The MoFo Top 100 Film Noir Countdown

Nightfall. It's directed by Jacques Tourneur which is what first drew my attention. But it also features an eclectic cast and locales. It does end in wintertime Wyoming. The ending is also different than anything else I have seen.

I kept running across this title last night when I was trying to find the name of another noir I couldn't remember. Charles McGraw and William Talman among others. I had never heard of it but it's also going on my watchlist.

Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death delivers a great example and blueprint for a lot of your favorite film noir and neo noir villains and antagonists. I just had to give praise and put it on my ballot at #25.
Check out this very interesting closer look at Richard Widmark's work and influence:


SEEN 15/42
BALLOT 2/25

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

19 of 42 seen.

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

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That happens to me too and I'm the host One of the titles for tomorrow's reveals didn't ring a bell...so I looked it up and I had seen it only a couple of months ago. Good noir too, but from some reason the title just didn't stick in my head.

Aldo Ray stars, I like him and he didn't seem to make that many movies. At least I haven't seen him in all that much. Added to my noir watchlist.

Tommy Udo was great but Richard Widmark is so damn lucky that he didn't get stereotyped into only playing those type of roles. The next year he starred with Ida Lupino and Cornel Wilde in Roadhouse. Widmark is solid in that movie but in the last third of the film he 'turns' into Tommy Udo and it's just too much, but still one of my favorite noirs and Widmark one of my favorite actors.

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

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

It's about Bogie and Bacall having a ball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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#58 The Breaking Point (1950)

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

#57 Detective Story (1951)

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

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

Seen: 40/44

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

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

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

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


SEEN: 6/44
MY BALLOT: 2/25

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

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

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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."

Detective Story is one of my favorite noirs and is the second to show up from my ballot, yeah! I had it as my #18. It was also once my nomination in the 50's Part II Hall Of Fame

The Breaking Point was a nomination in the Film Noir HoF V and I enjoyed it.

Seen Detective Story and it's ok.

Havent seen The Breaking Point