This past September TCM scheduled the film NIGHTFALL for its premiere showing. Unexpectedly, Jane Wyman passed away the day before and a special tribute to her bumped the film out of the lineup. Now, happily enough, NIGHTFALL returns to the TCM schedule on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23rd. It's never too early to start oiling up those VCR and DVD recorders because this one is a keeper!
NIGHTFALL is a spellbinding 1957 noir film directed by the great Jacques Tourneur. Based on a novel by David Goodis ("Dark Passage," "Shoot The Piano Player," etc) the film stars Aldo Ray, Anne Bancroft, Brian Keith, James Gregory and Rudy Bond. Nearly a forgotten film, NIGHTFALL has never been available on any home video format. Its appearance on TCM next month provides ample reason for rejoicing among true noir enthusiasts.
NIGHTFALL tells of the plight of an innocent man (Aldo Ray) plunged into a nightmarish scenario of fear and paranoia when he becomes the object of pursuit by both the cops and a pair of sadistic killers (Keith and Bond) over the whereabouts of a cache of stolen money. Tourneur, through the clever weaving of flashbacks, unfolds the story in a most dazzling fashion, never letting the tension ease for a moment.
Anyone familiar with the dark and despairing novels of David Goodis will no doubt be drawn into the dire world of NIGHTFALL's protagonist, Jim Vanning---beautifully played by the vastly underappreciated Aldo Ray. Ray's compelling portrait of a tough man on the brink of utter desperation (a common thread in Goodis' fiction) is a revelation---as honest a depiction of a tortured hero as 1950s American pulp cinema has provided. The stunning Anne Bancroft (in an early starring role) adds considerable spice as a mysterious woman who unexpectedly stumbles into Jim Vanning's dangerous world.
Brian Keith and Rudy Bond score big as the heavies, etching incredibly memorable performances. Keith, in a very nuanced performance, injects aspects of humanity into an otherwise diabolical personality. Bond is especially impressive; a giggling sadist capable of unspeakable violence without the slightest provocation. James Gregory (the unctious and corrupt Senator Iselin from Frankenheimer's THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE) represents the right side of the law as an insurance investigator determined to get to the truth. The grounded contrast Gregory provides lends an air of unusual realism to an otherwise (gloriously) far-fetched story. The wonderful rhythm and blues singer Al Hibbler croons the title tune; its haunting, recurring melody drives the film along.
Tourneur directed only a handful of noir films (OUT OF THE PAST and THE LEOPARD MAN chief among them); NIGHTFALL, while not necessarily the equal of OUT OF THE PAST shares many of that film's virtues while carving it's own unique path. One of my personal all-time favorites, I can't recommend this film highly enough.
Tourneur's NIGHTFALL (finally!) on TCM 1/23/08
Thanks for the heads up, Dewey. I'll certainly be recording this one.
And that proves how behind everything I am right now. I usually map out all my TCM recordings three months in advance and I haven't even got to January yet.
Like many people I know who Jacques Tourneur is because of Val Lewton. I started looking out for Tourneur films and Robert Wise films because the Lewtons were just so good, and I found a few interesting films.
The Leopard Man may well be my favourite Val Lewton (and I've now seen 12 of the 14) and I've long been a fan of Night of the Demon. Beyond those and Out of the Past, the underrated classic Tourneur is The Comedy of Terrors. It's pure hokum but it's huge fun: Karloff, Price and Lorre playing each other up throughout.
And that proves how behind everything I am right now. I usually map out all my TCM recordings three months in advance and I haven't even got to January yet.
Like many people I know who Jacques Tourneur is because of Val Lewton. I started looking out for Tourneur films and Robert Wise films because the Lewtons were just so good, and I found a few interesting films.
The Leopard Man may well be my favourite Val Lewton (and I've now seen 12 of the 14) and I've long been a fan of Night of the Demon. Beyond those and Out of the Past, the underrated classic Tourneur is The Comedy of Terrors. It's pure hokum but it's huge fun: Karloff, Price and Lorre playing each other up throughout.
