Dark Corner is another for the watchlist

[Thursday Next]

I've seen He Walked by Night. It was pretty good but didn't make my list. Haven't seen the other.

[Holden Pike]

Two wonderful choices, neither made my ballot. But this is exactly why I was so insistent on separating the Classic Noir and Neo Noir lists. On a mixed ballot, there is no way a flick like He Walked By Night makes the cut.

[Citizen Rules]

I watched He Walked By Night 20 years ago when I was first getting into movies and had become smitten with film noir. It was one noir that stuck with me. I didn't vote for it as I hadn't seen it in two decades. I did finally rewatch it last night, cause I had a feeling it might make the countdown;)

He Walked By Night is done as a semi-documentary police investigative film. I've already forgotten who played the cops and that's not a bad thing because they seemed like real cops and not actors. Maybe one was Mark Stevens? Oh and Jack Webb (Dragnet) was a police lab investigator. The acting stand outs was the cop killer played by Richard Basehart and Mofo's favorite, Whit Bissell! It was a good role for Whit and as usual he brought a lot of needed character to his role which helped balance the otherwise more analytical aspects of the film. The end scenes were shot inside of L.A.'s storm drain system that runs under the city. Good noir and glad it made the countdown.

[Wyldesyde19]

I’m 90% sure I’ve seen He Walked by Night.

[WHITBISSELL!]

I have watched He Walked By Night (:up: for Whit Bissell ;)). I've never even heard of The Dark Corner. I don't know if something like Lured (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039589/) would qualify as a noir but I really liked Lucille Ball in that one, so TDC is going on my watchlist.

Neither were on my ballot. I completely brain farted on having watched Gaslight so I'm 4/14.

[Citizen Rules]

I remember liking The Dark Corner, count me as a fan of Clifton Webb and Lucille Ball was certainly a beauty back then. Think I'll rewatch that one as I recall it was one of those fun-to-spend-time-with noirs.

[cricket]

You keep records or notes about what you watch? I probably should've started doing that years ago. I can never remember what I watched and what I thought of it if the movie was 10 years or longer ago.

Every month I post in the Movietab thread everything I watched so it's always there for me to go back and look. I have a note for every month and at the end of the year I combine the 12 months into 1 note for the year so I can find them there as well. By the date, I can also look them up in the rate the last movie thread.

As for todays films, I've seen both but remember neither.

[Citizen Rules]

Every month I post in the Movietab thread everything I watched so it's always there for me to go back and look. I have a note for every month and at the end of the year I combine the 12 months into 1 note for the year so I can find them there as well. By the date, I can also look them up in the rate the last movie thread.

As for todays films, I've seen both but remember neither.Ah, that's right, now I remember that you post in the Movietab thread. I have to search MoFo and hope I wrote about a movie if I'm not sure I watched it way back when.

[Harry Lime]

Yes I've seen both films and according to my records...yes 3/5 each. If I recall both had a documentary feel to them, which is not necessarily the norm in film noir. I sometimes like that style but not so sure with the film noir genre.

[cricket]

I watched them both in 2017 for the 40's list, gave He Walked By Night 3+ and Dead Reckoning 3.

I gave everything I voted for at least 3.5

[dadgumblah]

He Walked By Night is on my list at #15. I loved this one, with the cop killer, played by Richard Basehart, trying to cover all his tracks by killing others. Nice feel to it, with quite a bit of it taking place at night (hence the title) which I love. Scott Brady was properly stoic, I loved Whit Bissell (whom I have dug since The Creature From the Black Lagoon) in the movie, and it was so much fun to see Jack Webb being a bit lighthearted as the lab guy who helped with the case, a bit of a forerunner to his later Dragnet role. One I need to see again soon.

The Dark Corner is near the top of my Watch List so I'll catch this one soon. Whenever I see lists of Noir films, this one always seems to pop up, so I'm looking forward to it.

I saw two Noirs that I didn't include on my list. One of them is the Sterling Hayden film,Crime Wave, which I loved. His portrayal of the cop was super, chewing on the toothpick all the time and leading the ex-con on, making him think he was in big trouble. Plus, it had Phyllis Kirk in it. I like Phyllis Kirk and have ever since seeing her in House of Wax, which also co-starred Charles Bronson who was also in Crime Wave. And both films were released the same year and both directed by André De Toth! I was also delighted to see Timothy Carey playing it really sleazy in a small role.

The other Noir I watched was Too Late For Tears (also known as Killer Bait) from 1949. Starring Lizabeth Scott (yum!), Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, and Kristine Miller (yum also!). Plus Arthur Kennedy, whom I noticed has been in several Noirs. I loved this one and loved how truly greedy and well, scummy Lizabeth Scott was in this. I couldn't wait for her to get what was coming to her and I don't mean money! As for Dan Duryea, I've got almost all of his Noir films in my Watch List, which is easily @125 films and growing. That's how much I've come to love Noir, which I started to get into slowly about 2 years ago. So I was jazzed when this Noir list from 1940-1959 came up because that's my preferred era of these films.

So, as it stands:
#25 He Walked By Night List Proper #88