It was the last decade of summer. Heat outside was, as always, merciless to me. I could hide myself from it by installing fan on a ceiling under which I relocated my desk with a computer. I was intending to begin searching and watching of Noir movies. A genre as well as it’s an ambience. A hero or antihero who can be cynical and probably do voiceover narrating on his acts. He is alone in that dark unfriendly world in which likely can fall rain or snow but it can happen in daylight. Depressive atmosphere and personage can be broken and/or situate on low point. Be surrounded by people to whom can’t trust. I knew what I was looking for.
1940:
Stranger on the Third Floor
It wasn’t reasonable to begin on almost ending in which you see fate of main characters and it willn’t change. A script has chaotic and incorrect telling structure by giving many flashbacks and once a dream of lead character. It has piece of predictability and this written is underdeveloped itself. A protagonist saw a man whom accepted for a murderer and who will be find out that that man is the murderer. The last was played by imposing Peter Lorre who will have memorable Joel Cairo in The Maltese Falcon (1941). Unfortunately, he used his talent here for playing so initially evil person. Elisha Cook Jr., whose personage is mistakenly framed, is overact. Story goes and loses more efforts of elaboration in process. Directing will drop dead in the end, because Boris Ingster couldn’t make action. Confrontation in which a maniac can’t grab protagonist’s girlfriend and his bringing to accidental death of the murderer are poor theater staging.
1942:
This Gun for Hire
Narration inclined to give tension by forgetting about logic in a plot. Alan Ladd enters in a room in which two people of different sexes. Suddenly breaks out a suspicious sound, which is a teapot as it will reveal. Ladd’s personage takes out his pistol from a suitcase by which kills a man and wants to do same with a woman, but a gun is stuck. She runs in other room and closes a door. Ladd’s hero pulls trigger again, which works in this time with no understanding. A bullet goes through the door and slays the woman. He moves away. On stairway of that apartment house sits a girl with which a killer met before. She asks for a little ball lying in few steps. Narration in the next seconds will intrigue by will he slay girl or not, but Ladd will execute her request even though the ball was close and the girl was supposed to hear shots. I stayed for some minutes more on still watching on unchangeable approach in directing was depriving a point of sense in written story.
Keeper of the Flame
Misfire of Keeper of the Flame in far-fetching. It starts with eccentric behavior of taxi driver. He doesn’t want to take any of reporters. They walk away from that lonely taxi except Spencer Tracy’s main personage who decides to stay and wait. Soon the taxi driver gives a smiling glance by that meaning that he take the protagonist. Spencer Tracy tries to enter in mansion for make interview with widow of some famous man who died in car accident not long before. A conversation with one of inhabitants of place doesn’t bring to gate opening. He with help of one boy gets opportunity to sneak on territory. He walks into mansion and, of course, the widow will off guard by his presence. They will have a little conversation in which the widow played by Katharine Hepburn shows overdramatized and passive performance simultaneously. Then a journalist leaves a place without noise despite he entered illegally.
1943:
The Fallen Sparrow
HIGH ALERT! I dare to touch details of plot.
The Fallen Sparrow is multifaceted intricate noir with John Garfield playing imposing protagonist John “Kit” McKittrick. A man who fought in Spanish Civil War, which hadn’t good belligerent side, spent two years in prison after the end of conflict, escaped and he arrives in New York with knowing on passing of close person, whose death concluded as suicide in which a main character doesn’t believe and Kit makes own investigation from which will take out more exciting riddles and there will disclosure of more mystery. An elaborated and intriguing story in which a lot of personages and you don’t know what their behind is and you listen them attentionally. Entering and walking in club under Chopin’s composition for piano give impressive ambience. This place will have many flabbergasting scenes. Falling snow on the New York streets adds to everything happening. A protagonist himself is very unusual personality and he is incredible and likeable by that. He can pretend what he does for come to answers. Probably, background in his father made him talented for investigation.
1944:
Double Indemnity
From conception of killing husband for get insurance could make a wonderful story. It comes to derailment in beginning when Fred MacMurray’s Walter Neff arrives in office and tells his story. His wounded shoulder already says what happened. I knew that he killed her. His arrival becomes senseless when will reveal that he wants to escape from country. Why did he come in office? I don’t see a little point in that he has necessity to tell how actually happened to his colleague Barton Keyes in mesmerizing performance of Edward G. Robinson whom protagonist dislikes as he says once. Behavior of femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson played by Barbara Stanwyck isn’t chaotically illogic in the end. She confesses that never loved anybody and hugs with begging voice Neff’s neck then. Dietrichson could shoot in Neff again many times, because wide distance was between them. That line with gun can’t intrigue by knowing that insurance agent willn’t be killed. A murder plot of her husband isn’t credible. It seems that he was strangled, but even if Neff could break his neck this death made by person and dropping out from a train has a different look. A coroner would find out an actual cause. What is about black porter who supposed to see Neff’s face and don’t persuade me about shadow in that place? That’s venture with taking husband’s identity is useless if you’re walking among multiple potential witnesses. And I wouldn’t put fingerprints on crutches. Eventually, I couldn’t expect elaborated script from Raymond Chandler, a pulp fiction master with whom I was familiar by watching The Big Sleep (1946), which contains a characterizing low knowledge of topics and no savviness of such literature and there is no proper ending. Characters’ fate aren’t clear due to they stay in danger. I cut everything what had name “Raymond Chandler”.
1945:
Detour
As it usually can deal with B movie production, screenplay can confuse. A New York piano player wants to meet his girlfriend who moved to Hollywood. He supposed to have money for buy ticket on bus or plane and not do hitchhiking as film’s plot tells. I didn’t see in his characteristics that he is profligate with finances. That part required elaborating. The piano player in his journey gets ride from a man with good finances. Once a protagonist will take steer and when will rain start to fall, he tries, but couldn’t wake up a car’s owner – it willn’t explain why that personage looked unconscious. A lead character will stop and will try to rise up roof and then with no point he will open a door and the driver will fall on a ground and his head will meet rock. His live stance was in unknown and will stay. A main personage decides to be unsavvy. He relocates driver’s body away from route, take his money and drives away on his car. He could buy ticket on plane. You could fly internally of America with telling of fake name in these times. But plot still wouldn’t be by that. The piano player drives and stops on gas station in which he sees woman who hitchhikes. He offers ride to her. Later reveals that she knows true driver of the car. Unbelievable coincidence after he crossed so long distance by that I couldn’t watch movie further and listen far-fetched monologues in voiceover narration. Ann Savage who plays that woman isn’t credible in personage. Her playing goes with overacting. I was clicking and I watched it becomes a cheap theater play of two performers. This flick ends on she deliberately wraps telephone’s cord around own neck and shuts a door whereas the lead character who wants to cut her, as he assumes, call intention what cause to strangling of heroine – the piano player was supposed to feel that he doesn’t wrench the cord.
1946:
The Killers
I wasn’t familiar with original Hemingway’s short story whereas 1964 adaptation hasn’t misunderstanding, which I got for few minutes watching of this film. Two killers, whose faces clearly shined, come in dinner place and subdue all three people to execute said acts without removing out guns by speaking badly-written texts, which make them as two-bit killers. They inform on going to kill one person, which everybody knows. After that, killers leave place while not all of three witnesses are tied. One of visitors runs to warn a man who is going to be killed and he comes before assassins to tell that, but Burt Lancaster, who played that personage, doesn’t want to move away. This person from dinner could return back and tell what happened while that pair of assassins was still in movement. An owner of dinner or his cook could inform police for that time. It wasn’t possible to watch. In The Killers of 1964, these two hired people come to their target without be seen by potential witness and shoot him – it is not so difficult to elaborate staging of this part.
Gilda
I had disgust to that casino and lust, which arisen around Gilda whom performed astonishing and mesmerizing Rita Hayworth. I was captivated by playing guitar and singing of startling Put the Blame on Mame though it is voice of Anita Kert Ellis, but magic presented. However, a plot at whole has nothing significant to tell. Glenn Ford’s Johnny irritates with no reason on Gilda and it’s story has pointless things in minor early on it. Later that becomes a cheap romance, which isn’t different to cheap books with two lovers on soft cover. After checking of more than thirty flicks I can say, if I would take bourbon shot every time for seeing inception of love between characters in my searching and watching of Noir I would already got cirrhosis. I dropped with Gilda by reading and then clicking. Delirious was after delirious. Gilda’s husband Ballin Mundson makes fake suicide after seeing kissing between Ford and Hayworth, he disappears for long, the last two marries when will disclose that Johnny did it for punish her. Ballin suddenly returns and wants to kill them all. His death will negligent by putting his cane with blade on bar table and taking out revolver. His attention on Johnny and Gilda, a worker outside who takes the cane and impales Ballin. That way of die describes screenplay. Rita Hayworth’s Gilda shows promiscuous behavior (though she doesn’t cheat what was obvious before a police detective said who was undercover in casino, but I understood this also instantly.), and sassy talks throughout film and she becomes absolutely polite, sweet and doesn’t wear evocative dress in absolute movie’s end, a change happened with no origin. It was snap of fingers after hypnosis. Shortly before that she in her demonstrated manners and look does again singing of Put the Blame on Mame, which isn’t effective at a second time, and Hayworth tries to dance what she can’t do that – nobody didn’t think to hire a choreographer. She moves as housewife who alone at home, listens music and do movements with no dance education. She sloppily takes off her long glove. Startling beauty of Rita Hayworth didn’t help her motions, which couldn’t charm.
