Noir Alley

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laffite
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by laffite »

jamesjazzguitar wrote: January 9th, 2023, 5:38 pm
laffite wrote: January 9th, 2023, 3:07 pm
jamesjazzguitar wrote: January 9th, 2023, 10:55 am

I agree with you about Wilder, and so does Eddie. He mentioned all 3 of those legendary directors. Thus what you said, is what Eddie said, and that was what I was pointing out. I.e. instead of you saying "I believe Marilyn,,,", you could have just said "Eddie confirmed that,,,,". (I hope you can agree that what Eddie believes \ says carries a little more weigh then what you or I or other at this forum have to say).
Oh, you think I was stealing Eddie's point. Well, I was referring to my own memories about what I read. Eddie fades in and out with me. Everybody knows about Marilyn's behavior anyway. It's general domain info. I surprised you would make a deal of this.
Wow, we are really failing to communicate. Of course I know you were referring to your own memory. So my point all along is that you should have "stole" the comments Eddie made instead of depending on your memory of these points. Why speculate instead of just referencing Eddie's comments? Note that since I'm on the west coast I typically see Eddie's after-film comments for Noir Alley twice; Once late Saturday, and early Sunday morning (I miss the film since that is too early, but typically catch just the end of the film and his comments.
You are much more assiduous in listening to every word by Eddie than I am. You evidently do not have a DVR, that accounts for it then.

Nuff said on this, I hope.
Sabine Azema in Sunday in the Country
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ziggy6708a
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by ziggy6708a »



so THIS is where we post this now??
:headbang: :smiley_huh:
was "mr6666" @ TCM
Thompson
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Thompson »

Moonshine, ah, let’s face the facts, nothing better than that. I’m confused as well about the noir aspect of this movie, but I’ll give it a go and let you know. El CID will be watching the cars.
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Thompson »

Don’t want to derail the thread or anything, stick to topic and keep my nose clean, that’s my motto going forward. Going Forward is a really stupid phrase.
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jamesjazzguitar
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by jamesjazzguitar »

Thompson wrote: January 15th, 2023, 8:46 am Moonshine, ah, let’s face the facts, nothing better than that. I’m confused as well about the noir aspect of this movie, but I’ll give it a go and let you know. El CID will be watching the cars.
Luke and the local moonshiners are noir protagonist in that they are fairly decent individuals who find themselves trapped between the law and hardcore criminals. This theme is central to the film; E.g. the many scenes where the local Christian practices are on display. (the breakfast scene where the younger Mitchem at first says a phony prayer until mom slaps him into shape). The funeral and church service for the driver killed by the criminal gang. These scenes are done to show the basic decency of the hill folks. Barry, the LAW, recognizes this and tries to give these decent local folks a break, but it is too late, since the hillbilly moonshine culture has to end in the 20th century.

Of course there is the most iconic noir actor in Mitchum. E.g. in the first meeting with the top hood Mitchum's reply to his offer is to smack him down!

Hey, I don't consider the film "noir", but with hoods, cars, booze, gals, guitar music and MItchum at the center, the film has a lot to offer.
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ElCid
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by ElCid »

James. Thanks for your comments re: why it has noir elements. I watched, but did not hear Eddie explain why he thought it was noir. I think another noir element was that it was kind of "dark" in many settings, especially the night time driving scenes.
Liked that Eddie explained that it was filmed in Transylvania Co., NC, but the city location apparently was in Asheville (Buncombe Co.), note Asheville Pharmacy in a couple of scenes. Major city in Transylvania Co. is Brevard. No vampires.
I actually have a 45 RPM record of Mitchum singing "The Ballad of Thunder Road." The reverse has him singing "My Honey's Lovin' Arms."
Yes, I did look at the cars quite closely. Interesting, especially the '55 to '57 models.
Overall, I think it rates highly as a very interesting and entertaining movie, but then Mitchum fails to entertain.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Hoganman1
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Hoganman1 »

Agreed, it's not a noir in the purist sense. However, it's a good film about rural life in the 50s. Also, I couldn't pass up a chance to see Robert Mitchum.
It was interesting seeing Mitchum acting with his son.
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Thompson »

“It’s a town full of losers and we’re pullin’ out to win.”

Yeah, this is a classic. It screams of cool unrelated scenes. Mitchum is a reefer smoking whiskey runner extraordinaire. His son maybe needs some help in acting 101, but maybe it was supposed to look that way. There were parts I missed but for a moonshine whiskey movie I didn’t see any drinking at all.
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jamesjazzguitar
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by jamesjazzguitar »

ElCid wrote: January 15th, 2023, 12:03 pm James. Thanks for your comments re: why it has noir elements. I watched, but did not hear Eddie explain why he thought it was noir. I think another noir element was that it was kind of "dark" in many settings, especially the night time driving scenes.
Liked that Eddie explained that it was filmed in Transylvania Co., NC, but the city location apparently was in Asheville (Buncombe Co.), note Asheville Pharmacy in a couple of scenes. Major city in Transylvania Co. is Brevard. No vampires.
I actually have a 45 RPM record of Mitchum singing "The Ballad of Thunder Road." The reverse has him singing "My Honey's Lovin' Arms."
Yes, I did look at the cars quite closely. Interesting, especially the '55 to '57 models.
Overall, I think it rates highly as a very interesting and entertaining movie, but then Mitchum fails to entertain.
Eddie's after the film comments has a political tone related to overreach by the Federal government as it relates to regulations, taxes and a over burdensome Federal government, that benefited the rising corporate America while hurting mom and pop types businesses. Note that the moonshiners that Mitchum's family was associated with made a first class product. I think that is important since it supports the POV that these moonshiners were not hurting anyone. There has been other movies where the Feds crackdown on moonshiners but they were sell crap that could hurt someone or even kill them. Those type of moonshiners should be shutdown, but mom and pop businesses that make a first rate product and don't sell to minors; like I said, these were decent Christians folks.
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ElCid
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by ElCid »

