http://www.backalleynoir.com/ Modern film noir and noir on TV. en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:50:37 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.backalleynoir.com/images/BittenFruit_fluid/misc/rss.png http://www.backalleynoir.com/ http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5221-Noir-Tv-quot-A-Handful-of-Money-quot-–-1964-Murder-with-an-Aussie-Twist&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:08:06 GMT HOMICIDE – "A Handful of Money" – 1964 This is episode two of the long running Australian Police drama, Homicide.

The elderly owners of a small corner store have been brutally murdered. Judith Arthy, a lodger of the murdered couple is found locked in a shed behind the store. She is taken to the station for an interview. Homicide detectives, Lex Mitchell and Terry McDermott ask Arthy what she remembers. "Nothing, someone bashed me on the head and I woke up in the shed." McDermott asks if she knew of any enemies the store owners might have had. She mentions that her ex- boyfriend, Eric Coladetti did not like the couple. He was convinced that the couple kept large amounts of cash hidden in the place.

McDermott and Mitchell pay a visit to Coladetti's flat. They find the man in a drunken stupor. They also find a large amount of cash on the man. He is tossed in the car and taking to the station. There, some heavy duty third degree is applied by the detectives. Coladetti denies killing the couple and that the cash is his.

A canvas of the area soon has a witness, Vic Haggith, who says he saw Coladetti leaving the back of the store that night. Coladetti is brought up on murder charges and arrested.

At the trial, the prosecution hammers away at Coladetti that he killed the couple for their cash. The man denies all and pleads his innocence. The testimony of Haggith is however the final nail in his coffin.

Detective McDermott, however, is starting to have doubts about Coladetti's guilt. Witness Haggith has been flashing around more cash than he should have. Same thing applies to Arthy. A visit to Haggith's wife confirms his suspicions. The flat is full of new furniture.

McDermott goes to see his boss, Inspector John Fegan with his suspicions. Fegan tells him that the matter is closed. It seems Coladetti has decided to confess to the murders. McDermott pays the man a call in his cell. "I must of done it! You all tell me I did! Even if I don't remember since I was drunk." Says Coldetti.

McDermott's gut tells him that Haggith is the real murderer. He asks fellow detective, Mitchell to join him in a sting. They collect Arthy for another talk. They tell her they know she was in on the deal with Haggith. The woman folds and agrees to take them to where they hid the cash.

McDermott takes a car and parks outside Haggith's flat. Mitchell takes another car and drives to where the cash is hidden. They stop on the way to purchase some petrol. Mitchell makes a deal of going into the station to buy some smokes. Left alone in the car, Arthy bolts down the street to the nearest pay phone. She calls Haggith and tells him to move the cash.

Watching Arthy the whole time has been Mitchell from inside the petrol station. He quickly collars Arthy again once she finishes her phone call. Needless to say, McDermott follows Haggith when he comes flying out of his flat. He leads the detective right to the cash. After a short round of flying fists, McDermott relives him of the cash and cuffs him. Now they have both crooks and the cash.

The innocent Coladetti is released while Haggith and Arthy take his place in the cells. McDermott tells Coladetti he should lay off the booze for awhile. His drunken state had made him the perfect patsy for a frame. ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5221-Noir-Tv-quot-A-Handful-of-Money-quot-–-1964-Murder-with-an-Aussie-Twist http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5213-Banshee-(2013)&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:28:44 GMT Banshee is a fun pulp ride that premiered on Cinemax back in January 2013. It about an ex-con and masterthief who assumes the identity of sherriff of... Banshee is a fun pulp ride that premiered on Cinemax back in January 2013. It about an ex-con and masterthief who assumes the identity of sherriff of a small town called Banshee. While on the run from a Ukranian mobster Rabbit who he stole diamonds from 15 yrs prior and also trying to win back a married past love who also resides in banshee.

Trailer:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plpp&v=lE5CMog-Opk


Full First.episode:
]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV George Otwori http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5213-Banshee-(2013) http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5184-Noir-Tv-HONG-KONG-–-quot-Blind-Bargain-quot-–-1960&goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:47:06 GMT HONG KONG – "Blind Bargain" – 1960

(Contains Spoilers)

This is the pilot episode for the 1960-61 series, HONG KONG. Rod Taylor plays an American news reporter stationed in Hong Kong. This episode runs for 30 minutes. The actual series was expanded to an hour and had some personal changes.