1947:
The Unsuspected
Film began on that murderer kills secretary who has phone conversation. A woman screams while a female on other end doesn’t react on what she hears and she doesn’t recall after the murderer put the phone on base. The murderer makes his act looks as suicide by hanging the secretary. That was the end of watching for me. Months ago, when I was looking for horror, I saw two grandiose Noir whose main character is a maniac. House of Horrors (1946) and The Brute Man (1946) with divine Rondo Hatton whose damnation with face was gift for performance, but, regretfully, in that time hadn’t cure for acromegaly yet, an actor was young. These two Noir flicks have strong and deep stories on a person whom society despise, because his look and by that it turned him to kill people.
Desperate
Anthony Mann amazed me in directing in what I saw in Desperate. That didn’t cross with film’s screenplay has logical holes. Steve Randall played by Steve Brodie framed by gangsters in stealing truck and killing policeman by simply that his driver’s license’s number was said through phone. This circumstance forces protagonist to escape from criminals and law enforcement, but he could clear himself as it would be in reality if he would come to cops, it wouldn’t as it was with those policemen who don’t believe to him. A script was lazily elaborated. A main personage sits in truck with gangster who points a gun, but Steve finds right moment and neutralizes bandit, but then he doesn’t take gun away and doesn’t check on that hostile can come in conscience as it will happen.
Dark Passage
I wasn’t long with this movie too. Humphrey Bogart’s personage escapes from jail. He hides in bushes from police who can’t find him while Lauren Bacall’s heroine does, but she wants to help him, because her father was innocent too. What a luck! Bogart takes a back sit and covers himself in plead. A policeman doesn’t pick it up for checking, only shoves his hand what isn’t understandable. Then Bogart does a thing, which wouldn’t be savvy in reality. He takes taxi. However, he always under universal luck. A driver recognizes him, but says that he willn’t hand him to police – he wants to help him and ride him to plastic surgery doctor. I couldn’t watch it more.
Ride the Pink Horse
I almost finished watching of this, as I will reveal, a simple story on reckless protagonist who could revenge for his friend before by sending his evidence in small paper to law service what he will do in the end by giving it to FBI agent, but lead character’s goal is chaotic. He wants to get money from man who was responded for death of his friend by blackmailing with this evidence, which we never get to know how he got it. This story was senseless. A scriptwriter of Ride the Pink Horse Ben Hecht made an alarm name for me in these two fever weeks of searching of Noir. That man had uncredited involvement in Gilda. His presence even in that status brought devastation of wave of nuclear bomb.
I Walk Alone
Fall was outside. It was feeling, but fan still was revolving over me. I checked dozens films. My searching of Noir made me to sense that I was on a way to come in madness by seeing many sloppy scripts. I decided to read story describing for evade myself from revelation of sad reality some dozen minutes later. I Walk Alone had sleazeball Kirk Douglas and unpleasant protagonist Burt Lancaster. That pair could make a beautiful story on a man who served jail term and returned for get his part of business. It was one more mess. Both characters act without goal though they supposed to have. Lancaster doesn’t properly require his part of deal, Douglas can’t understand what Lancaster wants. Later, Lancaster gathers men for get what belongs to him what will move to illogical twist in that his people work on Douglas – I didn’t see, but it’s logical if he has no influence in gang or it’s illogical if he paid what likely wasn’t. This film, as usual, has a love element, which was indelible damnation for me. That was a typical Noir did a copy-paste things as it was reuniting of lovers in the end. I couldn’t stand this element from posters, which dominantly contained image of hugging man and woman in these times.