jamesjazzguitar wrote: January 15th, 2023, 2:46 pm
ElCid wrote: January 15th, 2023, 12:03 pm James. Thanks for your comments re: why it has noir elements. I watched, but did not hear Eddie explain why he thought it was noir. I think another noir element was that it was kind of "dark" in many settings, especially the night time driving scenes.
Liked that Eddie explained that it was filmed in Transylvania Co., NC, but the city location apparently was in Asheville (Buncombe Co.), note Asheville Pharmacy in a couple of scenes. Major city in Transylvania Co. is Brevard. No vampires.
I actually have a 45 RPM record of Mitchum singing "The Ballad of Thunder Road." The reverse has him singing "My Honey's Lovin' Arms."
Yes, I did look at the cars quite closely. Interesting, especially the '55 to '57 models.
Overall, I think it rates highly as a very interesting and entertaining movie, but then Mitchum fails to entertain.
Eddie's after the film comments has a political tone related to overreach by the Federal government as it relates to regulations, taxes and a over burdensome Federal government, that benefited the rising corporate America while hurting mom and pop types businesses. Note that the moonshiners that Mitchum's family was associated with made a first class product. I think that is important since it supports the POV that these moonshiners were not hurting anyone. There has been other movies where the Feds crackdown on moonshiners but they were sell crap that could hurt someone or even kill them. Those type of moonshiners should be shutdown, but mom and pop businesses that make a first rate product and don't sell to minors; like I said, these were decent Christians folks.
James, not sure where you got the above from. They were not decent Christian folks, but rather hypocrites. Remember, render unto Caesar what is Caesar's. Therefore, they were stealing. If other alcoholic beverage producers had to pay taxes, then everyone producing should.
Not sure where you get government overreach from and other burdens from the federal government. US government had taxed alcohol since nation founded. The Congress (every one of them) determined they would tax alcohol, just as they taxed imports, other products and eventually incomes. Producing moonshine was not a mom and pop business, but an illegal activity. They did NOT want to pay taxes on it or comply with purity standards. All mom and pop businesses are taxed and always have been.
As for "first class product," moonshine in that period was notorious for impurities, lead poisoning and many other problems. Almost all moonshiners used lead to solder all the pieces together and the water came straight out of streams and rivers with no checks for impurities. No telling how much rust and other nasty things got into the moonshine. Not to mention additives to make it taste better or go down "smoother." It may have been clear, but was far from pure.
So, they were hurting a lot of people potentially and depriving the various governments of legal revenue which resulted in other people paying higher taxes. Including all other mom and pop businesses
It was a way to make money without paying taxes on it and to charge a high price.
A very good, very entertaining movie, but pure Hollywood fiction. :smiley_cheers:
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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ElCid
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by ElCid »

Hoganman1 wrote: January 15th, 2023, 12:42 pm Agreed, it's not a noir in the purist sense. However, it's a good film about rural life in the 50s. Also, I couldn't pass up a chance to see Robert Mitchum.
It was interesting seeing Mitchum acting with his son.
A good Mitchum movie and not a bad theme song. But, it may have been about rural, mountain life among moonshiners of the 1950's, but not about "rural life in the '50's."
My wife grew up in a rural mountain community in TN in the '50's and nobody she knew produced moonshine.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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ElCid
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by ElCid »

Thompson wrote: January 15th, 2023, 1:07 pm “It’s a town full of losers and we’re pullin’ out to win.”

Yeah, this is a classic. It screams of cool unrelated scenes. Mitchum is a reefer smoking whiskey runner extraordinaire. His son maybe needs some help in acting 101, but maybe it was supposed to look that way. There were parts I missed but for a moonshine whiskey movie I didn’t see any drinking at all.
They were probably scared to drink their own products. :lol: Did see drinking from regular bottles and mixed drinks in restaurant and nightclub scenes. In the cafe scene near the end, Mitchum had a regular alcohol bottle on the table and two Canada Dry ginger ale bottles being used for chasers or mixers. Also, did not see Mitchum smoking "reefers", only a lot of cigarettes straight out of a package.
The car is a 1958 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman hardtop.
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Thompson »

Mitchum was smoking those long cigarettes, the best smoker of course is Bogart, especially when he uses that Bull Durum and pours it out and rolls it. It’s a short cigarette. It’s a beautiful thing to see rolled and smoked. Mitchum wasn’t smokin’ no left handers you are right ElCid but he had that reputation and he looked kinda stoned to me in the movie.
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Dargo
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Dargo »

Thompson wrote: January 15th, 2023, 8:05 pm ...Mitchum wasn’t smokin’ no left handers you are right ElCid but he had that reputation and he looked kinda stoned to me in the movie.
Whacha talkin' 'bout here, Thompson?!

Heck, Mitchum ALWAYS looked like he was stoned in just about every movie he was ever in!

(...that was just his natural expression, dude)

;)
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Dargo
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Re: Noir Alley

Post by Dargo »

And btw and regarding this recent Noir Alley presentation of THUNDER ROAD...

I guess the old adage "The third time's the charm" would best apply to my take on this film, as over the years I recall watching this one twice before and never previously thought all that much of it. However, after my viewing of it last night, I found myself liking it much more than I had in the past.

(...perhaps mainly because I've come to appreciate Mitchum's unique acting style more and more over the years)
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