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Hmm, are we gonna have to dig a hole to find it? 
The MoFo Top 100 Film Noir Countdown
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Another great noir by Fritz Lang that didn't make my list - as I mentioned none from Fritz did which is a bit of an oversight on my part. Oh well enough of you fine folks did. White Heat made my list at #23. Classic film with a dynamite performance by Cagney.
10. Stray Dog (1949)
15. Bob le flambeur (1956)
17. Rififi (1955)
23. White Heat (1949)
25. Nightmare Alley (1947)
10. Stray Dog (1949)
15. Bob le flambeur (1956)
17. Rififi (1955)
23. White Heat (1949)
25. Nightmare Alley (1947)
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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
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Hmm, are we gonna have to dig a hole to find it?
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I just looked at your ballot and it's easily as well chosen as any of the ballots on the countdown. You have lots of great choices, some popular noirs and some hidden gem noirs. It's a solid ballot and I'm glad you sent it in.
IDK how to express it. Conversely, I will say, compared to other lists, I'm more likely to use this one more as a means to address blind spots.
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I keep thinking I saw White Heat recently, but then remember it was Scarface. In terms of Jimmy Cagney, I also kind of want to see Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (possibly just crime and not noir, for all I know), just because it's on the movie theater marquis in Messiah of Evil. It's not a great reason, but it's a reason.
I'm pretty sure I saw the title for Scarlett Street on some list of noirs, but wouldn't have been able to say anything about it.
I'm pretty sure I saw the title for Scarlett Street on some list of noirs, but wouldn't have been able to say anything about it.
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White Heat was a landmark crime thriller, with remarkable scenery chewing by James Cagney playing..... James Cagney on steroids. There are some comparisons to the later Pacino's Scarface.
This was probably the first noir film to go out it a wham-bang blaze of glory. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!". Boom.
I've never gotten the love for Scarlett Street, except that the story was so nasty that it almost embarrassed the term "noir". The set up was pretty ridiculous, which steadily degraded into an air deflating downer ending. The over-acting by all, but mostly Duryea and Bennett, bordered on satire.
To my taste The Woman in the Window (1944), with the same 3 stars, was a far more absorbing and enjoyable picture.
This was probably the first noir film to go out it a wham-bang blaze of glory. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!". Boom.
I've never gotten the love for Scarlett Street, except that the story was so nasty that it almost embarrassed the term "noir". The set up was pretty ridiculous, which steadily degraded into an air deflating downer ending. The over-acting by all, but mostly Duryea and Bennett, bordered on satire.
To my taste The Woman in the Window (1944), with the same 3 stars, was a far more absorbing and enjoyable picture.
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It's tough to explain, but for the other countdowns I've participated in, there's usually more struggle to squeeze in movies and having to make cuts, and the top 15 usually have more hidden gems rather than mostly well known movies. It's just how my movie preferences usually land. In this case, I'm attributing it more towards just me not having a breadth of noir viewership (and as opposed to war films, film noir is a movement that seems like I should have seen a lot of and should have a lot of movies at my recollection).
IDK how to express it. Conversely, I will say, compared to other lists, I'm more likely to use this one more as a means to address blind spots.
IDK how to express it. Conversely, I will say, compared to other lists, I'm more likely to use this one more as a means to address blind spots.
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...I've never gotten the love for Scarlett Street, except that the story was so nasty that it almost embarrassed the term "noir". The set up was pretty ridiculous, which steadily degraded into an air deflating downer ending. The over-acting by all, but mostly Duryea and Bennett, bordered on satire....
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White Heat is great. The most cold blooded action in noir is when Cagney shoots "airholes" in the trunk. Unfortunately, it is not on my list. As for Scarlet Street, I don't think I have ever seen it.
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Got 18/20.
Here's the kicker. One of the two I missed was a total brain fart moment. Complete blank. Spent the last 45 seconds thinking: It's on my post---dammit. It's. . . it's... Sierra... Dark? No, it ain't that... Shit, what the f@ck is it? The other was one I didn't know, The 711 Ocean.
50. High Sierra (1940) Is a film I saw after sending in my list, having stumbled upon it after finding, watching and fully enjoying Dead Reckoning for my list. Pre Maltese Falcon and following defining roles such as Dead End and the more famous Angels with Dirty Faces, Bogart incorporated some vulnerability to the hard-edged ex-prisoner doing a heist with inexperienced youths. A great watch and very worthy of this list.
49 Suspicion (1941) I have seen this only once, and the ending seems "incorrect" to me. As if it was not the ending meant to be but, for whatever reason, insisted upon.
Coming in at #11
47 Odd Man Out (1947) Where the question of morality is placed upon those whom James Mason meets far more than the wounded individual himself.
The imagery is quite something to see—some truly beautiful and stark imagery, coupled with the story and all of the secondary actors within this movie.
For me, it was those characters who really piqued my interest. For some odd reason, I kept thinking about my #1 favorite, The Great Escape, as everyone split up and tried to make it out of a bad situation. I think it may have been the underlying subterfuge, as, with each encounter, you really did not know if it was a haven or a pitfall that would engulf not only Mason but the others who were with him in the attempted robbery.
My favorite watching is Robert Newton as the brawling artist. It was excellent to watch him let loose.
Coming in at #14
45 Ride the Pink Horse (1947) The opening scene and many of the "movement of chess pieces" was nicely done and great fun to watch.
For most noirs, the secondary characters, those that the leading character runs into, rarely expand into nothing more than filler. Not so here. There is far more detail and, dare I say, love for the secondary characters when it comes to the townsfolk and, of course, Pancho and Pila. I found myself enjoying every nuance and conversation shared between them and Gagin as the movie continued the most. Such as Pila's eventual opening up and Pancho's wisdom regarding life were the moments that really stuck with me. I really connected with them and looked forward to when the story came back around to them.
The merry-go-round scene was an incredible highlight because the focus was moved to the children's reactions as they circled around instead of what was occurring. This had far more of an impact and was done exceptionally well.
44 Criss Cross (1949) I Watched this for the 4th Noir HoF, and while I still remain on the fence regarding Burt Lancaster afterward, I was impressed and enjoyed the foggy shoot-out at the end.
42 Rififi (1955) One of, in my opinion, one of the top French-noir films and an utter and complete sin committed in idiocy that I did not include it on my list where I'm sure it would have placed quite high.
The execution of the Heist was top-class AND VERY INNOVATIVE. In fact, it played out a little too much like a Self-Help diagram to commit the Jewel Heist, so Mexican authorities pulled the movie from theaters after multiple burglaries were committed, employing methods similar to those shown. How f@ckin cool is that?
Director Jules Dassin (one of Hollywood's Black Listed during the witch hunts, aka McCarthism-ran Communist Trials) plays the safecracker, Cesar, and changes what becomes of his character from the VERY explicit book it is based upon, making it a bit personal and symbiotic to when friends betray friends.
Coming in at #17
38 The Stranger (1946) For an actor best known for iconic portrayals of gangsters, Edward G. Robinson plays one helluva detective. He is patient, clever, determined, and willing to take risks if the outcome is worth it, such as his opening gambit to let Meinike escape in hopes of bringing him to the greater prize.
The trailing of Meinike and Wilson's arrival in town was very well done from an investigative aspect, and I found myself watching the strategically placed pitfalls by Wilson for Welles' Prof Rankin, aka Franz Kindler.
I would have loved to have seen the edited scenes that delved more into that. Scenes that Welles was infuriated by when the studio cleared the Editor to have the freedom of removing anything he felt wasn't necessary. Resulting in about 30 minutes removed, 19 of which involved the opening trailing of Meineke as well as the original meeting of Loretta Young's Mary and Welles' character.
Makes you wonder if it was for the better or for worse.
36. Gun Crazy (1950) The couple of times I've seen this I've bounced back and forth with my level of enjoyment while my appreciation for the ending remains steadfast.
