Noirvember 2023 - Rate the last noir you watched

I've said this before, but after playing Tommy Udo, Richard Widmark is damn lucky the studios didn't keep casting him as a crazed psycho killer. Like you said, Widmark eventual got to play more normal people and ended up with a fine career because of that break.

It's surprising to me when I look up an actor/actress and see that after a few good movies they slide into crappy stuff. I just seen Ann-Margaret with Elvis in Viva Las Vegas (not a noir I know!)...so I looked up her career and she did land in a couple noteworthy films but basically did lots of TV and forgettable movies. I guess maybe because she wasn't a dynamic actress but labeled a sex symbol...and sex symbols age. But I did like her in Viva Las Vegas.

Last noir I watched was Moonrise (1948) an excellent film. Gorgeous and thoughtful, with an ending that's fulfilling and hopeful, something you don't get in many noirs, especially in one's with sympathetic criminals as protagonists.

3.5 out of 4 stars

Unfortunately, I saw it too late to be in my "top noir list", but it would've ranked highly.

Road House



Solid little Noir starring Cornell Wilde, Ida Lupino, Richard Widmark, and Celeste Holm. Wilde is Pete Morgan, who is employed by his best friend "Jefty" Robbins at the road house of the title, which has music, dancing, eating, drinking, and a bowling alley. Pete does just about everything at the place, while Jefty is the "face" presence there. It's his place, he can do that. Celeste Holm is Susie Smith, who handles the books for Jefty. She obviously has a thing for Pete but he is just friends with her. Into this mix comes Lily Stevens, played by a beautiful Ida Lupino. She's hired as the entertainment by Jefty but he has designs on her that she, from the start, doesn't return. She plays the piano and "sings." Not trying to be mean but she has a raspy voice that's sexy but she can't hit a high note, so it's a wonder everyone in the joint digs her entertainment value. I think they're just jazzed by the sultry presence she presents, and she's got that in spades. As Susie says when asked what she thinks, she replies, "She does more without a voice than anybody I've ever heard!" In fact, Susie, upon just meeting Lily, is asked "She's something isn't she?" Susie retorts, "If you like the sound of gravel." Susie sees she's got major competetion right away.

Pete and Lily are argumentative from the get-go and when he tries to send her out of town right away and manhandles her a bit, she slaps his face, and says laughingly in that low, raspy voice, "Silly boy." She's always cutting at people with one-liners when they come on too strong. Like when someone flirts with her, she says, "You kill me," softly, then walks away leaving them staring. Yep, she's confident and sexy and carries herself well, and holds her own in the showroom, so it's a cinch that both friends fall for her. Pete, with reluctance, Jefty, blindly, thinking she'll just fall his way with a little persuasion. When Pete and Lily fall in love wile Jefty is on a hunting trip, they brace themselves for what he's gonna do when they tell him. And react he does, by framing Pete for stealing money from the road house. Pete's arrested, there's a trial and he's found guilty. But Jefty is such a smoothy around town, that he talks the judge into paroling Pete to him for two years instead of sending him up. What??? Never heard of that one. But boy does Jefty lord it over him. One word from Jefty to the judge and Pete goes to prison. From then on, it's a question of if Pete and Lily make a break for the Canadian border, not far way, or try to tough it out for two years. But Pete ain't that kind of guy. And Jefty now hates Pete. So...things come to a head when Jefty insists they all (including Susie) go up to Jefty's hunting cabin near the Canadian border, just dangling that escape in front of the lovers.

Wilde is his usual solid self and Holm is so pretty and sweet you kind of wonder why she wasn't the young love interest more often. But the scene stealers are naturally the sexy Lupino and the raging Widmark. He's a couple of movies removed from playing Tommy Udo here, but he still has that bit of a giggle thing going on, so you know that he's not far from losing it. This might not be a five-star affair but it's got enough going for it, especially in the cast, that I overlooked any shortcomings it might have had. Recommended.

__________________
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

Cool and thanks for posting I watched Moonrise for the first time a couple months ago, really liked it too. My review is linked on the 1st post of this thread, check it out....BTW I calculated what your rating would be if converted to the MoFo 5 popcorn system. I got a rating equivalent of 4.375 out of 5 but the gif only does half and full points so I rounded it up to the closest half number which was 4.5 out of 5 popcorns. Is that OK or would you prefer 4 out of 5 popcorns?

One of my all time favorite noirs, just for Ida's cool as ice character. She's like a female version of Bogart, has to be the most confident, drifter female character in any noir I've seen. Loved that she sang her own songs and wasn't dubbed which was common back then.