There's been a fair amount of discussion on these boards lately about Jacques Tourneur's western films, so I thought I'd use the opportunity to gently remind folks that Tourneur's fantastic 1957 noir film NIGHTFALL airs on TCM on Wednesday, Jan 23. I hope that our many noir fans here at the Oasis tune in to see this truly terrific film!
Despite my hesitancy in reading Dewey's opening comments (fearing a hype job that would build up my expectations), his enthusiasm for the film struck me as that - enthusiasm - and not hype.
And even then, this film kept encouraging higher and higher expectations. Each scene's construction of the following scenes, sometimes mysterious, sometimes a flashback, kept me hoping for one level then seeing the film deliver even more.
Thanks for encouraging me to find a new favorite.
And even then, this film kept encouraging higher and higher expectations. Each scene's construction of the following scenes, sometimes mysterious, sometimes a flashback, kept me hoping for one level then seeing the film deliver even more.
Thanks for encouraging me to find a new favorite.
I'm very glad to have finally caught it. Aldo Ray has never been on my short (or long) list of favorite performers, but I thought he was wonderful. Brian Keith and Anne Bancroft were good and James Gregory -- well, regardless of whether he's a good guy or a bad guy -- he was at his unctous best. But the reason I watched was, of course, Tourneur.
This is the thirteenth feature (+ a Twilight Zone episode) of his that I've seen. With two exceptions, a common theme seems to be the importance of community mores and beliefs, and how a protagonist deals with that perceived reality. The two exceptions: OUT OF THE PAST and NIGHTFALL. Are they outliers, or am I missing something?
Oh -- and were the Coen Brothers paying tribute to NIGHTFALL at the end of their little north woodsy snow movie?
This is the thirteenth feature (+ a Twilight Zone episode) of his that I've seen. With two exceptions, a common theme seems to be the importance of community mores and beliefs, and how a protagonist deals with that perceived reality. The two exceptions: OUT OF THE PAST and NIGHTFALL. Are they outliers, or am I missing something?
Oh -- and were the Coen Brothers paying tribute to NIGHTFALL at the end of their little north woodsy snow movie?
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
ChiO sez: With two exceptions, a common theme seems to be the importance of community mores and beliefs, and how a protagonist deals with that perceived reality. The two exceptions: OUT OF THE PAST and NIGHTFALL. Are they outliers, or am I missing something?
I doubt that you're missing something. I think OUT OF THE PAST and NIGHTFALL occupy their own separate existential subset amongst Tourneur's films: the flawed yet fundamentally honest man striving for redemption within the harsh confines of unfamiliar landscapes. It's interesting to me how both films, through the use of flashbacks, utilize seemingly bucolic locales to initiate the wheel of fate; Jeff Bailey is pulled back into his dangerous past while languishing romantically with his girl while fishing by a peaceful lake and Jim Vanning, in NIGHTFALL, is abruptly hurled into his nightmare when a pair of ruthless criminals invade the campfire breakfast he's sharing with his friend, the doc, while fishing by a peaceful lake!
Bailey's redemption in OUT OF THE PAST comes at a much higher price given the depths of his own personal debasement. The private eye has a score to settle, but that score is with himself and nothing more than a supreme sacrificial act will cement the deal. Vanning's infractions are considerably more subtle but no less troublesome: his near-confession around the campfire of quite likely having an affair with his best friend the doctor's wife is one of the most beautifully nuanced scenes in the film and allows the audience to accept (or not) our hero as something less than perfect. He's merely left with the task of clearing his own name (in more ways than one) and bringing the doc's killers to justice.
And yes, I think there is no mistaking NIGHTFALL's stunning climax as part of the source of the Coen Brothers' inspiration for FARGO.
ChiO, I'm glad you finally had the chance to see this important film from a likewise important director's highly impressive body of work. I hope you recorded it, by the way; NIGHTFALL is a film that truly benefits from repeated viewings.