35. Rebecca (1940) This is a splendid Hitchcock film with all of his key elements of suspense, moments of comedy interspersed within, a sojourn of camera angles, twists and turns, and the hints of a juicy, dirty little story that he deftly slid into the film—the Hays Code be damned for its prudish restrictions.
33. Nightmare Alley (1947) Power does a truly amazing job in this movie of cons and carnies. The charisma, confidence, and smoothness that is the top layer of Stan, and, as the movie proceeds, the darker, insecure, broken aspect beneath are equally played brilliantly. His rise and eventual fall are all quite spectacular and he does a sterling job of it throughout.
32. Stray Dog (1949) Been quite a while since I've seen this Kurasawa film about a rookie cop who loses his gun.
31. The Lady From Shanghai (1947) I've always enjoyed this the numerous times I've seen it. I knew about the unsanctioned editing but did not know the details regarding the Mirror Maze. Thanks, CR, for that. This was a sad cut, though I knew there was plenty of love to place it nicely, and bravo, MoFo, for doing just that.
30. White Heat (1949) I saw this so many times in my youth, and it's been a few decades since my last viewing. I remember it more as a Crime/Gangster film. I would need a rewatch to consider its noir aspect, which would be fun.
#29 Scarlet Street (1945) Been far too long since I've watched this. Somewhere in the nineties when I was running through both Lang and Robinson. It was offsetting at the time, knowing only his gangster films previously. I need to revisit and appreciate and enjoy Edward G. I think this may be my introduction to the Master of Slimeballs, Dan Duryea, whom I've come to truly love. Most recently, in my Rectification entry, Too Late For Tears.
Watched 38 out of 72 (52.77%)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Panic In The Streets (1950) (#98)
9.
10. Act of Violence (1948) (#61)
11. Ride The Pink Horse (1947) (#45)
12.
13.
14. Odd Man Out (1947) (#47)
15.
16. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) (#66)
17. The Stranger (1946) (#38)
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. Body and Soul (1947) (#94)
23. The Naked City (1948) (#98)
24. Dead Reckoning (1946) (#95)
25.
Rectification List
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) (#92)
Too Late for Tears (1949) (#81)
Kansas City Confidential (1952) (#53)
Here's the kicker. One of the two I missed was a total brain fart moment. Complete blank. Spent the last 45 seconds thinking: It's on my post---dammit. It's. . . it's... Sierra... Dark? No, it ain't that... Shit, what the f@ck is it? The other was one I didn't know, The 711 Ocean.
50. High Sierra (1940) Is a film I saw after sending in my list, having stumbled upon it after finding, watching and fully enjoying Dead Reckoning for my list. Pre Maltese Falcon and following defining roles such as Dead End and the more famous Angels with Dirty Faces, Bogart incorporated some vulnerability to the hard-edged ex-prisoner doing a heist with inexperienced youths. A great watch and very worthy of this list.
49 Suspicion (1941) I have seen this only once, and the ending seems "incorrect" to me. As if it was not the ending meant to be but, for whatever reason, insisted upon.
Coming in at #11
47 Odd Man Out (1947) Where the question of morality is placed upon those whom James Mason meets far more than the wounded individual himself.
The imagery is quite something to see—some truly beautiful and stark imagery, coupled with the story and all of the secondary actors within this movie.
For me, it was those characters who really piqued my interest. For some odd reason, I kept thinking about my #1 favorite, The Great Escape, as everyone split up and tried to make it out of a bad situation. I think it may have been the underlying subterfuge, as, with each encounter, you really did not know if it was a haven or a pitfall that would engulf not only Mason but the others who were with him in the attempted robbery.
WARNING: "I can't honestly make a list since I thoroughly enjoyed them all," spoilers below
From the one aunt that the two men sought out only to be betrayed, the two older women who come across Mason's character, and the older man with the birds. His little "conversation" with the priest was quite enjoyable.
My favorite watching is Robert Newton as the brawling artist. It was excellent to watch him let loose.
Coming in at #14
45 Ride the Pink Horse (1947) The opening scene and many of the "movement of chess pieces" was nicely done and great fun to watch.
For most noirs, the secondary characters, those that the leading character runs into, rarely expand into nothing more than filler. Not so here. There is far more detail and, dare I say, love for the secondary characters when it comes to the townsfolk and, of course, Pancho and Pila. I found myself enjoying every nuance and conversation shared between them and Gagin as the movie continued the most. Such as Pila's eventual opening up and Pancho's wisdom regarding life were the moments that really stuck with me. I really connected with them and looked forward to when the story came back around to them.
The merry-go-round scene was an incredible highlight because the focus was moved to the children's reactions as they circled around instead of what was occurring. This had far more of an impact and was done exceptionally well.
44 Criss Cross (1949) I Watched this for the 4th Noir HoF, and while I still remain on the fence regarding Burt Lancaster afterward, I was impressed and enjoyed the foggy shoot-out at the end.
42 Rififi (1955) One of, in my opinion, one of the top French-noir films and an utter and complete sin committed in idiocy that I did not include it on my list where I'm sure it would have placed quite high.
The execution of the Heist was top-class AND VERY INNOVATIVE. In fact, it played out a little too much like a Self-Help diagram to commit the Jewel Heist, so Mexican authorities pulled the movie from theaters after multiple burglaries were committed, employing methods similar to those shown. How f@ckin cool is that?
Director Jules Dassin (one of Hollywood's Black Listed during the witch hunts, aka McCarthism-ran Communist Trials) plays the safecracker, Cesar, and changes what becomes of his character from the VERY explicit book it is based upon, making it a bit personal and symbiotic to when friends betray friends.
Coming in at #17
38 The Stranger (1946) For an actor best known for iconic portrayals of gangsters, Edward G. Robinson plays one helluva detective. He is patient, clever, determined, and willing to take risks if the outcome is worth it, such as his opening gambit to let Meinike escape in hopes of bringing him to the greater prize.
The trailing of Meinike and Wilson's arrival in town was very well done from an investigative aspect, and I found myself watching the strategically placed pitfalls by Wilson for Welles' Prof Rankin, aka Franz Kindler.
I would have loved to have seen the edited scenes that delved more into that. Scenes that Welles was infuriated by when the studio cleared the Editor to have the freedom of removing anything he felt wasn't necessary. Resulting in about 30 minutes removed, 19 of which involved the opening trailing of Meineke as well as the original meeting of Loretta Young's Mary and Welles' character.
Makes you wonder if it was for the better or for worse.
36. Gun Crazy (1950) The couple of times I've seen this I've bounced back and forth with my level of enjoyment while my appreciation for the ending remains steadfast.
35. Rebecca (1940) This is a splendid Hitchcock film with all of his key elements of suspense, moments of comedy interspersed within, a sojourn of camera angles, twists and turns, and the hints of a juicy, dirty little story that he deftly slid into the film—the Hays Code be damned for its prudish restrictions.
33. Nightmare Alley (1947) Power does a truly amazing job in this movie of cons and carnies. The charisma, confidence, and smoothness that is the top layer of Stan, and, as the movie proceeds, the darker, insecure, broken aspect beneath are equally played brilliantly. His rise and eventual fall are all quite spectacular and he does a sterling job of it throughout.
32. Stray Dog (1949) Been quite a while since I've seen this Kurasawa film about a rookie cop who loses his gun.
31. The Lady From Shanghai (1947) I've always enjoyed this the numerous times I've seen it. I knew about the unsanctioned editing but did not know the details regarding the Mirror Maze. Thanks, CR, for that. This was a sad cut, though I knew there was plenty of love to place it nicely, and bravo, MoFo, for doing just that.
30. White Heat (1949) I saw this so many times in my youth, and it's been a few decades since my last viewing. I remember it more as a Crime/Gangster film. I would need a rewatch to consider its noir aspect, which would be fun.