Do what-cha-like, man. It's a free country. 🤓

Okay, I have to see this now. Love Duryea, and Gale Storm also. I just watched her in one today, called...

Between Midnight and Dawn






Gale Storm plays Kate, the police radio communicator who works exclusively for the chief. Two patrolmen buddies, Officer Dan "Pappy" Purvis (Edmond O'Brien) and best friend, Officer Rocky Barnes (Mark Stevens), while riding their shift, hear her voice often and they're intrigued, especially Rocky, who makes a bet with Dan that she's a beauty. They're switched to day shift and by coincidence so is she. So Rocky and Dan meet her and both are smitten and she is beautiful. In the meantime, Ritchie Garris (Donald Buka) and Leo Cusick (Roland Winters) are opposing underworld thugs who start a gang war with each other (mainly psycho Garris starting it) and Rocky and Dan are tasked with looking out to catch these guys because they're in Rocky and Dan's jurisdiciton.

At first the movie starts somewhat lighthearted as Dan and Rocky pursue a standoffish Kate, who doesn't want to date a cop after her mother went through mourning after her cop husband was killed in the line of duty. But they gradually melt her resolve, with the help of Kate's mom (played by Madge Blake, none other than Aunt Harriet from the 60s Batman series!), who lets them rent the apartment attached to her house. But as they go out to eat, they dine at Garris' restaurant where they had made a scene before. So he hates them and wants them dead, which plays into the plot before the movie's over. Garris is a bad piece of work and he'll put anybody in danger. The second half of the movie is mainly about their pursuit of this scum and is action-filled. It doesn't really feel noir-ish but it's listed as one, so I accept it. It certainly doesn't skimp on the violence as a child is dangled out of a several story window, and a woman is shot at point-blank range with the squibs making it look very realistic.

This is a fine movie, with O'Brien and Stevens doing a great job being very convincing as buddies who work together. Storm is really good as the gal that both like but she ends up chosing just one, which doesn't really cause trouble between the two cops because they're friendship is that good. So, because she's engaged to a cop in the movie (won't say who) and works for the department, the character is involved in all the movie's action.

I really enjoyed this one (you can't go wrong with O'Brien) and all the cast, in fact. It's recommended.

That sounds good and I've never seen it which is a plus too. I'm going to watch it and I already have the movie too. I'm a big fan of Edmund O'Brien and Gale Storm...and you say it has Aunt Harriet from TV's Batman...I just watched that show like a half a year ago and enjoyed Madge Blake on it. I haven't seen much of her in old movies but Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred (Allen Naper) turns up quite a bit in old flicks.

Got around to watching The Underworld Story (1950) at your recommendation @Citizen Rules and I really enjoyed it.





I loved the whole idea of setting a Noir in a small town, with big city influences trying to crash the peace of said town. Dan Duryea was terrific as always as Mike Reese, the disgraced reporter (albeit unfairly disgraced) who buys a partnership in a small town newspaper and instantly injects his fast-moving, not always decent tricks of the trade into the newpaper's running. His partner, Cathy Harris (Gale Storm) likes him at first but is soon hip to his cynical, make-money-first methods, Especially when a friend of Cathy's is found murdered and he gets all the gears working before she can even move. Harry Shannon plays the somewhat bemused George Parker, the paper's press operator. We learn right away who the true murderer is when they confess to their father, a bigwig rich man in the town. Soon, a conspiracy is set in motion to frame the innocent Molly Rankin (Mary Anderson), who was a maid to the murdered woman.

As the setup is made, Reese latches onto it and puts it out on the wire, with people beating him to the punch. But Reese has his ways to make sure he always gets on top of whatever new movement happens in the story, which is good for him because he's right there in the town where it happened. But still, forces conspire against him when he pushes too hard. And those forces are connected to a gangster that Reese had dealings with in the city. The gangster, Carl Durham, is played both humorously and menacingly by the great Howard Da Silva, no stranger to Noir. Will Reese have a change of heart and try to help Molly or will his cynical, big city ways push him to go for the easy money? You have to see to find out.

It was interesting that the part of a Black woman, Molly, was played by Mary Anderson, who was White, and really looked White. I don't know if the times wouldn't let a Black actor play an unjustly framed person of the same race. It doesn't make much sense to me but Anderson is fine in her role and there doesn't seem to have been a big deal made of her playing her part.

