The Silver Screen Oasis

Well tomorrow September 24th, 2009 looks like TCM is holding its own: "BLACK TUESDAY." Yup, it'll be a day filled with darkness and shadows, rain-soaked streets, dark emotions, trenchcoats and fedoras and some of the best noir babes this side of the Allegheny: Totter, Stanwyck, Lizabeth and of course...Bacall. And I think Agnes Moorhead earns a special place of her Madge Rapf in "Dark Passage." ("You need me!") I think it's a day to stock up on popcorn and ice cream and cigarettes and Scotch to get through it all. Surely, you're not going to work, are you??

I'm hoping to read from some of the noir regulars whose posted in this thread their comments, thoughts, musings, observations, loves of the fare TCM will be offering up tomorrow.

Won't you stop by and drop a line or two about:

* Lady in the Lake - (An interesting experiment by my Bobby).

* Possessed - (Give her credit gang, a bravura performance by Joanie).

* Cast A Dark Shadow - (Dirk...dastardly and deadly I bet).

* Johnny Eager - (Turner at her...most Lana-ish & Heflin nabs an Oscar).

* The Big Sleep -(confusing but worth the byzantine ride...and there's Bacall, so you need nothing else).

* The Strange Love of Martha Ivers - (Lizabeth's voice, our intro to the dimpled devil himself and when Stanwyck's cold, iceberg's melt).

* Gaslight - (I can't bear to watch Ingrid tortured, but it's a good one. Lansbury in training for Mrs. Iselin).

* The Big Clock - (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or so thought Kevin Costner. This one is one of the best).

* Federal Man - (I don't know it...but even a Maven can learn)

* Dark Passage - (Ohhhhh Aggie, Aggie, Aggie).

and even the "Boston Blackies" if you wish. I do hope you'll drop a line.

Tomorrow will be a crash course in Noir, not to be missed even if many of these films have previously aired on TCM. Me personally...I can't get enuf of 'em.

I like them all save Lady in the Lake. Mr Montgomery camera stlyle, everything seen from Marlowe's point of view is a really turn off for me, Also Liz'e father is one of my least favorite actors .

Then don't watch it.

CineMaven wrote:Then don't watch it.

lol !!!

I'm interested in Federal Man (1950-Robert Emmett Tansey) too, CineMaven.

I think it may have been one of the few opportunities as a leading man enjoyed by William Henry, (who started as a kid in movies and moved on to a regular, if somewhat obscure spot in the John Ford stock company).

The fact that this movie was apparently released under the Eagle-Lion banner is another indication to me that it might be worth a look since they seemed to underwrite some of the more interesting poverty row or B movies of that era during their relatively brief existence. Contemporary reviewers at the time of this movie's release mention the realism of the violence depicted (probably made more likely after White Heat blasted its way into theaters a year before), as well as a movie that adapted some elements of the documentary style popularized by Louis de Rochement in his earlier movies to show the techniques of police work. Since the subject matter deals with one of the Production Code's bigger taboos--in this case, narcotics--it might also be interesting to see how gingerly or frankly that topic is addressed in this movie.

Besides, that poster alone makes this one worth a look. Hope it's not a case of the art work in the poster being more engaging than the flick.

MissGoddess wrote:This is one day I should call in sick. What a fun line-up.

The Federal Man is the only one I've never seen.

Here's how I rank tomorrow's line-up according to my preference (not necessarily merit):

1. Dark Passage
2. Johnny Eager
3. Gaslight
4. The Big Sleep
5. Possessed
6. The Big Clock
7. The Lady in the Lake
8. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
9. Cast A Dark Shadow

And I do like Boston Blackie, too! Not as much as The Falcon/The Saint/The Whistler but a little more than The Lone Wolf.

1. The Big Sleep - The first film that I " noticed " Lauren Bacall
2.The Big Clock
3.The Strange Lovers of Martha Ivers
4.Dark Passage

I don't have an opinion about the other films except that I dislike The Lady in the Lake.

Boston Blackie over The Lone Wolf - OMG !!!

ken123 wrote: I don't have an opinion about the other films except that I dislike The Lady in the Lake.

Boston Blackie over The Lone Wolf - OMG !!!

Tough day, Kenny?

And I prefer BB just a little bit over TLW...just a wee bit.

And you don't like my darling Bobbykins??? Now that's really something to about!

MissGoddess wrote:

ken123 wrote: I don't have an opinion about the other films except that I dislike The Lady in the Lake.

Boston Blackie over The Lone Wolf - OMG !!!

Tough day, Kenny?

And I prefer BB just a little bit over TLW...just a wee bit.

And you don't like my darling Bobbykins??? Now that's really something to about!

I'm sorry MissG - But I like Bobby Montgomery only in Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Night Must Fall, and The Saxon Charm where Mr Matt Saxon ( RM ) is a very despicable person. John Payne, Susan Hayward, Audrey Totter, and Harry Morgan give very good support.

Miss Goddess !

Well I'm watching Lady in the Lake, its not a bad as I remember, in fact its pretty good. I guess that I'm getting mellow in the senior years.

It's been a busy day for me, Ms. CineMaven, but I did get to see what I consider the very best part of Possessed (1947): the beginning, with Joan wandering the streets of LA looking for "David". Except for that whacky hallucination about killing her stepdaughter (the gloriously beautiful, under-utilized Geraldine Brooks), most of the rest of the movie is not my cup of warmed over tea. But heck, give Ms. Crawford a hand--she was great in those beginning moments.

I like Lady in the Lake for...be still my foolish heart...Lloyd Nolan! Good guy, bad guy, guy in the background, even tempered, hair trigger nutjob, loser or winner--that Lloyd could read the phone book in that Irish San Francisco accent of his anytime. Even my real life friends look askance at Nolan, with one who likes to taunt me that Mr. N. and Bugs Bunny were separated at birth. No matter how many times I've seen Lady in the Lake, I always hope it turns out differently for Lt. DeGarmot.

I was busy when The Big Sleep was on, but to tell you the truth, following the plot has never helped me understand that movie. The only reason to watch it might be seeing Louis Jean Heydt and John Ridgely get a break and a few more lines than usual in their appearances. That, and the fun of watching Bogart at the top of his playful game opposite Bacall. My favorite moment is when she's singing and he is led into the room by a short skirted cutie and there is such a look exchanged between Lauren Bacall and Bogart. It's funny and real.

If I get to see the rest of the evening's entertainment, I'll try to post. Thanks for the heads up on today's lineup. I might have missed it completely.

Aw, Moira, you too? Lloyd Nolan is my favorite "character" actor. His part in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, well, I wish someone like him had come into my life!!!