I doubt that you're missing something. I think OUT OF THE PAST and NIGHTFALL occupy their own separate existential subset amongst Tourneur's films: the flawed yet fundamentally honest man striving for redemption within the harsh confines of unfamiliar landscapes. It's interesting to me how both films, through the use of flashbacks, utilize seemingly bucolic locales to initiate the wheel of fate; Jeff Bailey is pulled back into his dangerous past while languishing romantically with his girl while fishing by a peaceful lake and Jim Vanning, in NIGHTFALL, is abruptly hurled into his nightmare when a pair of ruthless criminals invade the campfire breakfast he's sharing with his friend, the doc, while fishing by a peaceful lake!
Bailey's redemption in OUT OF THE PAST comes at a much higher price given the depths of his own personal debasement. The private eye has a score to settle, but that score is with himself and nothing more than a supreme sacrificial act will cement the deal. Vanning's infractions are considerably more subtle but no less troublesome: his near-confession around the campfire of quite likely having an affair with his best friend the doctor's wife is one of the most beautifully nuanced scenes in the film and allows the audience to accept (or not) our hero as something less than perfect. He's merely left with the task of clearing his own name (in more ways than one) and bringing the doc's killers to justice.
And yes, I think there is no mistaking NIGHTFALL's stunning climax as part of the source of the Coen Brothers' inspiration for FARGO.
ChiO, I'm glad you finally had the chance to see this important film from a likewise important director's highly impressive body of work. I hope you recorded it, by the way; NIGHTFALL is a film that truly benefits from repeated viewings.
Aldo Ray is a name that's as forgettable to me as most of his films. When I think of WE'RE NO ANGELS, I hardly ever bother trying to recall his name.
And in this film, my poor manners seems even worse because he turns in a fine performance. I suspect "It's the material!" would be a frequent criticism in his career - looking at his IMDB listing, I'm amazed that he's got so few films that I recognize or even WANT to recognize. "It's the material!"
And the storyteller, too, or "film construction engineer".
I don't watch OUT OF THE PAST very often - it's a film I'm "not fond of", let's say, probably because I dislike Kirk Douglas in most of his films. And putting him in a purposely unlikeable role doesn't make me enjoy his screen time any more. But the woman is a strikingly villainous character all her own, and that probably draws me back to it.
Someone else pointed out - just look at the actors' ages in OUT OF THE PAST. Douglas is 31. Mitchum is 30. Jane Greer and Rhonda Fleming are young 20-somethings. Steve Brodie is 29.
We can't find actors of that age in modern films portraying such strong characters. Holy Sandler, Batman, we can't get classy, adult performances from most of these guys even into their 40s!
"It's the material" works for a lot of those excuses, but in NIGHTFALL, Aldo Ray seemed like the perfect choice.
And in this film, my poor manners seems even worse because he turns in a fine performance. I suspect "It's the material!" would be a frequent criticism in his career - looking at his IMDB listing, I'm amazed that he's got so few films that I recognize or even WANT to recognize. "It's the material!"
And the storyteller, too, or "film construction engineer".
I don't watch OUT OF THE PAST very often - it's a film I'm "not fond of", let's say, probably because I dislike Kirk Douglas in most of his films. And putting him in a purposely unlikeable role doesn't make me enjoy his screen time any more. But the woman is a strikingly villainous character all her own, and that probably draws me back to it.
Someone else pointed out - just look at the actors' ages in OUT OF THE PAST. Douglas is 31. Mitchum is 30. Jane Greer and Rhonda Fleming are young 20-somethings. Steve Brodie is 29.
We can't find actors of that age in modern films portraying such strong characters. Holy Sandler, Batman, we can't get classy, adult performances from most of these guys even into their 40s!
"It's the material" works for a lot of those excuses, but in NIGHTFALL, Aldo Ray seemed like the perfect choice.
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Mr. Arkadin
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