1948:
Raw Deal
Anthony Mann was excellent in staging of fight with two people, an incredible voiceover narrating approach, spectacular shots of cameraman. Raw Deal’s script was wonderful until romance took familiar cheapness. Escaped convict Joe Sullivan rides with two women Pat and Ann and he loves the second. A gangster keeps his favorite lady while he easily comes to down in wish to save Ann and moves to ship with Pam on whom he suddenly proposes marriage though he doesn’t love her before that. Pam has information about Ann and she decides to confesses in Ann kidnapping. Conclusion will say poor about Mann’s talent of action staging. A final shootout is misunderstanding and no imagination. Sullivan drops a cap of trash bin aside of one gangster who shoots in it. Then the last gets bullet though a bandit doesn’t change stance and he wasn’t under cover. Then will a scene in which one criminal will think that it’s Joe, but he will kill other gangster.
Rogues’ Regiment
There were movies, which frustrated me in having breakthrough ideas and conceptions as the biggest regret was to Rogues’ Regiment. I just thinking about what a magnificent story could be on US agent who under legend of serving in French Foreign Legion was sent on mission in Indochina, an unfriendly place, which, moreover, in stance of war, for disclosure and catch of escaping Nazi. I wished to like this movie, because it has many beautiful moments as Dick Powell’s hero walks in bar occupied by soldiers and he sees alluring singing performance of Marta Toren’s personage. It willn’t standard building of relationship. And I wished them here. I will see a lot what was stereotypical for such flicks in this time that a lead female personage singing in bar, but that one place had wonderful characteristics in audience and singer’s performance wasn’t only in staying on stage. I wished to love Rogues’ Regiment. But I couldn’t. An agent arrives in Indochina and he sits in one wagon with a gun smuggler played by incredible Vincent Price whose tender voice mesmerizes and a person who will Nazi whom lead personage looks for and with whom he will cross in ways in aforementioned bar as well as the agent will have deal with the gun smuggler. This Nazi was discreet before war by that he asked never make pictures of him. However, it’s ridiculous by that this man is a top Nazi whose position was after Hitler and Himmler what is impossible about photos and his look describing could get from interrogations of other people, because he couldn’t but seen many persons and such man wasn’t a private. Robert Buckner who produced and he is screenplay’s author was supposed to write a credible variant here as it could be a plastic surgery, but he didn’t think about that. Vincent Price’s gun smuggler when sees Nazi at first time says that he saw him before, but can’t remember. It similar to meet Elvis and years later see him again and say “I’m thinking, we met before”. You can’t lose in memory meaningful personalities. Price dramatically will recall him in the end and would wish to kill him. But what is point for a man who sells arms?
1949:
Champion
I couldn’t complete with this one due to surrealism, which, I’m sure, wasn’t in intentions of authors. Father isn’t happy of love relationship of his daughter with Kirk Douglas and he goes on shotgun wedding. Characters could try to escape, because they couldn’t be always under pointed gun and report to police. However, father stops to care after marriage. It was strictly far-fetched drama and too much love stuff with inclusion of usual triangle. Douglas, who becomes a boxer, beats opponent in one round. He meets with him on ring again and does knockdown in the first round, the opponent wakes up and the last will come to beating of main personage where is impossible to find understanding in why Douglas can’t protect himself.
White Heat
This movie looked smart, but it seemed. Band of criminals stops a train for rob it situating safe there. They act without wearing masks. But their leader in acting of James Cagney cares on identity only when one of bandits calls him by his name in front of two train drivers. Cagney becomes unhappily by that and says about disclosure of his address. Eventually, two train drivers will be shot though it wasn’t planned and workers could tell to police how gangsters look as it would be in reality. Criminals don’t go on escape with three million dollars. Their leader with no point decides to confess in lesser crime, which will put him in jail for one to three years. Cagney’s character demonstrated as notorious gangster who supposed to have a crime record, which would put him for long imprisonment. Even there was no proof for anything done before – he would be seriously jailed for occurred after train robbery shot and wound cop and escape from arrest.