Newsman Taylor walks into the Hong Kong Police Headquarters building to see his chum, Police Inspector, Alex Davion. The two have a daily ritual they go through. That is to check all the names of newly arrived airline passengers. Davion, hoping he can catch a crook or two, and Taylor for a story.

One of new arrivals is a newswoman that Taylor has known for years. The woman, Joanne Moore, has a reputation for bending the rules. She will do anything for a story, even stooping to buying one.

Taylor figures she is here to investigate the disappearance of another reporter, Jack Jobson. Jobson has been grabbed up by the Red Chinese when he strayed too close to the border. Taylor tells Davion that they should both keep a close eye on Moore. "She'll get herself in a mess for sure." Needless to say that Taylor's prediction is right on the mark. Moore sticks her nose into Hong Kong's smuggling underworld. She is looking for any possible leads on the missing man. The smugglers are not amused with Moore. They make a tidy living smuggling contraband into Red China.

The Reds arrange for Moore to be abducted and transported by junk to the mainland. Because Taylor has been right on Moore's tail, the Reds also bag Taylor. A blackjack to the back of his head ends any resistance ideas. They are both tossed on the boat for the trip to the mainland. The Reds are more than happy with having Taylor. He has written a few too many negative articles on them. It will now be time for some payback.

Inspector Davion knows something is amiss when Taylor fails to show for a meeting. He quickly sends out officers to check the docks etc. He discovers that indeed, foul play is afoot. He grabs 5-6 constables and boards a Police patrol boat. No horses are spared as they roar after the junk. They need to catch the vessel before it makes Red Chinese waters.

Once they catch up to the junk, Davion fires a few shots over the ship's bow. What he gets in return is a barrage of bullets. Davion returns fire and disables the Chinese vessel.

During all this, Taylor has managed to get the drop on the man guarding Moore and himself. A couple of solid rights and an overhand left settle the issue. Taylor grabs Moore and they both dive out the window and start swimming. There is a nearby island that is still in Hong Kong waters.

The Reds needless to say give chase. The Chinese commander, Allen Jung, dives in followed by the crew, all armed with pistols etc. Taylor and Moore reach the island first. They fade into the brush to hide. The now thoroughly annoyed, Reds, also make it to the island. They are in the mood for killing. And killing they get, except it is the Reds, who eat dirt. Davion and his boys have landed and quickly tear into the Reds.

The next day, Taylor and Davion see Miss Moore to the airport. She has been booted out of Hong Kong.

A very entertaining, fast paced episode of an under-rated series.

The rest of the cast includes, Maris Wrixon, Judy Dan, Daria Massey, Beal Wong and Victor Sen Yung. The latter is best known as the cook, Hop Sing on the long running western series, BONANZA.

The director is Christian Nyby. Nyby, an Oscar nominated (Red River) film editor, turned to directing in the 50's. He worked on many television series between 1953 and 1975. He also directed the feature film, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD.