It's a pretty fine film and I would recommend it to anyone if it catches your interest. Once again, thanks @Citizen Rules!

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)



Despite hearing of its greatness for decades, I've only just now watched this excellent film and it certainly earned all the accolades given it. Although Burt Lancaster receives top billing as J.J. Hunsecker, the ruthless Manhattan columnist who can make or break the careers of most anyone, it's Tony Curtis as press agent Sidney Falco who is in motion throughout most every scene, trying to please J.J. by doing dirty work for him. And all just to get a favorable mention in J.J.'s column so it can boost Sidney's career. But recently Sidney has been shut out of J.J.'s column because Sidney is moving a bit slow in breaking up the romance between J.J.'s sister, Susan (Susan Harrison) and a jazz guitarist, Steve Dallas (Martin Milner).

It's hard to tell who is more sleazy of the two, because they both do whatever they can to destroy people who stand in their way, or those they just don't like. Steve is really a decent guy but Sidney knows Steve has a temper when confronted by him, and later uses that to bait him into lashing out against J.J. in front of Susan. Susan is weak-willed where her brother is concerned, and both Sidney and J.J. know it. It's heartbreaking to see how these men are so sharp as to pick up on things they can use against people for power. Lancaster is pretty scary when, as a Senator "friend" says, "Why does everything you say sound like a threat?" And it does. There's also a scene where J.J. gets angry when he sees someone "touching" his sister (although it's not what he thinks) and advances on them with fury in his eyes. Very frightening.

Still, Curtis, as Sidney, can wriggle in and out of seemingly any situation, for example using info he's got to give to someone else as leverage to get his way, but only if a female "friend" of his sleeps with the person he's giving the info to. You've got to really stay focused to keep up with who's threatening who and for what reason. And Curtis is the one either threatening or promising things we're not sure he can deliver. And he's always on the phone, getting in touch with a contact that will benefit him or destroy someone else. Maybe both at the same time.

The black & white cinematography by the legendary James Wong Howe is super, capturing the hustle and bustle of Times Square, among other famous New York spots, with clarity even in the mostly dark scenes. He makes New York a major character in the movie. The jazzy score by Elmer Bernstein is another winner in his long list of triumphs. The screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman is sharp and snappy, moving the action along at a lightning-paced clip.

A classic film and very deserving of that status. It is such a dark film that it earns its Noir genre ranking very easily. Even with that, it's a vastly entertaining film.

Champion 1949



Kirk Douglas gives one of his best performances ever as MIdge Kelly, the guy who came from nothing to become Champion of the World in boxing. That's how the ringside commentator starts the story as Midge stands in his corner and we go into flashback, which is a staple of any respectable Noir. We see Midge and his brother, Connie (a fine Arthur Kennedy) hitching their way to Los Angeles where they've bought a third in a diner. They're picked up by an up-and-coming boxer, Johnny Dunne (billed as John Day) and his "manager" Grace Diamond (Marilyn Maxwell), who will figure later in the story. They stop at Kansas City where Dunne has a bout. While there, Midge is offered to fight in a bout due a injured boxer having to bow out. Midge is not that good, but he's got a lot of spirit and gets back up if he's knocked down. He goes several rounds and impresses a trainer, Tommy Haley (an excellent Paul Stewart). who offers to train him but Midge isn't interested.

Instead he and Connie get a ride to the cafe they think they own part of, only to find out they were ripped off by a former worker. They end up taking a job working there, where Midge falls fast for waitress Emma (a young and beautiful Ruth Roman). Her father, the owner and cook, warns her not to get involved with Midge, but she listens to her heart instead. After a bit of time, as Emma continually sneaks out, her father lays down the law and, at gunpoint, forces Midge to marry Emma. Midge is furious and leaves, taking Connie with him but leaving Emma behind. Midge doesn't like being pushed around. The brothers end up in Los Angeles and even though Tommy Haley is retired by now, Midge talks him into training him. He puts him through the mill and makes Midge a true fighter. He starts getting him bouts, and at the first fight, he pummels his oppenent, winning easily. Connie is taken aback at how Midge is in the ring, telling him he looked like he was fighting everybody who'd ever done him wrong. We see Midge rise through the ranks and take out all comers. It's up to the point where Midge is about to meet Johnny Dunne again, this time in the ring. After that, Midge would face the World Champion. That's when Tommy tells him to throw the fight because, "that's the way the business is run" and that he'll get another shot. Gee, I wonder if Midge will take that advice? There is much more to come in the film.

This is a great movie set in the boxing world, but also in Midge's world as the more successful he becomes, the easier it is for Midge to drop the people he "cares" about, go from one woman to another, choose money over love, all the while still being married.

There is plenty of boxing action, but this is a dark character study of Midge and how low he'll go to go up the ladder of success. Tightly directed by Mark Robson (who directed another boxing Noir, The Harder They Fall) and produced by famed director and producer Stanley Kramer (Judgement at Nuremberg). An almost-classic and highly recommended.

Ace in the Hole (1951)



Darker than dark film noir about an unscrupulous out-of-work reporter, Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas), who finds himself stranded in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He quickly bulls his way into a job on the local newspaper and the next thing we know, he's been there a year, straining at the bit, waiting for a big story to be his ticket out of Albuquerque. On the way to a small potatoes story a few towns over, he and newsboy Herbie Cook (Robert Arthur) stop at a roadside gas station/diner. A story practically falls into their lap as they quickly learn that the owner of the station, Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict), has been trapped in a cave-in in the mountainside behind the establishment. Tatum leaps into action, being the first person to go inside and talk to Leo, but not out of any altruism---Tatum sees this as an exclusive big interest story and he intends to milk it for all it's worth.

He manipulates everyone around to his side, including Leo's wife, Lorraine (a terrific Jan Sterling), who was going to leave Leo and run away. She had her bags packed, ready to catch the next bus until Tatum fills her head with the idea of how much money she can make when hordes of people come to wish Leo well (or simply gawk like vultures---the irony of the mountain terrain being called Seven Vultures Mountain is not lost). She stays, but is constantly reminding Tatum that he and her are just alike. He's fame-hungry and she's cynical but she knows money will help soothe her woes. Tatum doesn't seem to like her. Maybe he sees himself in her. Before you know it, the whole area is crawling with tourists and sight-seers, some of them hoping for a good outcome, most of them probably waiting for Leo's death. Tatum purposefully drags out the rescue effort in order to hook other newspapers into wanting parts of the story, all so Tatum can get a job with one of the big papers he was once fired from. He has everyone eating out of his hand as some sort of hero and he gets cheered every time he goes down into the cavern. And all the time, Leo is getting in worse shape. This is Noir with a capital "N" and it's as dark as they get, with only one outcome possible. But even after that outcome, there's another, even darker scene to finish the film.

The great Billy Wilder directed, co-wrote and co-produced this classic and like many of his films, he shows the self-interest and depths some people will go to for what they want. The cinematography by Charles Lang is excellent, most of it in the bright sunshine but still seeming as dark as the cave Leo is trapped in. Kirk Douglas plays it to the hilt, giving a great performance as the hustling, greedy Tatum, looking for that big scoop so he can make his way back to the big leagues. He starts to develop something of a conscience towards the end, but like any respectable noir, he's just too late. Jan Sterling's Lorraine is girl-next-door lovely in this, but hardshelled as can be, not caring one whit for her trapped husband whom she's long tried to leave. Robert Arthur is fine as the young cameraman who hero-worships Tatum until he finally admits the truth when Tatum presses him. And Richard Benedict's Leo is truly the only good person in the entire film, thinking only of his wife and his new "friend" Tatum. I remember my Dad telling me that the studio changed the title of the film to "The Big Carnival," but he thought it was because it was too dark of a title. But I read on IMDB that the studio did it without Billy Wilder's permission in order to try to make more money when the film did badly at first. Ace in the Hole is the better title but the alternate title isn't far from the truth because Tatum's handiwork literally turns the site into a carnival, complete with rides, music, and tourists. A great, great movie and a Film Noir must-see.

I've not seen this one, I have seen a few boxing noirs and that theme always lends itself well to a film noir and this has Kirk Douglas...I have to see it!

Oh yeah, one of the pillars of noir movies. Glad you liked it. Kirk Douglas is a powerhouse in this one...and this is the movie that made me a fan of Jan Stirling. Jan didn't always get such plum roles as she did in Ace in the Hole but she always made the most of her screen time in her films.

I've watched a couple of noirs that I need to write about. Guess now is a good time

A couple months ago I stumbled upon a noir from a director who I wasn't familiar with...Hugo Haas. Haas had an interesting career starting in the 1930s as a celebrated comic actor in his native Austria-Hungarian homeland. After the Nazis invasion which forced him to flee to the U.S. he started over from scratch. First doing radio, then bit parts in movies, finally making a string of b-noirs that were written, directed and starred himself. Hugo Haas often played a kindly gentleman taken in by a young blonde hussy. Even though his films were made on a limited budget they do have a certain style that was different than what most other noir film makers were doing at the time. I've seen three of his dozen noirs so far.
I've already reviewed here Pickup(1951) which to date is my favorite...

Those two Hugo Haas films sound really good. I'll put them on my Watch List. I've already got Pickup on the list. Thanks for the heads-up!

Side Street (1949)



Farley Granger stars as Joe Norson, a part-time postman struggling to make ends meet. He delivers to an attorney's office and sees a couple of packets of cash fall off the lawyer's desk. He helpfully goes to pick it up and a big lug of a guy sitting on the edge of the desk puts his feet on the cash, and tells Joe to "Leave it." Joe nods and backs out. We soon find out that the attorney, Victor Backett (Edmon Ryan) and his henchman, Georgie Garsell (James Craig) are involved in a blackmail scheme along with Lucille 'Lucky' Colner (Adele Jergens)--we'll soon see that her 'Lucky' moniker is sadly ironic. They're putting the heat on rich man Emil Lorrison (Paul Harvey), who was messing around with Lucky and some pictures were taken to blackmail him into giving up $30,000. In fact, near the very first of the film, we see him withdrawing that amount from the bank, much to the surprise of a questioning teller (Whit Bissell). Lorrison takes the money and despite trying to haggle over the price, gives the money over in exchange for the pics and takes off.

Meanwhile, Joe is at home (apartment) with his expectant wife, Ellen (the beautiful Cathy O'Donnell, once again playing a patient and understanding woman), and her parents. Joe is chafing at this situation, as his job is not permanent and his wife is due that week. So, tempted by the money he saw in the law office, he delivers the daily mail under the door and checking the door, sees it unlocked and a note saying that the lawyer will be back later. He takes the opportunity to snoop around and the only place the money can be is in a file cabinet, but it's locked. Frustrated, he walks out but stops at the stairs when he sees a fire axe left lying around carelessly. He takes it and busts into the cabinet and upon seeing part of the money during a peek, takes the whole satchel it's stowed in. He goes to a rooftop and finding privacy, looks in, and discovers the $30,000. He takes it out and leaves the stachel stowed away on the roof. Joe keeps about $250 on him and then heads to a local bar that he frequents on his mail rounds. He has the money wrapped up like a present and asks the barman if he'll keep it squirreled away for him for a few days until he can surprise his wife with that "gift." Can you guess this is a big mistake? When he feels guilty about it, he goes to the attorney's office and tells Backett that he took the money. Backett acts like he doesn't know what he's talking about, telling him he must have the wrong office. In fact, there's not even a filing cabinet! A frustrated Joe goes out, just as Garsell walks in. When Backett tells Garsell what Joe knows about, Garsell wants to go after him, but Backett stops him, telling him he could wind up in the electric chair. It seems that they've killed 'Lucky."

Joe knows nothing about this. He goes back to get the money but the bartender has suddenly "retired." Hmm. He tracks him which doesn't end good. He becomes a suspect in a murder. He has to tell his wife after she's had the baby. The police are after him. It ain't looking good for Joe, as every avenue keeps him running.

This is a fine little piece of noir, with Granger doing a good job as a desperate guy having to fight for himself with noboby to help him. He goes into a nightclub to talk to a slightly soused singer, Harriet Sinton (Jean Hagen), who may have info he needs. Hagen does a fine job as she drinks and slurs her voice more and more. O'Donnell is super sweet as always playing the ever-understanding wife, even after her husband mentions the word "murder." Craig is effectively gruff and violent as Garsell, the ex-con who wants that money and will go after, despite his boss telling him to cool it. Paul Kelly is fine as usual as Captain Walter Anderson, who is looking hard for Norson. Charles McGraw (The Narrow Margin) is excellent in his supporting role as Detective Stanley Simon, who, while helping the Captain track down leads, is one the phone a bit and we get to hear that terrific gravely voice of his. Whit Bissell is very good in the three scenes he has. The last one is with Granger, who puts some fear into Bissell. The only drawback to this movie for me is that Paul Kelly narrates a bit too much in the first third of the film, and at the very end. I suppose its apropos because of the fast finish at the end, Kelly wraps it up for us. I was going to knock it back half a popcorn bucket because of the narration while I was watching it but by the end I was feeling pretty generous because of the entertainment level, watching Granger trying to squirm out of one mess after another, so in the end, it gets: