Below are brief reviews of ten films that my wife and I enjoyed watching in 2023. Usually known as film noir, these black and white films were a staple of what is known as Hollywood’s Golden Age. They feature some of the leading stars of the era and were done by directors and other craftsmen who not only were true artists, but who also knew how to gain and hold an audience. In addition to being good stories they also provide a real window into the world of my childhood.
I like to view these films on DVD, but most are available on streaming services. CC indicates that close captioning is available for the hearing impaired.
Laura. Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews star in this 1944 thriller that is now regarded as one of the best films of all time. Tierney, one of Hollywood’s most beautiful actresses, catapulted to stardom in the title role. Clifton Webb, in his first screen role, received a best supporting actor nomination, and Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson rounded out the superb cast. Otto Preminger directed this film marked by great writing, cinematography, set design, and a music score based on the haunting Laura theme. The DVD version comes with an excellent commentary by Jeanine Basinger, creator of the Gene Tierney collection at Wesleyan University. 88 minutes. CC.
Boomerang. Director Elia Kazan won critical acclaim for this 1947 film based on a true-life story about the murder of a beloved priest. Dana Andrews starred as a District Attorney out to bring the suspected murderer to justice. Filmed on location in Stamford, Connecticut, this naturalistic court room drama was based on a pivotal case in the career of Homer Cummings, who would go on to become Attorney General of the United States. Jane Wyatt, and Lee J. Cobb play supporting roles. 85 minutes. CC.
In a Lonely Place. In this 1950 film Humphrey Bogart, who appeared in more outstanding films than any other male actor, gave one of his best performances as a veteran screenwriter whose career is plagued by anger issues. After a chance meeting with a young hat-check girl he becomes a prime suspect when the girl is found murdered. Film Noir favorite Gloria Grahame matched Bogart’s performance in this film directed by ground-breaking director Nicholas Ray, who also happened to be her husband at the time. 94 minutes. CC.
The Burglar. This little known 1957 crime thriller with typical noir twists and turns stars Dan Duryea as a cunning jewel thief hoping to pull off a final big heist. Jayne Mansfield, before she became a blond sex-bomb, is very effective in her role as one of the burglar’s accomplices. This film, based on a novel by famed crime writer David Goodis, marked the directorial debut of Paul Wendkos who showed he was a noir master from the surprising opening scene, through the suspenseful burglary, and finally to the tragic end shot on the boardwalk of Atlantic City. Oddly enough, Wendkos is best known for directing “Gidget.” 90 minutes. No subtitles.
Witness to Murder. Barbara Stanwyck stars in this 1954 film noir as a woman fighting to convince police that one sleepless night, she saw a young woman being strangled in an apartment across the street. When a body cannot be found, the police suspect that she has either been dreaming or out of her mind. George Sanders and Gary Merrill co-star. Roy Rowland directed this film with help from innovative cinematographer John Alton. 83 minutes. No subtitles.
I Wake Up Screaming. In a rare dramatic role Betty Grable plays the sister of a beautiful, murdered model in this tense 1941 thriller. While police search for the murderer, Grable is falling in love with the prime suspect played by Victor Mature, the first Italian American to become a leading man. The many plot twists and turns leave viewers guessing right to the end. Some critics consider this film to be the first film noir. It was shot at the same time as the Maltese Falcon and has even more noir features that would show up again and again in subsequent films. In addition to the plot twists, there are the many flash-backs characteristic of noir, the police interrogation room with its bright light and dark shadows, and the haunting strains of Street Scene, a song that can be heard in many later noir dramas. 82 minutes. CC.
Lady from Shanghai. Orson Welles directed and starred in this spellbinding 1948 film that also starred beautiful femme fatale Rita Hayworth. Hired to work on a yacht belonging to Hayworth’s wealthy but disabled husband, Welles is drawn into a web of intrigue and murder. Everett Sloane, a Welles favorite turns in a masterful performance especially in the courtroom scene. The climax of the film takes place in a Hall of Mirrors in a deserted amusement park. It is one of the greatest scenes in film history. 88 minutes. CC.
The Asphalt Jungle. John Huston directed this 1950 classic noir heist drama that has often been copied but never equaled. Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, and Louis Calhern star as the principals in a plot to steal a fortune in jewels. Huston humanizes his criminals. They have their flaws, often fatal, but they are not all bad. The film also features Jean Hagan, best known as silent film star Lina Lamont in the great musical Singing in the Rain, as a down and out “B” girl, and Marilyn Monroe in a fine early performance. Her body and personality later made Monroe an international icon, but she could act. As Ginger Rogers noted in one of her films with Fred Astaire: “It takes brains to act dumb.” 112 minutes. CC.
Nightfall. Aldo Ray and a young Anne Bancroft star in this 1957 film noir about a young man innocently trapped in a web of crime and murder. The film features some of the best work of two film noir masters: director Jacques Tourneur, and Burnett Guffey, the cinematographer whose dark city scenes and winter landscapes are classic noir. This film is very loosely based on a novel by crime writer David Goodis. 79 minutes. CC.
Christmas Holiday. Although the action takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, this 1944 film, based on a novel by Somerset Maugham, is not typical Holiday fare. Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly star in unfamiliar roles. Durbin’s singing voice and wholesome personality had made her a box office favorite but here she appears in a serious role as a night club singer with a dark history who meets a stranded soldier on Christmas Eve in New Orleans. Despite its dark theme, the film features some outstanding music. Durbin sings two songs including Irving Berlin’s haunting Always; a symphony orchestra performs Wagner’s Liebestod, often used in films about doomed lovers; and there is even a dramatic filming of a Midnight Mass in a packed cathedral. The director was Robert Siodmak, regarded as the best of all noir directors by TCM critic Eddie Muller. 93 minutes. No subtitles.
Happy New Year.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment