Noir Alley

[jameselliot]

I've seen Thunder Road a few times. A good movie but it's a six-lane stretch to call it a noir.

[ElCid]

I've seen Thunder Road a few times. A good movie but it's a six-lane stretch to call it a noir.

As Eddie Muller has said before, he sometimes selects movies that stretch the noir definition and may not even be noir. That is why it is informative to listen to his intros and outros.
Having seen Thunder Road several times (have the DVD), I think it does have some elements of noir.
Of course listening to Robert Mitchum sing the song he wrote or co-wrote is pretty interesting as well.

[Cinemaspeak59]

A Brief Documentary on Decoy (contains spoilers!)

Decoy was very enjoyable. Sheldon Leonard as the cop had an air of menace. From the subtext, he was someone who may have crossed the line from time to time, someone with underworld connections, someone with questionable ethics who drew the line when it came to murder, but for minor offenses, well, grease his palm and he’ll look the other way. But the star is Jean Gillie as the smooth femme fatale that ranks up there with the best of noir bad ladies.

[jameselliot]

I've seen Thunder Road a few times. A good movie but it's a six-lane stretch to call it a noir.

As Eddie Muller has said before, he sometimes selects movies that stretch the noir definition and may not even be noir. That is why it is informative to listen to his intros and outros.
Having seen Thunder Road several times (have the DVD), I think it does have some elements of noir.
Of course listening to Robert Mitchum sing the song he wrote or co-wrote is pretty interesting as well.

It's a crime/action film and an interesting one, especially because it delves into the moonshine racket and pits Gene Barry against Thunder Road writer/producer Robert Mitchum. Noir, no. Shoehorning it into the noir genre is of course Eddie's decision. There's nothing noir about the cinematography or the straightforward cops vs moonshiners plot. Mitchum did start the trend of backwoods bootlegging movies that took off big time in the 1970s such as White Lightning with Burt Reynolds. He was ahead of the curve.

[Dargo]

...Mitchum did start the trend of backwoods bootlegging movies that took off big time in the 1970s such as White Lightning with Burt Reynolds. He was ahead of the curve.

Yes, but try as he might, Burt could never quite master the fine art of singing calypso music as well as Bob did.

(...and so there's that anyway)

[ElCid]

...Mitchum did start the trend of backwoods bootlegging movies that took off big time in the 1970s such as White Lightning with Burt Reynolds. He was ahead of the curve.

Yes, but try as he might, Burt could never quite master the fine art of singing calypso music as well as Bob did.

(...and so there's that anyway)

At one time, I had a 45 of Mitchum singing Thunder Road. May have to dig it out and see what was on the reverse. I do have Thunder Road on a CD or two though.
One thing I always found amusing was the song and the movie did not match as far as the cars described. Also, not so sure about the geography as realistic between the song and the movie. But hey, it's a movie.
Regardless, it is still a good little movie. And some nice views of cities as they were at the time.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I've seen Thunder Road a few times. A good movie but it's a six-lane stretch to call it a noir.

As Eddie Muller has said before, he sometimes selects movies that stretch the noir definition and may not even be noir. That is why it is informative to listen to his intros and outros.
Having seen Thunder Road several times (have the DVD), I think it does have some elements of noir.
Of course listening to Robert Mitchum sing the song he wrote or co-wrote is pretty interesting as well.

It's a crime/action film and an interesting one, especially because it delves into the moonshine racket and pits Gene Barry against Thunder Road writer/producer Robert Mitchum. Noir, no. Shoehorning it into the noir genre is of course Eddie's decision. There's nothing noir about the cinematography or the straightforward cops vs moonshiners plot. Mitchum did start the trend of backwoods bootlegging movies that took off big time in the 1970s such as White Lightning with Burt Reynolds. He was ahead of the curve.

While I'm a fan of Thunder Road the only noir scene in the film is when Mitchum goes to the hood's nightclub. That is a classic Mitchum noir scene but other than that there is too much Gene Barry and not enough of the innerworkings of the "good side" of the criminals element (MItchum and the locals carrying what they were taught by their dads).

[ElCid]

While I'm a fan of Thunder Road the only noir scene in the film is when Mitchum goes to the hood's nightclub. That is a classic Mitchum noir scene but other than that there is too much Gene Barry and not enough of the innerworkings of the "good side" of the criminals element (MItchum and the locals carrying what they were taught by their dads).

Interesting perspective. So it is "good" to evade the law, not pay taxes and engage in other criminal activities while making alcohol that was often unsafe to drink? Not to mention the dangerous driving to get it delivered. Just talking here as I like the movie and all parts of it. But it is a romanticized version, just as The Godfather was.

[ElCid]

Error

[ElCid]

Cars of Thunder Road. This is a movie where the cars almost take center stage. Mitchum begins in a 1950 Ford, but changes to a '57 Ford later. Gene Barry is driving or a passenger in a '57 Chevy 210 and never actually catches Mitchum.
IMCDB lists almost 30 different cars of significance in the movie.
Ironically, when the movie came out our family car was a '57 Chevy, but a six cylinder 210 four door sedan.
https://www.imcdb.org/m52293.html

[Hoganman1]

I guess I'll watch THUNDER ROAD simply because I like Mitchum. However, I agree Eddie is really stretching to show this film on Noir Alley. DON''T BOTHER TO KNOCK didn't really fit the genre either. Here's hoping Eddie will get back to seedy detectives, femme fatales and murder soon.

[ElCid]

I guess I'll watch THUNDER ROAD simply because I like Mitchum. However, I agree Eddie is really stretching to show this film on Noir Alley. DON''T BOTHER TO KNOCK didn't really fit the genre either. Here's hoping Eddie will get back to seedy detectives, femme fatales and murder soon.

I had seen Don't Bother to Knock before, but watched it again. Somewhat interesting, but not all that good to me. More impressed with Anne Bancroft than Monroe, but then never been a fan of Monroe anyway.

As for Thunder Road, looking forward to what Eddie has to say about it.

[laffite]

I posted last night on this thread and the post is GONE.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I posted last night on this thread and the post is GONE.

On the other thread you have a very good post about Don't Brother to Knock. Maybe you posted it there and not here?

[laffite]

I posted last night on this thread and the post is GONE.

On the other thread you have a very good post about Don't Brother to Knock. Maybe you posted it there and not here?

Thank you, James.

This is probably untoward in some way but I am going to repost it here. For some reason I cannot delete this same post on the other one. No one has quoted it, but whatever.

To wit:

I have a few comments about Don't Bother to Knock but before I do that I need to open the blinds and have a look. You never know, something strange might happen. Why maybe ... but no ... that never happens to me.

A nifty little story, I liked the way the two elements of the story dovetailed each other. Anne Bancroft in her debut, was very breezy and cool, though miffed. I love that look on her face and the growing disbelief of what she hearing when Jed was telling a story. Did you notice that oval shaped mouth while he was talking? She looked appropriately in disbelief. She looked like an emoticon.

Widmark was good having to show two sides. Very amusing to see him giving up the easy mark as he sees a cooky and fragile thing and who doesn't make sense. And the way he got through to her.

I have seen this twice before and I didn't realize that Nell was so off the deep end. But that look we got when she was looking in the mirror, preening with jewelry A glimpse of the real Marilyn? I wonder how many takes it took to accomplish that final scene. Marilyn was fantastic there. That depleted look on her face, the body language, the turning away from (Anne), the way she said "...somebody entirely else." the way she surrendered the razor, even the elegant way she took the policeman's hand to be led away.>weep<
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