The d of p was three time Oscar nominated, Ted McCord. McCord's work is well known to fans of film noir. These include, FLAMINGO ROAD, SMART GIRLS DON'T TALK, THE DAMNED DON'T CRY, THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS, I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES and THE BREAKING POINT. ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5184-Noir-Tv-HONG-KONG-–-quot-Blind-Bargain-quot-–-1960 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5183-Gillian-Anderson-The-Fall-And-The-Rise-Of-Subversive-Genre-Fare-Huffington-Post&goto=newpost Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:48:07 GMT There's a lot of blather these days about The Future of Television, especially as the content that used to arrive via a bulky, stationary object in the living room continues to experiment with an array of new delivery systems. Right now, there's so much flux and uncertainty -- some of it nerve-wracking -- that it's hard to resist shaping various developments into a What It All Means narrative.*
Is the future going to be dominated by high-profile players muscling into the new-media game (i.e., David Fincher's expensive "House of Cards" and Netflix's other great hope, the "Arrested Development" revival)? Is the Next Big Thing going to come from a hardy web-content pioneer, or will it be the offspring of Big Data (i.e., Google, Amazon, Hulu, etc.)? Will the broadcast networks be able to stay in the game? Will the fancier cable networks chase "The Walking Dead's" mainstream success, or will the future lie in serving rabid niche audiences -- something that "Sons of Anarchy," "Parks and Recreation" and "Game of Thrones" do equally well?*
I don't know, but to quote "Mad Men's" Roger Sterling, "Who cares?"*
As far as I'm concerned, the future is already here. As television transitions away from its justly celebrated Golden Age, I look around and see that we've quietly entered an exciting new era of what I've come to call "B-Movie TV." A frisky batch of quietly subversive dramas has begun to dominate my DVR and streaming devices. These shows often originate abroad, quite a few of them feature complex female protagonists, and they smartly use the tropes of horror, mystery, soap operas, science fiction and thrillers to sketch diverting narratives on the cheap.*
While the dinosaurs of the media industry blunder about and occasionally show signs of evolving, I think of shows like "Continuum," "The Fall," "The Bletchley Circle," "Call the Midwife," "Hunted," "Top of the Lake," my beloved "Orphan Black," "Rectify" and "Banshee" as the little creatures skittering around in the bushes and surviving on their wits. These shows don't get much hype and they don't have the budgets of Serious Dramas on bigger networks, but despite their adherence to certain genre conventions, they boast some of freshest ideas on the TV scene.
One show in the vanguard of this trend, "Enlightened," has already had the life stomped out of it (sob), and I'd put "American Horror Story: Asylum" in this category, too, but it doesn't exactly need help in the hype department. But I very much hope this array of weirdos and their kin yield more goodness (and even greatness) as we transition into whatever's next.*
Perhaps the most refreshing thing about these shows is their lack of pretension; a small budget does tend to decimate the snootiness factor. The generally low-budget shows like the ones mentioned here have smart ideas, aesthetic bravery and propulsive energy, but, as is the case with the best B-movies, the first order of business is to entertain. If viewers happen to pick up on the provocative questions these dramas are asking about gender, identity and connection, and if people notice how skillfully they experiment with form, that's great -- but it's entirely possible just to enjoy these shows for their crafty (or soapy) twists and turns. *
You can't get more conventional than a cop drama, right? But there's still life in the old corpse yet, as a number of new crime dramas have proved. "The Fall," a recent Netflix addition starring Gillian Anderson, has the former "X-Files" star playing Stella Gibson, a senior London cop who arrives in Belfast to help with a stalled murder investigation. Like "Rectify," "The Fall" takes its time and allows its moody atmosphere to develop at an unrushed pace.
Speaking of that Sundance Channel show, "Rectify's" first season was six hours long, "The Fall" is five hours and "Top of the Lake" was a seven-parter. It's clear by now that, in the right hands, the miniseries or short-season format can greatly increase a show's agility, not to mention its chances of getting made. I'm not sorry "House of Cards" exists -- good character actors have to pay the bills -- but things that cost less than a tenth of the "HoC" budget can snag top-flight talent and can afford to be less reverent toward the unspoken rules of Quality TV.*
"The Fall" is as beautifully shot as anything on HBO or AMC, and it's not giving anything away to say that you know a lot about the person Stella Gibson is hunting early on. If American TV ever remade this show, that twist would almost certainly be turned into a gimmick, but as with character-driven crime narratives like "Rectify," "Prime Suspect" and "Luther," the point of the story is to examine the nature of obsession from both sides of the criminal divide. The highest compliment I can pay "The Fall" is to say it reminds me of the terrific novels of Tana French, Laura Lippman and Denise Mina, which use crime and violence as a framework to examine assumptions about class, sanity and social hierarchies. Each part of "The Fall" made me more eager to watch the next, and if its first season doesn't quite stick the landing (maybe the five episodes should have been six), I'm eager to see where Anderson's coolly determined detective travels next year.*
"Continuum" isn't quite in the league of "The Fall," which employs two "Game of Thrones" actors and uses the history and landscape of Belfast to excellent effect. "Continuum" is shot in Vancouver, and, while I cast no aspersions on that fine city and its hard-working creative personnel, it looks ... well, Vancouver-y. Anyone who's seen any genre TV in the last decade will know exactly what I mean.
The show's reasonably decent Season 2 premiere, which aired June 7, may not have been "Continuum's" finest hour, but that's understandable, given that it had to refresh the audience on what happened last season and where things currently stand. But it's worth catching up with Season 1, which depicted future police officer Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) thrown back to the present day along with a clutch of terrorists who'd rebelled against the corporate interests that control life in 2077.*
Though the terrorists certainly aren't depicted as good guys, there's a hardy critique of capitalism to be found scattered through "Continuum," which is why I can't imagine a U.S. network making this show without gutting the subversive aspect of it (Syfy imports the show from Canada). Over the course of the first season, Kiera's complacent beliefs about how society worked in 2077 were shaken, but much of the season revolved around a more personal quest: She left a son and husband back in her time, and her loneliness was quietly affecting.*
In the present day, Kiera has to rely on a new police partner and a young tech genius named Alec (Erik Knudsen) to navigate the strange world in which she finds herself. The bond between Alec and Kiera is the heart of the show, thanks to the chemistry between Knudsen and Nichols, but it's surprising that it works, given that they were apart for most of Season 1 and their interactions often took place over an audio headset. Alec is usually a voice from the sky helping Kiera get information and deal with tech issues, which include her special future-cop suit, which allows her (when it's working) to take on the powers of a superhero. That suit is seriously badass.*
There are clunky elements -- Kiera's 2013 partner is bland and has little presence, and Alec's annoying half-brother mostly glares at people and mumbles snide, half-baked comments about The Man. But the show has a brisk, no-nonsense pace, good action scenes and a determined lady kicking the butts of bad people. Those are all things that most right-thinking Americans should be able to get behind.*
Amid all the shoot-outs and plots to alter the future, "Continuum" never forgets that what drives Kiera is a personal bond -- she's desperate to get back to her son. It's that desire for connection that links everything from the loopy, brutal neo-noir "Banshee" to "The Fall" to the prim but intelligent "Bletchley Circle." All these shows, and those mentioned above, depict characters who desire deep connections to both the passions that drive them and to other people. And though I'm loath to make grand statements -- good stories are slippery and can support many overlapping readings -- that desire for true intimacy and community may be the quality that differentiates these kinds of dramas from the titans of TV's Golden Age. *
Shows like "Mad Men," "The Sopranos," "Breaking Bad" and "The Shield" often depict men trying to control their lives and the people around them. Domination, power struggles and fear, driven by a changing definition of masculinity, often motivate Golden Age protagonists. These stories, for the most part, aren't about building a world or nurturing relationships, they are about isolated protagonists who find it hard to trust others. These men navigate the world with their guards up, so it's difficult for them to establish true intimacy. Female characters on Golden Age shows have often stood on the sidelines, serving as the (occasionally interesting) backdrops against which these anti-heroic struggles have taken place.* *
In an essay posted earlier this year, Ryan McGee posited that "open-hearted earnestness" was the quality that defined the dawning Silver Age of television. "These shows don't pretend like problems don't exist, but refuse to show characters cowering in the face of them," he wrote.
The B-movie shows I've listed here are often more sly than earnest, but McGee's point remains valid, and the canny use of genre formats allows these low-budget shows to explore this thematic evolution with a surprising degree of freedom.*
In a thriller about identity like "Orphan Black," or in an evocation of a mostly female community like the soap "Call the Midwife," characters are allowed to heedlessly shed roles and rules that don't help them gain mastery over their lives. When the stakes are high -- as they often are in melodramas, film noir homages and sci-fi adventures -- characters can break the kinds of rules that limit more realistic fare. The results can be glorious -- or gloriously goofy (see the suburban potluck party that took place midway through "Orphan Black's" delirious first season).*Three different shows ("Justified," "Continuum" and "Banshee") in the last year depicted law enforcement characters who pretended to be somebody else in pursuit of (mostly) noble goals, rather than selfish ones. These characters, like the clones of "Orphan Black," are determined to find a place in the world, not control a barricaded refuge from it.
The lead in "Banshee" is a little anti-heroic, but that's mostly on the surface: He is driven by a desire to get his ex back more than by a need to best the baddest bad guy in town. "Rectify" is all about one man's desire to revive the tenderness that has been brutalized out of him by a long, lonely imprisonment. "Enlightened" used an evocative but cannily unfurled mystery to tease out over the course of a season ideas about whether the safety of conformity is really a form of useless sacrifice. "The Fall" is all about a desire to connect emotionally, as well as physically, and it examines how both Stella and her prey make mistakes in their efforts to form bonds with others.*Narcissism in all its forms is certainly an interesting topic, but I can't say I mind that TV's most thoughtful writers are turning toward other topics, and their characters display an altruism and aspiration that is downright refreshing.
What's most amazing, given commercial television's studied avoidance of the topic, is how often these shows simply examine what it's like to be a woman and take on topics like misogyny, sexism and the frustrations of the limited roles that both genders are often expected to occupy. "The Bletchley Circle" was about how the patronizing behavior of the male law enforcement establishment allowed crimes against women to continue, a theme that "Top of the Lake" and "The Fall" also explore with aesthetic and intellectual rigor (the good parts of the U.S. version of "The Killing" have touched on this, as well). "Call the Midwife" and "Top of the Lake" -- and it's worth saying again, both of them originated abroad -- spend time in female-led communities in which men are merely tolerated. There's no sense that these communities are better, necessarily, just as female-driven shows aren't necessarily better than male-centered ones. What's refreshing about this wave is that that the bracing curiosity about gender roles and relationships that drives both "Girls" and "Louie" has found its way into so many other TV genres. *
"The Fall" both recalls classic female protagonists (Jane Tennison of "Prime Suspect" and Dana Scully of "The X-Files," to name just a couple) and carries the ball forward in compelling ways. Other characters are constantly watching Stella Gibson to see what her emotional state is and to discern whether she cares enough -- whatever "enough" is.
Far from seeking anyone's approval, Stella is remote and chilly much of the time to those around her, and she clearly doesn't care what they think of her professional choices. Stella doesn't apologize or explain herself, and she's also unapologetic about her sex life, all of which makes me wonder how she's gotten so far without being vilified by those frustrated by her dogged independence. As we saw with Tennison, intelligence and an ability to get results often don't protect outsiders (which is one of "Game of Thrones'" most frequent themes).* *
Stella's mindful, however, of how the media and often the public sort crime victims into "virgins and vamps" -- those who deserve pity and those who deserve scorn. She has to make sure she dresses a certain way for press conferences. And she's well aware of the kinds of things that drive the killer: A desire for connection can be channeled into something dark and dreadful -- the kind of domination that results in dead women.*
Many of these dramas wander into dark and disturbing territory. But it's highly encouraging that these programs, all of which I recommend for different reasons, find fascinating ideas to explore once they get there.*
"Continuum" airs 10 p.m. Fridays on Syfy. "The Fall" is available on Netflix.*
Critic Alan Sepinwall and I discussed "B-Movie TV" briefly in a recent Talking TV podcast, which is available here, on iTunes and below.

