Noir Films

[ChiO]

If you want to watch Nina Foch in a great (or, at least, one of my favorites) film noir, you must watch MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (Joseph H. Lewis 1945). And you get Dame May Whitty portraying George Macready's mother for no extra charge.

[JackFavell]

You know, I've had that film for a year, and never watched it. I remember wanting to see it and recorded it after I saw Gun Crazy, when they had that mini Lewis fest on TCM, you guys were discussing it before. I just don't get enough time in each day to watch all the movies I'd like.

[RedRiver]

Fascinating discussion on some crime stories I'm not familiar with. HIT AND RUN sounds like something I'd like, as does the Raft thriller. I have seen THE LINE-UP. It is a good one. I just bought a quartet of westerns that includes a Don Siegel film. THE DUEL AT SILVER CREEK, an Audie Murphy vehicle. I haven't watched it yet, but one of the reasons I bought the set was my faith in this director. The other was the price. Four movies for ten dollars! Dude!

[JackFavell]

Price makes such a difference doesn't it?

[charliechaplinfan]

I love to see My Name is Julia Ross but it's not available here, sigh. It sounds right up my street though. I don't know what it is about crime dramas I just get hooked.

[charliechaplinfan]

I watched Murder by Contract today, a film essentially about one man and his place in the world. Vince Edwards plays Claude, a cool, determined hit man, he learns his craft, bides his time and executes his victims with precision, accuracy and above all makes himself untraceable. He's sent to LA to kill a witness in a mob boss trial and meets two comical sidekicks who are to keep an eye on him until he does the hit. For days he sees the sights, does the tourist thing until finally commits, then he learns, his target is a woman. He tries to blow her up, it fails, he shoots her when she opens the door, after having to cook up an elaborate plan to get her to the door in the first place only to find that it's a policewoman who opens the door. When finally he break in with only minutes to spare, he can't kill her. Made I'm sure on a shoestring, it's quirky and the two sidekicks are comical and provide comic relief to a serious picture. I've never come across Vince Edwards before but he's quite striking.

[JackFavell]

I liked Murder By Contract too Alison. It's shoestring but it works because of the almost humorous approach i think. I loved the sidekicks.

[charliechaplinfan]

They practically stole the show, especially George.

[JackFavell]

I agree, I dont know that I would have liked the movie without them.

[movieman1957]

Here I differ with you again and it's beginning to worry me. I didn't care for "Murder By Contract." I absolutely hated the music. Some of it was like having a record with a scratch on it. I wanted to bump the TV to get it going. (Sir Francis liked it.)

I didn't care for the sidekicks. I mentioned at TCM that they reminded me of an old married couple and went along way to reduce the edge of the film which was about the only thing it had going for it. There were a couple of plot points that I don't remember anymore that bothered me. It was cheap but we all know that doesn't mean anything if you get some of the right ingredients. Nah, didn't like it.

[MissGoddess]

You can worry even more, Chris, because I was not enamored by it, either. I appreciated some things, but it was a soulless tale that does not appeal to me. I also do not care for Vince Edwards. He looks too much like a Hollywood "actor", and not in any way do I mean a gifted professional. More like someone picked up at the gym. Murder by Contract reminded me in some ways of a better movie called Blast of Silence. While I can't say I liked that movie either, I did find it very well made. The nihilism that infuses it is anathema to me, but it is a much more original film to me than MbyC.

[JackFavell]

Ireally need to see BofS. everyone seems to regard it highly even if the themes are not to ones taste.

[MissGoddess]

Blast of Silence is very unique and in its way, rather powerful. I only saw it once and I've never forgotten many of the scenes and images. The director really captured the main character's feelings, particularly isolation from others in the midst of a big city. Setting it during the holidays made it seem even lonelier. I think it is on YouTube, or was. It's definitely on Criterion.

Someone at TCM also shared a video they made using clips from the film:

[MissGoddess]

One of the funny things that came to me when I watched Murder by Contract was recognizing the blonde girl in the hotel scene was played by the actress engaged to "Adam Cartwright" on Bonanza.

[charliechaplinfan]

Blast of Silence is by far a better movie, it's serious and very internalised, the 'hero' in that is an orphan, one can almost sympathise, he's not 'broken in' he's just not capable of functioning within society without people realising that he is at odds with the world. I get what you mean about the look of the 'hero' in Murder By Contract, he does look like he was picked up at the local gym and he is a pretty boy, the odd couple gave it an incongruous note that could easily jar for some. The music was very noisy, I agree there. I would watch Blast of Silence again, I was moved by it, I'm not sure I wolud see Murder By Contract again.