#29 Scarlet Street (1945) Been far too long since I've watched this. Somewhere in the nineties when I was running through both Lang and Robinson. It was offsetting at the time, knowing only his gangster films previously. I need to revisit and appreciate and enjoy Edward G. I think this may be my introduction to the Master of Slimeballs, Dan Duryea, whom I've come to truly love. Most recently, in my Rectification entry, Too Late For Tears.
Watched 38 out of 72 (52.77%)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Panic In The Streets (1950) (#98)
9.
10. Act of Violence (1948) (#61)
11. Ride The Pink Horse (1947) (#45)
12.
13.
14. Odd Man Out (1947) (#47)
15.
16. Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) (#66)
17. The Stranger (1946) (#38)
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. Body and Soul (1947) (#94)
23. The Naked City (1948) (#98)
24. Dead Reckoning (1946) (#95)
25.
Rectification List
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) (#92)
Too Late for Tears (1949) (#81)
Kansas City Confidential (1952) (#53)
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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes
~Mr Minio
Last edited by edarsenal; 2 weeks ago at 11:19 PM.
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#31 The Lady From Shanghai - When I read/heard about the version Orson Welles tried to make, and the changes eventually made to this film, it kind of poisoned my enjoyment of it a bit. No doubt a great film by a man in his element (although the Irish accent, as thick as it is, distracts) with extraordinary cinematography, and a film noir narrative with twists and turns galore. The Welles cut of the film would have been 155 minutes long, and the version we have now is 88 minutes long - I can't help but think that there's a possible version that would have been one of the greatest films ever made that would have ran somewhere around the 120 minute mark. It's a filthy business, and the artist's imperative always seems to be the first casualty when it comes to moviemaking. If Welles fighting the studio wasn't enough, he was starring opposite his estranged wife Rita Hayworth - which must have been interesting. The next time I watch this, I'm going to try to forget about the film's history and just enjoy it as it is. Good enough to scrape onto my ballot at #25.
Stray Dog, White Heat and Scarlet Street aren't films I've tangled with, although I've heard of White Heat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen : 17/72
I'd never even heard of : 47/72
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 8/72
Films from my list : 8
#31 - My #25 - The Lady From Shanghai (1947)
#33 - My #22 - Nightmare Alley (1947)
#36 - My #16 - Gun Crazy (1950)
#44 - My #19 - Criss Cross (1949)
#54 - My #12 - D.O.A. (1950)
#58 - My #23 - The Breaking Point (1950)
#61 - My #21 - Act of Violence (1949)
#67 - My #18 - The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
Stray Dog, White Heat and Scarlet Street aren't films I've tangled with, although I've heard of White Heat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen : 17/72
I'd never even heard of : 47/72
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 8/72
Films from my list : 8
#31 - My #25 - The Lady From Shanghai (1947)
#33 - My #22 - Nightmare Alley (1947)
#36 - My #16 - Gun Crazy (1950)
#44 - My #19 - Criss Cross (1949)
#54 - My #12 - D.O.A. (1950)
#58 - My #23 - The Breaking Point (1950)
#61 - My #21 - Act of Violence (1949)
#67 - My #18 - The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
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White Heat is a movie I've watched over and over since I was a preteen. I love it so much but I, too, never considered a Noir. Just a rip-roaring, no-holds-barred James Cagney showpiece. Not to detract from the rest of the cast; Virginia Mayo as his "moll"; Margaret Wycherly as Ma Jarrett---she was so good here that I didn't realize she was the same actress who played Mother York, Sergeant York's mom from that film eight years before White Heat: Steve Cochran as Cody's gang "leader" who tries to have him offed while Cody's in jail, but aside from those, Edmond O'Brien is almost equal to Cagney for me as the new fellow in Cody's gang who has a secret that I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it. I love O'Brien's facial reactions in any film, but especially here when Cagney says to the guy in the car trunk:" Oh, stuffy, huh? I'll give ya a little air," and then fires bullets through the trunk lid, killing the guy. O'Brien jerking his head and the look on his face had me in stitches. Yes, Cagney is nuts! Cagney was so enjoyable that you can't wait to see what he'll do next and to whom. An all-time classic from one of my favorite actors but not on my list for the reason I gave at the first. Glad to see it got so much love!
Scarlet Street wasn't on my list but it's near the top of my Watch List.
#4 The Big Combo List Proper List Proper #52
#6 Kansas City Confidential List Proper #53
#14 Kiss of Death List Proper List Proper #59
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#16 The Naked City List Proper #60
#20 Gun Crazy List Proper #36
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78
#23 The Narrow Margin List Proper #43
#25 Crossfire List Proper #51
Scarlet Street wasn't on my list but it's near the top of my Watch List.
#4 The Big Combo List Proper List Proper #52
#6 Kansas City Confidential List Proper #53
#14 Kiss of Death List Proper List Proper #59
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#16 The Naked City List Proper #60
#20 Gun Crazy List Proper #36
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78
#23 The Narrow Margin List Proper #43
#25 Crossfire List Proper #51
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Last edited by dadgumblah; 2 weeks ago at 03:14 AM.
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The other noir tomorrow is aces.
Hmm, are we gonna have to dig a hole to find it?
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Just ask @Citizen Rules... I was watching noirs right up until the minute I clicked submit on my ballot. Right before submission, I had just finished watching Scarlett Street. It just missed my list, but it is an excellent picture with Edward G playing against type. It had a very bizarro ending that was probably pretty unsettling at the time. Really good, just missed my list!
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Director: Edward Dmytryk
Production: RKO
Cast: Dick Powell, Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley
182 Points, 14 Lists
'After being hired to find an ex-con's former girlfriend, Philip Marlowe is drawn into a deeply complex web of mystery and deceit.'
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Director: Charles Vidor
Production: Columbia Pictures
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready
183 Points, 21 Lists
'A small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino discovers his employer's new wife is his former lover..'
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2 seen, but only one made my ballot.
I saw both Murder, My Sweet and Gilda for one of the recent Film Noirs HoF that Citizen hosted. Really enjoyed both, but Gilda in particular is the one that stuck more with me. I was surprised by how dark it was, but also by how good Rita Hayworth was. Granted, I hadn't seen anything from her before, but she's not an actress you hear often about. You can read my full review here, but here's an excerpt:
To be honest, I really didn't like the ending. I suppose it was one of those studio mandated things, or they just wanted to please the audiences. But regardless of that, I still think it was quite powerful and a great watch. I had it at #10.
Murder, My Sweet was also a pretty good watch, but I think I left it out in favor of another Marlowe film. Still, it was surprising to see Dick Powell's take on the detective. He's confident, witty, tough, and charismatic. Here is the link to my full review, so feel free to check it out.
SEEN: 20/74
MY BALLOT: 8/25
I saw both Murder, My Sweet and Gilda for one of the recent Film Noirs HoF that Citizen hosted. Really enjoyed both, but Gilda in particular is the one that stuck more with me. I was surprised by how dark it was, but also by how good Rita Hayworth was. Granted, I hadn't seen anything from her before, but she's not an actress you hear often about. You can read my full review here, but here's an excerpt:
Although Gilda is often labeled as a romantic drama, the truth is that 85% of the film is Farrell and Gilda just taking jabs at each other as they are each filled with seething hatred. The toxicity of this relationship is quite bleak and probably one of my favorite things on the film. What does that say about me? I don't know, but I really loved seeing these two trying to take down each other. The dialogue and the lines were so pointed and sharp that I couldn't help but gasp and laugh at some of them ("Statistics show that there are more women in the world than anything else. Except insects."). Still, the delivery of these is never light, but extremely serious.
Murder, My Sweet was also a pretty good watch, but I think I left it out in favor of another Marlowe film. Still, it was surprising to see Dick Powell's take on the detective. He's confident, witty, tough, and charismatic. Here is the link to my full review, so feel free to check it out.
SEEN: 20/74
MY BALLOT: 8/25
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