Follow Maureen Ryan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/moryan



More... ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV Film Noir Press - Noir news from the internet http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5183-Gillian-Anderson-The-Fall-And-The-Rise-Of-Subversive-Genre-Fare-Huffington-Post http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5146-Noir-Tv-PETER-GUNN-–-quot-February-Girl-quot-1959&goto=newpost Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:41:16 GMT PETER GUNN – "February Girl" - 1959

Private Detective Peter Gunn (Craig Stevens) stops by "Mother's Jazz Club" to see his girl, Lola Albright. She tells Stevens that a friend of hers, Fintan Meyler, is in trouble and needs his help.

Miss Meyler, a calendar model, believes that someone just tried to run her down. Stevens asks about enemies and the like she might have. Stevens can tell she is holding something back. "Spill, or I won't help you." Meyler breaks down and tells Stevens that she had witnessed a killing. She was at the apartment of her photographer, Tony Russo, when someone stepped out of the shadows and shot Russo.

"Did you tell the Police about this?" Stevens asks. "No. I did not have my glasses on and could not identify the gunman, so I ran. But he must have followed me home. The car tried to hit me just outside my apartment."

Stevens says he will look into the matter. He pays a visit to info source, Leonid Kinskey. Kinskey fills Stevens in on the dead man. Turns out that Russo was a well-known ladies man who had upset more than a few people. Kinskey also gives Stevens a lead to a newspaper reporter who might know something.

The reporter, Frank Maxwell is found pouring some 90 proof down his gullet in a downtown dive. All he gets from Maxwell is that Russo, "Got what he deserved." "Why don't you go look at the rat's apartment." Stevens decides he should indeed check the dead man's apartment. Maybe he can find a clue there.

Stevens finds the door to Russo's place is unlocked and enters. Shots ring out as someone starts blasting from the dark. Gunn returns fire but misses. The unseen assailant goes out the patio doors and gets away. Stevens adds everything up and decides the killer is newsman, Maxwell. He pays another visit to the man, this time at his office. Maxwell pulls a gun and starts firing. He has had a bit too much y whiskey and misses again. Stevens quickly disarms the man. Maxwell, it turns out, had killed Russo because he had stolen Maxwell's wife away.

Case closed. (B/W) ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5146-Noir-Tv-PETER-GUNN-–-quot-February-Girl-quot-1959 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5096-Noir-Tv-quot-The-Jockey-quot-–-1958-Gunn-on-the-case&goto=newpost Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:34:04 GMT (Contains Spoilers)

PETER GUNN – "The Jockey" – 1958 A singer at a high-class nightclub takes a tumble through the rooftop skylight. Was it an accident? Or was it murder? The Police lean towards the former. The dead woman's boyfriend, Frankie Darro thinks the latter and hires P.I. Gunn (Craig Stevens) to investigate.

Darro is a famous jockey with tons of loot who is always attracting the "wrong" type of women. That is the story Stevens gets from Darro's manager, Robin Morse and his groom, Robert Gist.

Stevens decides to look a bit further into the matter and pays a visit to Police Lt Herschel Bernardi. Bernardi can add nothing new for Stevens. The woman had been alone on the roof between shows having a smoke. Stevens checks out the rooftop himself just to make sure. There is only one way onto the roof, and one way off. (Other than a 6 floor fall) Stevens is about to write off the case, and tell Darro it was an accident when something stops him. The something is a pickaxe that just misses connecting with his head. The man behind the pickaxe is Darro's groom, Gist.

Gist leads Stevens on a merry chase through a construction site and into an abandoned warehouse. Shots and blows are exchanged before Gist ends up taking a long fall himself. This of course ends with Gist having a rather flatter head than needed.

Gist had been annoyed that the dead woman was moving in on his boss. He figured the paychecks might stop and had tried to scare her off. He had shoved her headfirst through the skylight during the argument over Darro. He had then taken off before anyone had checked the roof.

Case closed. The episode was directed by long time film and TV helmsman, Lamont Johnson. Johnson worked in Hollywood from 1955 till 2000. (B/W) ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5096-Noir-Tv-quot-The-Jockey-quot-–-1958-Gunn-on-the-case http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5068-NOIR-TV-THE-DETECTIVES-–-quot-The-Bad-Apple-quot-–-1961&goto=newpost Sun, 02 Jun 2013 13:54:46 GMT (Contains Spoilers)

THE DETECTIVES – "The Bad Apple" – 1961


This is episode 56 from the 97 episode run of THE DETECIVES. This series starred Ropert Taylor and ran between 1959 and 1962.

The owner of a 'house of ill repute", Iris Adrian, pays Captain of Detectives Robert Taylor a visit. It seems that one of her girls overheard soon nastiness being planned. Could Taylor help Adrian on a small beef she has in return for the info.

Taylor says he will see what he can do but will not make any promises. Good enough, responds Adrian who then fills Taylor in on what she knows. A robbery of a wholesale jewelry is going to happen the next day. Two crooks, Bob Kelljan and Rudy Dolan are pulling the job with some inside help. The help, says Adrian, is the local beat cop, Robert Culp.

Taylor calls his squad together for a talk. The squad, Mark Goddard, Tige Andrews and Russell Thorson are all for pulling in Culp right then. Taylor says that they need proof. The info could be wrong. They need a plan to catch Culp if he is bent.

Taylor has Culp sent to his office. He asks Culp if he would like to join the Detective squad on a stakeout. They have some info there might be a smash and grab that evening at a jewelry store located on Culp's beat. Has Culp noticed anything out of the ordinary? Culp says he has noticed nothing strange in the area and would love a chance at some plain-clothes action.

Taylor has Culp change into a suit and join him in a squad car for the stake-out. Before leaving, Culp says he needs to make a phone call to cancel a date. Taylor tells him to use the squad room phone. Taylor listens in to make sure that Culp is not tipping anyone.

At the stakeout, the crooks, Kelljan and Dolan show with various crowbars etc. They start on the back door of the shop. Detective Thorson calls out from hiding to stop and put up their hands. The two decide to leg it instead. They race down the alley and into the arms of Taylor and Culp. Culp pulls his gun and yells, "STOP!" The two crooks look at Culp, and Dolan says, "Its you!" Culp raises his gun and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. Taylor had emptied Culp's piece at the Squad while Culp was changing.

Taylor slaps the cuffs on Culp himself as all three bad boys are taken into custody.

The director was film and television veteran, Paul Wendkos. His big screen work included, BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, GIDGET, GUNS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, HELLBOATS, ATTACK ON THE IRON COAST and the film-noir, THE BURGLAR.

A nicely done half hour show. (B/W) ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5068-NOIR-TV-THE-DETECTIVES-–-quot-The-Bad-Apple-quot-–-1961 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5037-Noir-Tv-The-Torch-1958-Gunn-and-a-firebug&goto=newpost Tue, 28 May 2013 13:10:35 GMT Contains Spoliers

PETER GUNN – "The Torch" – 1958
It is late at night and two men, Gordon Mills and Robert Carricart, are breaking into a warehouse. They are carrying cans filled with gasoline and several bundles of rags. They spread the rags across the floor and then pour gasoline on them. They start for the exit as Carricart lights a trail of fuel. A third man, Edward Ecker, now appears and clobbers Mills in the jaw. Then Carricart and Ecker pickup Mills and dump him into the now roaring blaze. They then beat the feet out.

The next day, Peter Gunn, (Craig Stevens) is paid a visit by the dead man's widow. The widow, Paula Raymond, wants Stevens to discover how her husband Mills died. It turns out that Mills and another man, Bartlett Robinson, owned the warehouse that had been destroyed. Stevens takes the up front cash and agrees to have a look into the matter.

He checks with his Police Lt buddy, Herschel Bernardi for any possible leads. The Police are sure it was a torch job, but have no further info. Stevens pays a visit to Mills "now" ex-partner, Bartlett Robinson. The man denies any involvement in arson or a possible murder.

Stevens then sifts through his underworld contacts and arrives at the door of Walter Burke. Burke was a one time fire for hire man. A long time stay in the hoosegow on the State's dime cured him of his infatuation in the fire area.

Burke however still knows several other practitioners in the art of the dancing flame. A few dollars change hands and Burke supplies Stevens the names.

Stevens quickly tracks down Carricart. During a nice bit of "deep conversation" with Carricart, the man lets slip that it was indeed him at the fire site, and that he was acting on the orders of Mill's partner, Robinson. Ecker now enters, sneaks up on Stevens and applies some gun barrel to the side of Stevens' noggin. The two truss Stevens up and dump him in a corner while they decide what to do. Carricart decides it is time to leave town. Best not leave any loose ends though. Carricart gets on the blower and calls Robinson. He needs Robinson to come quickly to Carricart's place. Robinson agrees and says he is on the way.

Carricart and Ecker plan to kill Robinson and then fry him and Stevens in a new fire. Robinson shows and is quickly subdued by Ecker. As the pair are starting up the new fire, they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of Police Lt Bernardi. Bernardi has been following his main arson suspect, Robinson for the last few days.

A quick one, two, eliminates Ecker from the fight while Stevens helps out with a swift kick to Carricart's backside. The boot in the rear launches Carricart down the stairs and into the middle of the fire. Bernardi helps Stevens out of the burning building with Carricart's screams following them.

Case closed. (B/W) ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5037-Noir-Tv-The-Torch-1958-Gunn-and-a-firebug http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5029-Robert-Montgomery-Presents-(TV)-Available-anywhere&goto=newpost Thu, 23 May 2013 22:12:37 GMT Are any of the episodes of Robert Montgomery Presents (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042141/) available on DVD or online, does anybody know? There are... Are any of the episodes of Robert Montgomery Presents available on DVD or online, does anybody know? There are a bunch of episodes I would love to see, such as Zachary Scott as Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep (Scott as Marlowe sounds so insane it has to be great), Sunset Boulevard, The Ringmaster and more... ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV rftbotb http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5029-Robert-Montgomery-Presents-(TV)-Available-anywhere http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5027-Noir-Tv-MICKEY-SPILLANE-S-–-quot-Mike-Hammer!-quot-1954&goto=newpost Wed, 22 May 2013 09:42:52 GMT (Contains Spoilers)

MICKEY SPILLANE'S – "Mike Hammer!" - 1954 An excellent first stab at producing a series based on writer Spillane's hard-boiled detective. This was to be the pilot for the series, but the networks decided to pass on adding it to any of their line-ups. In this one, Brian Keith plays the hard as nails private detective.

This one starts with Keith paying a nighttime visit to his favourite watering hole and club, "The Purple Peacock". Out front, Keith stops for a moment to say hello to young newspaper hawker, Leon Burbank.

Once inside the club Keith orders a drink and a big steak. He joined by the club owner, Robert Foulk. Foulk nods at a table with three men across the way. He then says to Keith that two of the men are two FBI types. They are guarding the third man who is a witness in a mob trial.

The three finish their meal, pay the tab and head out. Suddenly the night is split by multiple blasts from a shotgun. The mob witness, one FBI man and the young newspaper seller all go down in a pool of blood. Hammer rushes out and helps the wounded FBI man. He then has a look at the other two. Both newsboy Burbank and the Mob witness are dead. The Police and an ambulance are summoned.

Later in the evening, Keith is in the office of Police Captain, Robert Bice. They are talking about the killing. Bice knows it was a hit ordered by local mobster, Donald Randolph. But he cannot prove it since Randolph and his crew have alibis.

Keith of course sets out to prove what the Police are unable to do. He pays a visit to the apartment of Virginia Lee. Lee is Randolph's girlfriend and supplier of his alibi. Also at the apartment are, Randolph and his two pet gunsels, Donald Harvey and Dale Van Sickle. Words are exchanged and warnings issued by both sides before Keith exits.

Later on, Keith returns and breaks into Lee's apartment. He wakes her and starts with some heavy 3rd degree. Lee stands firm and tells Keith nothing useful. She cracks, "I didn't hear you knock when you came in." "Who knocks from the fire escape". Keith grumbles in return before he leaves.

The next day Keith is contacted by Miss Lee and told she does have some info for him. A meeting is arranged for that evening down in the warehouse district. Lee shows and tells Keith that she had lied about being with Randolph and his brunos at the time of the murders. She is telling Keith this, but has no intention on telling the cops the same. "I want to keep breathing, but I feel bad about the young kid getting whacked."

Keith heads home for some sack time before deciding what his next move is. As he enters his apartment, Keith is jumped by Randolph's thugs, Harvey and Van Sickle. They proceed to give Keith a first-rate curb stomping. Keith manages to get in a couple punches himself, then, dives out the bathroom window with bullets chasing him. Down the fire escape and into a pile garbage Keith throws himself. The two thugs miss him in the dark and soon take off.

The thoroughly pulverized Keith stays under the garbage. "A guy needs some sleep after a beating like that. I'll just close my eyes and bleed a while." Next morning Keith hauls himself over to Miss Lee's apartment. Needless to say he finds that Lee has been dealt with by Harvey and Van Sickle, in a most unpleasant manner.

Keith spends the day licking his wounds while planning his revenge. That night he hits Randolph's estate and watches. He cracks the guard on duty and enters the estate. He sees Randolph inside talking with his gunmen. Randolph dismisses them and sits for a drink. Keith now enters through the patio doors and grabs up Randolph. A revolver planted up his nose soon has Randolph agreeing to write a confession. He ordered the killing of the witness and Miss Lee.


As this is going on, Harvey and Van Sickle have discovered the unconscious guard. They quickly return to the bosses study and find Keith. Van Sickle goes for his rod and is shot by Keith. Keith smiles at Harvey and shows him the confession by Randolph. "This lands you in the jackpot." A furious Harvey now pulls his piece, but blasts Randolph before turning on Keith. Keith drops the man with several well-placed shots.

Keith calmly waits outside for the Police. He tells Captain Bice it was all a matter of self defence.

What an episode! It features hard-boiled dialogue from start to finish and is remarkably violent for the time.

The episode was written and directed by Blake Edwards. You could say this was a tune up for his later series, PETER GUNN.

The d of p was noir great, George Diskant. His film work include, DESPERATE, RIFFRAFF, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, PORT OF NEW YORK, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN, THE RACKET, BEWARE MY LOVELY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL and THE NARROW MARGIN. ]]> Neo-noir and Noir TV gordonl56 http://www.backalleynoir.com/showthread.php?5027-Noir-Tv-MICKEY-SPILLANE-S-–-quot-Mike-Hammer!-quot-1954