Film Noir?

[Wally_Hood]

Does anyone remember News Noir, I think it was on HBO? A fake newscast as though it were delivered by characters from a film noir. Fedoras, suits, forties hairdos on the ladies, everyone lights up a coffin nail before they read the news. Or am I misremembering?

 

[Widebrim]

^^Wow! I don't get HBO, but I would love to see that, especially with everyone lighting up a cig...

 

[Blackthorn]

I have HBO but never heard of this. Hmmmmm.......

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Not familiar to me either.

 

[Wally_Hood]

Oooops, big mistake, allow me to clarify-

I forgot to say that the show was on many years ago, and was short-lived. It was part of some larger show. I said HBO because over the years that's the only channel I can remember watching when they give you a free sneak-peek to get you to subscribe.

Sorry for the confusion...

 

[Widebrim]

Johnny O'Clock, great flick. It's a "must see" along with "The Thin Man"

Well, thanks to Skyvue, I was finally able to see Johnny O'Clock, and wasn't disappointed. Powell's character is of course on the wrong side of the law, but he was debonair enough to have you rooting for him. Good supporting cast, including Lee J. Cobb, Thomas Gomez (billed as S. Thomas Gomez) beautiful Evelyn Keyes, and beautiful Ellen Drew. Powell's characterization was, for me, a cross between his roles in Cornered and Murder, My Sweet; some wise-cracking, but a certain level of seriousness, too. Of all the Powell Noirs/Crime films I've seen, this ties for second with Cry Danger (Murder, My Sweet is #1).

 

[Widebrim]

Also saw Born to Kill (RKO-Radio, 1947), with Lawrence Tierney and Claire Trevor. Boy, was he an amoral thug in the picture, and Trevor was close behind as the girl who falls for him and will do almost anything to keep him...until the end, when she wises up. Walter Slezak was pretty good, although I like him better in Cornered, and it was good to see Esther Howard in a role not too dissimilar from the lush she portrayed in Murder, My Sweet.

 

[BobinABQ]

Might know one not many have seen/heard of. It's called Mystery Street starring a young Ricardo Montalban and shows early CSI techniques. Quite good to.

 

[Stiv]

I love them all. So much in fact, my wife and I make a parody web series out of the old film noir movies (and some that aren't so film noir). Currently we're releasing our parody of Key Largo, check it out.

After an ill-advised slapping scene, never before attempted by a web series in this price range, Mr. Ogg declares, “this show has gone past good and back to bad again”. Thank you Mr. Ogg, I suppose this would be your “I told you so” moment.
http://movieparodynetwork.com/episodes/

 

[Widebrim]

Might know one not many have seen/heard of. It's called Mystery Street starring a young Ricardo Montalban and shows early CSI techniques. Quite good to.

Never hard of that one, but the IMDb-provided synopsis (the reamains of a pregnant prostitute are found on the beach, and Montalban's chararcter must find the real culprit before an innocent man is fried) sounds...interesting (and somewhat pushing the envelope with the censors of that time).

 

[Atomic Age]

Never hard of that one, but the IMDb-provided synopsis (the reamains of a pregnant prostitute are found on the beach, and Montalban's chararcter must find the real culprit before an innocent man is fried) sounds...interesting (and somewhat pushing the envelope with the censors of that time).

Mystery Street is an excellent film, and one of the earliest films for Director John Sturges ( The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Ice Station Zebra) and photographed by the amazing John Alton. It is included in Warner's Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 4.

That is a VERY good collection by the way with films like Crime Wave, Act of Violence, The Big Steal, They Live By Night, Side Street, Where Danger Lives, Tension, and the very strange Decoy. You can get it for about $40 on Amazon and I highly recommend it.

Doug

 

[Widebrim]

Mystery Street is an excellent film, and one of the earliest films for Director John Sturges ( The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Ice Station Zebra) and photographed by the amazing John Alton. It is included in Warner's Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 4.

That is a VERY good collection by the way with films like Crime Wave, Act of Violence, The Big Steal, They Live By Night, Side Street, Where Danger Lives, Tension, and the very strange Decoy. You can get it for about $40 on Amazon and I highly recommend it.

Doug

Thanks, Doug, for the info. I've seen They Live By Night and Side Street, and really would like to see Decoy. Sad that the femme fatale of the latter, Brit actress Jean Gillie, after making her American debut, only made one other film and then passed away in 1949.

 

[Feraud]

Might know one not many have seen/heard of. It's called Mystery Street starring a young Ricardo Montalban and shows early CSI techniques. Quite good to.

Yes this is a good film. It seems more crime drama than noir, no?

 

[martinsantos]

Never saw it, just heard about. Isn't from this movie a music theme that made a huge sucess in those days?

