The Last Film Noir you watched

[David]

Re-watched MURDER BY CONTRACT last night. That's a perfect film--tight as a drum! It makes a lot of room for the quirks of the three main characters. Narrative and dialogue is terse and powerful. A great looking movie, too. I love Perry Botkin's edgy guitar score.

This is a better "Richard Stark" movie than any films made from the Parker novels. It was made four years before the first Parker book, but boy, it has that dry, minimal tone down to a T!

Better than 'Point Blank'?! Dem's fightin' woids..

[eubiecat]

Which MURDER BY CONTRACT are you referring to? Year? director?


Richard

1958; Irving Lerner. Didn't realize there was more than one movie by that name!

[bogie]

The Big Combo(1955)A Classic.Dont Miss.
http://www.impawards.com/1955/big_combo.html

[Steve-O]

Last night I watched Vicki (1953), the remake of I Wake Up Screaming... but really it's a remake of "Laura"

The film's a bit light but Richard Boone is fantastic...

I'm not sure what this image is about but it will give you nightmares:

[eubiecat]

I grabbed ten noirs off Rapid.org yesterday--yow!

Watched two last night. The first one isn't really a true noir, but is a fascinating foundation-laying entry: KID GLOVE KILLER [1942]. It harkens back to the Hammett school of civic corruption, with the au courant snappy patter of the hard-to-like Van Heflin character.

Has anyone ever noted the "match me" dialogue--15 years before SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS used the same line to such iconic effect?

Next up was a long-time item on my FN gotta-see list: CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS [1953]. Everyone involved seems unusually inspired throughout. I've seen several films lensed by John Russell lately, and his work never fails to impress.

Also recently viewed: THE UNSUSPECTED ['47], which is dynamite visually but hoary hokum--enjoyable hokum, but hokum all the same. Woody Bredell's moody cinematography (and Anton Grot's art direction) are the true stars of this film.

Coming up: UNION STATION, THE TURNING POINT, FOR YOU I DIE, SHIELD FOR MURDER, WOMAN IN HIDING, FRAMED, CRY DANGER and THE UNHOLY WIFE...

[bogie]

The Lady Gambles(1949)
http://www.impawards.com/1949/lady_gambles.html

[JCharles]

Just finished watching Day Of The Outlaw; definitely a noir Western directed by Andre DeToth and scripted by Philip Yordan. Robert Ryan stars as a corrupt rancher who finds redemption by outfoxing Burl Ives and his gang of outlaws, which includes Jack Lambert (as hardcase as they come) and Frank DeKova. Elisha Cook also appears as the town barber but he doesn't do much. The cinematography is compelling: stark snowbound mountains in Montana and a near Ghost Town populated by the grim and corrupt. This one's worth a look, stay with it.

[Juke Joint Jonny]

YES! Day of the Outlaw is outstanding. Burl Ives is great as a mean bastard. I got interested in Andre deToth's westerns because of the articles in the Sentinel last year. Good stuff!

[bogie]

The George Raft Story(1962)

[JCharles]

YES! Day of the Outlaw is outstanding. Burl Ives is great as a mean bastard. I got interested in Andre deToth's westerns because of the articles in the Sentinel last year. Good stuff!

JJJ, I'm glad to hear you appreciated this film. Have you seen Ramrod? It's also directed by DeToth and stars his wife Veronica Lake along with Joel McCrea. Based on a solid Luke Short story, Lake is a suprising femme fatale, McCrea an imperfect hero. Great scenery and an involving tale of deceit and manipulation, Western noir style.

[Keith]

Criss Cross

[Davidmk]

Tonight i went with "The House with no name" Overall it was okay , but found it kind sluggish through a lot of it , Not among my favorites at all .....

[bogie]

Count The Hours(1953)
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index/?cid=146834
Dir Don Siegel

[bogie]

[QUOTE=Keith;2096]Criss Cross[


http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index/?cid=73469
Keep an eye out for Tony Curtis

[David]

'Nora Prentiss', which is one of my faves.

[David]

Last night I watched Vicki (1953), the remake of I Wake Up Screaming... but really it's a remake of "Laura"

The film's a bit light but Richard Boone is fantastic...

I'm not sure what this image is about but it will give you nightmares:

So a Dodger, a Cardinal, and Santa Claus walk into a bar...

[eubiecat]

Finally caught up with the wacky mixture of killer-on-the-lam and sitcom farce that is THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE. I agree with the consensus that the ending is a buzz-kill, but the previous 61 minutes are non-stop fun. I enjoyed the berserk genre changes--they sometimes happen with a single scene!

STATIONS WEST is another longtime wanna-see that I caught up with last night. This is a textbook example of the noir Western. This same story, with the same characters, could have just as well been a modern-day noir (with the same cast, too). Even the uncredited Burl Ives character (the guitar-playing hotel clerk) might have worked in a 1948 setting.

In any case, it's a strong noir narrative, and Dick Powell does well as a sort of Marlowe-in-spurs. A cowardly Raymond Burr is always a plus in any movie. This is well worth seeing.

[bogie]

Special Agent(1935)
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index/?cid=76687
George Brent as an Agent VS the mob.

[David]

'Right Hand Of The Devil', which is a big favorite of Steve's..(;^)

[JCharles]

Finally caught up with the wacky mixture of killer-on-the-lam and sitcom farce that is THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE. I agree with the consensus that the ending is a buzz-kill, but the previous 61 minutes are non-stop fun. I enjoyed the berserk genre changes--they sometimes happen with a single scene!

STATIONS WEST is another longtime wanna-see that I caught up with last night. This is a textbook example of the noir Western. This same story, with the same characters, could have just as well been a modern-day noir (with the same cast, too). Even the uncredited Burl Ives character (the guitar-playing hotel clerk) might have worked in a 1948 setting.

In any case, it's a strong noir narrative, and Dick Powell does well as a sort of Marlowe-in-spurs. A cowardly Raymond Burr is always a plus in any movie. This is well worth seeing.

I'm reading the original Luke Short novel now (an old movie pb with Powell and Jane Greer on the cover) and will then watch the film. Thanks for the tip.