Noir Films

[charliechaplinfan]

I think he's billed here only as Cavalcanti, how distinct is that?

I watched My Gun is Quick today, a Micky Spillane story with Mike Hammer as the detective with Robert Bray playing the hard boiled Hammer who has an eye for a pretty girl and doesn't he see a selection, from his secretary Velda, who's obviously seen it all before to a couple of showgirls and a rich woman home from Europe and a plot that involves some lost jewels and a French deaf mute, the plot to me, though good didn't spark as much as a Spillane story should have done to me.

[CineMaven]

Cavalcanti. That name, that name...aaaaaah yes.

K.R., you convinced me to see a movie I didn't think I was going to like, and left the theatre loving: "WENT THE DAY WELL" directed by Cavalcanti. (Hmmmm...you also recommended "NIGHT SONGS" which also stole my heart).

Uh-oh. Svengali!!!

I'm going to try and give "...Fugitive" a looksee. I like Sally Gray.

[charliechaplinfan]

I love Went the Day Well, I've seen all his releases now bar Nicholas Nickelby.

[charliechaplinfan]

I'd love to see more of his work too, there are a couple of other movies released here, I'm going to add to my rental list. He was quite a guy.

A Stanwyck noir today. No Man Of Her Own which has one of the strangest plots I've ever known, it's starts well enough and had me on the edge of my seat but I found the plot got a tad unbelievable at times but this being a Barbara Stanwyck movie it was easy to stay with the plot, which revolves around a mix up after a train crash with Stanwyck having tried on another woman's ring, this woman was also pregnant and off to visit her in laws for the first time. Jane Cowl was excellent as the mother in law who has lost her son and welcomes what she thinks is her daughter in law and grandson into the house, John Lund the leading man, totally in love with his sister in law, even though he realises early on that she's not and Lyle Bettger plays one of the lowest of the low by rejecting his own baby until it's mother is in line for a fortune.

[ChiO]

I found the plot got a tad unbelievable at times

Welcome to the World of Cornell Woolrich.

[JackFavell]

I loved the movie, even with those unbelievable bits, because somehow they make it seem believable anyway. I really liked this Stanwyck performance, very different, and surprisingly, I also really liked Lund, who I have never appreciated before. The tension built up during the movie is really intense.

[charliechaplinfan]

Barbara Stanwyck made some diverse films at this point in her career. I know what you mean about John Lund, I felt the same.

Cornell Woolrich, perhaps I should investigate further.

[ChiO]

Some have started the journey and can act as guides through the Blackness. See the "Cornell Woolrich" thread in Film Noir and Crime.

[RedRiver]

Cornell Woolrich, perhaps I should investigate further

At your earliest opportunity. The fascinating source of the Stanwyck film is I MARRIED A DEAD MAN.

[JackFavell]

I know his books are not available for the kindle here, Alison, maybe you will have more luck over in your neck of the woods.

I think you already saw Phantom Lady. Deadline at Dawn is another quirky film, with Susan Hayward and Bill Williams backed up by Paul Lukas. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes has a to die for cast, with Edward G. Robinson and Gail Russell topping the bill, and then there is The Window, with Barbara Hale and Bobby Driscoll in a real psychological story.

The Bride Wore Black is also a Woolrich story, I think... I'm not sure.

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm going to see if my rental service carries any of his movies.

[RedRiver]

The Bride Wore Black is also a Woolrich story, I think... I'm not sure.

You bet it is! Maybe his most famous. His RENDEZVOUS IN BLACK features the same methodical revenge theme. BLACK ANGEL compares favorably to PHANTOM LADY. And there's a short story called REAR WINDOW. Yes, that REAR WINDOW! Somebody really should make a movie about the author!

[JackFavell]

I haven't seen Black Angel yet.

I've looked several times on the kindle, but he never shows up there, under any name. My library is probably chock full of his works, I'm guessing, since they have a lot of 1920's, 30's, 40's and 50's literature which I love. Name a movie from the 40's or 50's and they've got the book it was based on. ebay sometimes has old paperbacks.