1950:
Where the Sidewalk Ends
I would pass by seeing Ben Hecht in scriptwriting. I didn’t do that due to adoring to Dana Andrews who of my favorite actors of Golden Age and he does reunion with charming Gene Tiernie and director Otto Preminger with both of whom they made masterpiece detective Laura (1944) had elements of Noir, but wasn’t it at whole. However, script decides if not director or actor aren’t wishful or talented to improve written. It was one more regret of Noir, which could be wonderful. Main hero’s police detective with harsh methods, which brings him to lowering in rank is place for incredible character. Romance with Gene Tierney’s heroine is that thing, which I didn’t resist and I wanted to see in Where the Sidewalk Ends. Additionally, it adds to lead personage’s personality. Nevertheless, in this story detective accidentally kills suspect and hides his body in closet. He returns in this apartment with colleague who checks every place and luckily ask his partner to look the last one, which is that closet – that scene could play more realistically as Andrews’ hero opens door in that premise by own initiative and says that it’s empty. A concierge lady would recognize protagonist who couldn’t have resemblance of slayed gangster. She couldn’t say that searching person was a man who took taxi. That cab driver who could say truth, he wasn’t interrogated.
1953:
Crime Wave
Crane Wilbur wrote masterpiece screenplays I Was a Communist for F.B.I. Director Andre de Toth staged incredible Man on a String. They together was involvement in what will become classic House of Wax, which was released in 1953. Later of that year, their second collaboration brought Crime Wave. Andre de Toth wasn’t agree with Warner Brothers with choices in Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner and studio gave up what brought to ideal, because, as I saw in other director’s made films, he knew whom put on roles. Humphrey Bogart would be trivial for detective Sims. Sterling Hayden made an imposing personage, an unpleasant hardboiled detective who doesn’t believe in rehabilitation of criminal and behaves harsh in interrogations. But sympathy to him will come. I never was magnetized by a man with toothpick in teeth as it did Hayden. That thing has a grandiose line and twists. Crime Wave is memorable by Charles Bronson (who was still Charles Buchinsky) by his villain personage from whom can believe that he is a death danger. Before that Bronson had impressive silent role of Igor in House of Wax. Innovative staging of Andre de Toth as scene with watches and play with light in the last fist fight. This flick had few title before and, in my opinion, The City is Dark is great combination of words though it’s hyping screenplay, which evades these multiple mistakes I watched in dozens movies when I was searching Noir.
1954:
Highway Dragnet
I wished to get another excitement from Noir after Crime Wave. Highway Dragnet is significant by that it was first Roger Corman’s producer’s credit. And it also was his first screenplay. It was interesting to see on what was in beginning of legend who made New Hollywood. Richard Conte meets a girl in bar with whom he will have word confrontation, but they will come to peace in which they kiss in front of multiple witnesses who could give alibi. However, he was arrested for what people remember in the first part. Conte’s escape was made without getting smart. Two policemen hold lead personage’s hands while protagonist uses legs for neutralizing of third officer. Then in the next scene, he and two cops stay are already opposite to each other with no explanation how he realized himself.
1955:
Finger Man
That was a third flick with potential and it has one more imposing Golden Age performer in Frank Lovejoy. Script required in one more editing. Three-time prisoner robs a truck without mask and leaves a cigarette pack on a ground. Police arrest on these two evidences of criminal who supposed to evade at least first mistake. Law enforcers offer him freedom for undercover operation. Frank Lovejoy’s main hero disagrees and leaves police department while he was supposed to be charged if he didn’t wish to cooperate.
1956:
Hell on Frisco Bay
I never could perceive an organized crime, who keep in fear many people, in staff of few people as that in Hell of Frisco Bay has in four people. Their boss even fires one of them for murder and offers this job to a main personage who wants revenge for his set up, which put him in jail.
1957:
Hidden Fear
Denmark added to Noir atmosphere. It corroborated that arrived on country American policeman Mike Brent in acting of John Payne must nobody trust. A script has wonderful point that protagonist wants to know truth about murder in which was accused his sister with whom he hasn’t good relationship. Hidden Fear had an exciting story, but it became misunderstanding. Andre de Toth who directed, also was involved in scriptwriting and he should have spent a little bit more time. I didn’t get information on how Brent lost his gun, which was stolen from him and used for set up – and it was impossible, because the American policeman likely carried it. He will be neutralized by criminals from whom he will escape in scene where behavior of one villain has no motifs. Why he moved forward what created opportunity for main hero? Brent can lose them in a big house, which isn’t so large. These three armed men will look for him and willn’t come to thinking about garage checking where main film’s hero freely with a big time, as metal sawing, will make a hand-made explosion. Brent knows that criminals will cease with his searching and will drive away on the car. And two of them will do that. Thinking and analyzing plot after that, I concluded that misfires of Hidden Fear are forgettable. I would watch it again if I would see this movie on TCM.