 

[Atomic Age]

Yes this is a good film. It seems more crime drama than noir, no?

Well most of it is told from the policeman's pov, but the actual plot with the girl being murdered, blackmail and a wrong man accused seem right out of noir to me.

Doug

 

[Unique Tales Of Intrigue]

Film-Noire

I have seen possibly under 4 dozen film-noires: from "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) to "The Big Heat" (1953); "Double Indemnity" (1944) to "The Big Combo" (1955); and "much more in between"!"""""""

As of now, I would say that my top three favorites are:
1. "The Big Sleep" (1946)
2. "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) & "The Third Man" (1949)
3. "Double Indemnity" (1944)

"The Maltese Falcon" is tied for second because of Humphrey Bogart starring in it, and a number of very good scenes; but overall, I think "The Big Sleep" is one of the most well-rounded and spectacular film-noires and films altogether that I can recall ever seeing.

There is a certain scene in "The Third Man" that almost gave me chills, I am sure someone who has seen the film also may know which scene I am referring to, but I do not want to give anything away to those who have yet to watch that picture.

In addition, "Double Indemnity" just has such good cinematography, perhaps the essential stereotype of a film-noire, which in my book is never a bad thing.

Although it did not make the cut, there was a moment in "Sunset Boulevard" that I was captured by the drama, almost drawn out of my seat; considering I was watching it in the middle of the afternoon, that is a rare occasion.

Another mention is "Out Of The Past" (1947), which was one of the first and perhaps most sought-after of the genre for me personally. "High Sierra" (1941) also has some very good lines in it.

In my opinion, one of the great things about mystery films is that unique feeling you get whenever the story finally clicks in your mind; you finally understand what is going on----the mystery is solved!

And to think, my interest in the genre was probably all started after I watched the film-noire bits on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

May the MIGHTY LORD GOD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST Bless these United States Of America!

Sincerely,

Daniel Benjamin Orris

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

Film Noir Blog-A-Thon

Just a quick note:

A Blog-A-Thon for the Film Noir Foundation has been going on all this week and contimues through the weekend. More info available at Noir of the Week.

 

[Widebrim]

As of now, I would say that my top three favorites are:
1. "The Big Sleep" (1946)
2. "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) & "The Third Man" (1949)
3. "Double Indemnity" (1944)

"The Maltese Falcon" is tied for second because of Humphrey Bogart starring in it, and a number of very good scenes; but overall, I think "The Big Sleep" is one of the most well-rounded and spectacular film-noires and films altogether that I can recall ever seeing.

In addition, "Double Indemnity" just has such good cinematography, perhaps the essential stereotype of a film-noire, which in my book is never a bad thing.

May the MIGHTY LORD GOD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST Bless these United States Of America!

Double Indemnity is considered by many to be the Film Noir (although others favor Detour); however, there are also those who criticize the fact that there seems to be no real passion between MacMurray's and Stanwyck's characters (which I myself have noted) and that this helps to make it more of a proto-Noir. I do disagree with the latter view, and consider DI to be one of the greatest of all Noirs (despite Stanwyck's blonde wig...). MacMurray was just right for the role of Walter Neff, and I think that it was good that Dick Powell (who is one of my favorites, and badly wanted the role) did not land the assignment.

The Maltese Falcon is fantastic, too, and Bogart is iconic. Lorre, Greenstreet, Cook, even Astor (who I don't find really physically attractive) were well-cast, and the plot keeps your interest the whole way through.

The Big Sleep is simply Classic, and I will contend that with anybody. The sometimes confusing, convoluted plot, is admittedly second to the happenings around it, particularly when Bogart and Bacall are on the screen. None-the-less, there are many memorable scenes and lines ("Want me to count to three, Eddie, like they do in the movies?"), including Bogie and Bacall's horse-racing euphemisms...Although there are no heavy-duty antagonists like in The Maltese Falcon, those actors who parade in and out of the script (Mars, Brody, Jones, Canino, Agnes, the book shop proprietress [Malone!]), are memorable in their own right. Even though I love Powell as Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet, and I think that his interpretation of Chandler's character is closer than any other actor, Bogart is Philip Marlowe to many, many fans.

And welcome to the Fedora Lounge, Unique!

 

[Effingham]

Although even Chandler himself was not sure who killed the chauffeur. Now *THAT* is what I'd call a convoluted plot.

My noir touch this week: My replica of the "dingus" from "Maltese Falcon" has arrived, and will have place of honor on the mantel when I finally move into the new house.

Tony

 

[Widebrim]

Although even Chandler himself was not sure who killed the chauffeur. Now *THAT* is what I'd call a convoluted plot.

Tony

True! lol