Noir Alley

[Hibi]

I see the Gun Runners is set during the Cuban revolution. Might be an interesting take on the story. Plus Don Siegal as director.

[cmovieviewer]

I see the Gun Runners is set during the Cuban revolution. Might be an interesting take on the story. Plus Don Siegal as director.

It appears that YouTube has a pretty good print of The Gun Runners (1958), so we can check it out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIUCCkc9sz0

[jamesjazzguitar]

Yes, THE BREAKING POINT is well done, but I don't have any need to see it multiple times.

Whereas Howard Hawks's earlier, less faithful adaptation of the Hemingway novel --- TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT ---- is a movie that I can watch again and again.

Bogie and Bacall were more interesting than Garfield and Thaxter. Though they come
from the same source, they're two different movies. Sometimes I'm in a mood to see
films I've seen many times before, sometimes not, for no particular reason.

As you noted the Heminway novel was one of his weakest, thus versions loosely based on such an original work can have a lot of variation, and has you noted "different movies". (note the Gun Runners is set in Cuba the original novel location).

Thus each film stand more on their own (compared to the typical "remake" where each stays more true to the novel\original film version). Clearly Bogie and Bacall added a special magic that made them one of the more compelling pairings in classic movie history. For that reason alone I can watch To Have and Have Not multiple times.

But I also enjoy seeing The Breaking Point every so often. E.g. The drunk Garfield scene where the two gals go at it right in front of him, is one for the ages and for me one of the most realistic drunk-man portrayals in film history.

[Hibi]

Yes, that drunk scene is very well done. Acted and directed.

[jamesjazzguitar]

Thanks to James for the reference, I was not aware of The Gun Runners either. Has been on TCM a few times before, last in 2015, not on Noir Alley (yet). This week on Noir Alley is the third-time! showing of the Lawrence Tierney - Claire Trevor film Born to Kill (1947). No doubt you've seen it.

Yea, I've seen Born to Kill many times. This RKO noir is sleazy, and degraded where murder is treated like an 'oh well' type of event, and Tierney is "one of the most violently disturbed psychos in all of film noir, giving even Robert Ryan in Crossfire a run for his money". (from Michael Keaney).

Another first-rate femme fatale performance by iconic noir gal Claire Trevor (the IT noir gal IMO). I found this take of her character interesting:

Born to Kill is a rare film noir in that it is shown through a woman's eyes. This female subjectivity enables a more nuanced view of the femme fatale, a central motif in film noir, rather than that which is typical of the genre. Although the archetypical film noir femme fatale's sexuality is often merely a tool to manipulate men for material gain, Helen is a more complicated figure. She is drawn to Sam's brutality although she is also interested in Fred's money. Instead of leading the male protagonist into darkness and ruin, she is compromised by Sam.

[Andree]

As you noted the Heminway novel was one of his weakest, thus versions loosely based on such an original work can have a lot of variation, and has you noted "different movies". (note the Gun Runners is set in Cuba the original novel location).

Thus each film stand more on their own (compared to the typical "remake" where each stays more true to the novel\original film version). Clearly Bogie and Bacall added a special magic that made them one of the more compelling pairings in classic movie history. For that reason alone I can watch To Have and Have Not multiple times.

But I also enjoy seeing The Breaking Point every so often. E.g. The drunk Garfield scene where the two gals go at it right in front of him, is one for the ages and for me one of the most realistic drunk-man portrayals in film history.

I've never read the novel myself, but the consensus seems to be it is one of
Hemingway's worst books. Yeah, that was a funny scene. It's obvious that
his wife isn't accustomed to hard liquor. Didn't Errol Flynn make some kind
of low budget film around the same time called Cuban Rebel Girls or something
like that. I'm too lazy to look up the details.

[Hibi]

As you noted the Heminway novel was one of his weakest, thus versions loosely based on such an original work can have a lot of variation, and has you noted "different movies". (note the Gun Runners is set in Cuba the original novel location).

Thus each film stand more on their own (compared to the typical "remake" where each stays more true to the novel\original film version). Clearly Bogie and Bacall added a special magic that made them one of the more compelling pairings in classic movie history. For that reason alone I can watch To Have and Have Not multiple times.

But I also enjoy seeing The Breaking Point every so often. E.g. The drunk Garfield scene where the two gals go at it right in front of him, is one for the ages and for me one of the most realistic drunk-man portrayals in film history.

I've never read the novel myself, but the consensus seems to be it is one of
Hemingway's worst books. Yeah, that was a funny scene. It's obvious that
his wife isn't accustomed to hard liquor. Didn't Errol Flynn make some kind
of low budget film around the same time called Cuban Rebel Girls or something
like that. I'm too lazy to look up the details.

OMG! You're right! Cuban Rebel Girls his last film on imdb. I'd love to see that one! LMREO.

His underage squeeze, Beverly Aadland is in it!

[Andree]

OMG! You're right! Cuban Rebel Girls his last film on imdb. I'd love to see that one! LMREO.

His underage squeeze, Beverly Aadland is in it!

That's one of those pieces of trivia that sticks in one's mind, even if
you'd rather forget it. Probably not the film that Flynn would like to
have as a finale though he likely had fun making it.

[Hibi]

OMG! You're right! Cuban Rebel Girls his last film on imdb. I'd love to see that one! LMREO.

His underage squeeze, Beverly Aadland is in it!

That's one of those pieces of trivia that sticks in one's mind, even if
you'd rather forget it. Probably not the film that Flynn would like to
have as a finale though he likely had fun making it.

That's for sure! LOL.

[Bronxgirl48]

Oh joy!! THE BIG KNIFE is coming on the 27th and 28th!!

Wonder what Eddie has to say about this laugh fest noir. It's a treasure trove of campy good badness, including hilariously gauche "ironic" musical touches emphasizing the existential and metaphorical aspects of Charlie's compromised Hollywood lifestyle.

Shelley Winters and Ida Lupino are actually quite good. It's Jack Palance and Rod Steiger who chew up the scenery in the most delightful ways.

[ElCid]

OMG! You're right! Cuban Rebel Girls his last film on imdb. I'd love to see that one! LMREO.

His underage squeeze, Beverly Aadland is in it!
[/quote]

I watched Cuban Rebel Girls on either YouTube or Tubi a few years ago. Not a good movie and Flynn was not at his best in it.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Just saw Born To Kill (1947) for the second time. One of the darkest and most depraved of the 1940s noirs.

Laurence Tierney plays one of the most menacing thugs in film history. He apparently was like that in real life. Just from the way he looked, he didn't appear to have an upper lip so even when he smiled it looked like a sneer.

[Bronxgirl48]

I wish I could enjoy BORN TO KILL because, well, let's face it, who really doesn't love Laurence Tierney, Claire Trevor, Elisha Cook, Jr. and director Robert Wise. But I just can't get excited or engaged in any way -- the whole thing for me is flat, hollow, unsubtle, and, considering the subject matter, frankly kind of a slog. To add insult to injury, I find Walter Slezak's philosophizing detective obnoxious plus somewhat embarrassing.

[Hibi]

Oh joy!! THE BIG KNIFE is coming on the 27th and 28th!!

Wonder what Eddie has to say about this laugh fest noir. It's a treasure trove of campy good badness, including hilariously gauche "ironic" musical touches emphasizing the existential and metaphorical aspects of Charlie's compromised Hollywood lifestyle.

Shelley Winters and Ida Lupino are actually quite good. It's Jack Palance and Rod Steiger who chew up the scenery in the most delightful ways.

I haven't seen this one in a very long time! Not since our local station ran it many years ago when I was a teen. I remember not liking it then, but maybe I'll like it now for different reasons!

[Hibi]

Just saw Born To Kill (1947) for the second time. One of the darkest and most depraved of the 1940s noirs.

Laurence Tierney plays one of the most menacing thugs in film history. He apparently was like that in real life. Just from the way he looked, he didn't appear to have an upper lip so even when he smiled it looked like a sneer.

I watched it again (I think I've seen it 4 times now). It's amazing this thing got Code approval even with cuts. Tierney is really frightening, but Trevor even more so in her depravity. I love the scene where Esther Howard tells her off and spits on her!