Lazy Sunday: Film Noir
Posted by: chatblu on: December 12, 2010
- In: movies | Open Thread | Uncategorized
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Ah, film noir! That gritty genre laden with crime, sexuality and ambivalence. The 1940′s and 1950′s were replete with these movies, and some have attained classic status. They are black and white with very low key lighting, lots of cops, ex-cops, boxers, and private investigators. H/T to DYB for this suggestion
Here are my fav five, in no particular order:
(1) The Maltese Falcon (1941): This is probably the greatest detective story ever filmed, and it’s self-contained. I’ve seen it (literally) hundreds of times and it never gets old.
(2) The Asphalt Jungle (1950): This just has to be the granddaddy of all crime films.
(3) Sunset Boulevard (1950): Queasy sex, gunshots, madness and betrayal – this one’s got it all.
(4) In a Lonely Place (1950): A study of profound darkness in humanity.
(5) Night and the City (1950): This one has possibly the best ever noir ending.
This is an open thread.
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56 Responses to "Lazy Sunday: Film Noir"
December 12, 2010 at 9:05 AM
La petite mort! One of the sexiest scenes ever filmed, from “Gilda” ( 1946 ) :
December 12, 2010 at 9:19 AM
My favorite Gloria Grahame performance, “The Big Heat” ( 1953 ) :
December 12, 2010 at 9:43 AM
Alan Ladd to Veronica Lake: “Every guy’s seen you before. Someplace. The trick is to find you.” “The Blue Dahlia” ( 1946 ) :
December 12, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Ohhhh, love this genre too! Great picks, all.
One of the all-time classics: “Double Indemnity.”
December 12, 2010 at 10:04 AM
One of my favourite genres! Beata, you beat me to the Big Heat – love Gloria Grahame! Here’s Lizabeth Scott in Dead Reckoning – with of course, Bogart.
December 12, 2010 at 10:14 AM
The marvelous Edward G. Robinson in Key Largo, along with those other, lesser known actors (tongue firmly in cheek here) Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buV3ZqOQw5A
December 12, 2010 at 10:26 AM
oops, sorry about the last one not embedding.
Another favorite from 1950 – Panic in the Streets with Richard Widmark, Jack Palance and Zero Mostel. Apparently the studio let the copyright on this one lapse, so it’s Public Domain and can be watched in it’s entirety on the Internet archives site.
December 12, 2010 at 10:31 AM
Bogie and Baby’s best film together, IMO. “Dark Passage” (1947) :
December 12, 2010 at 10:38 AM
Speaking of Bogie and Bacall: One of my faves is “The Big Sleep.” What’s going on? I don’t know, and I don’t care. The movie is unbelievable.
December 12, 2010 at 10:39 AM
I used to watch a 7inch black and white TV until the wee hours of the morning as a youngster because that was the only time they ran these movies. Wasn’t much good at school the next day, but it was worth it!
Road House, 1948
December 12, 2010 at 10:52 AM
This is so much fun – I’ll be watching clips all day, which is just as well – it’s Dec 12th and it’s raining cats and dogs here. My poor dog will have to wait for our daily walk.
M – Peter Lorre, 1931 – a very dark film which scared the bejeebus out of me. Warning, it’s a German film, so subtitles involved, but Lorre is magnificent.
December 12, 2010 at 11:01 AM
Totally OT, but oh my goodness – the inflatable roof over the Minneapolis football stadium has collapsed due to extremely heavy snow. For you football heads, that means the Giants-Vikings game, which had already been postponed due to the snow, will now have to be moved to another venue.
December 12, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Ooh yeah, Double Indemnity… Just for the dialogue alone when Macmurray and Stanwick first meet (so smart, so racy, so good!). And a plot that makes sense– none of that unpleasant WTF aftertaste that a Raymond Chandler plot tends to deliver.
December 12, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Chat, thanks – that is one excellent movie.
Madama, I hope no one was physically harmed.
Okay, another Richard Widmark (I love that actor). Kiss of Death 1947.
December 12, 2010 at 11:18 AM
I should add that Maltese Falcon and Big Chill are both beautiful films and favorites of mine as well, I still go “now, who was that guy and how does he fit in”? But beautiful films for their cinematography, mood, characters, acting, grit… Yes, very good films.
December 12, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Off to get ready for the Empty Plates protest today. (See the top of the blog for information if you’re in NYC.) Later, Widdershins!
December 12, 2010 at 11:27 AM
@17: HT, Widmark was sooooooo maniacally evil in “Kiss of Death”! It really established him as an actor. A noir classic performance.
December 12, 2010 at 11:39 AM
@21 Ah Beata, I sense another Widmark fan. Yes he was eeeevil in that movie – loved it. In Panic in the Streets, he was a good guy chasing after Jack Palance, who was so evil it was scary – btw, that was Jack’s second role in the movies, and the one that really got him noticed. The other really bad guy of the time was James Cagney – grapefruit scene in Kiss of Death, final scene in Public Enemy – brilliant. And let’s not forget the Hitchcock villains – Robert Walker in Strangers on a train, Farley Granger in Rope, Joseph Cotton in Shadow of a Doubt speaking of which
December 12, 2010 at 11:39 AM
There’s also Robert Aldrich’s “Kiss Me Deadly.” What a strange movie with a suitcase that glows. (This is where Quentin Tarantino lifted his glowing suitcase in “Pulp Fiction” from.) And talk about shocking endings: a nuclear bomb explodes!
December 12, 2010 at 11:43 AM
What’s noir without Hitch! I give you “Strangers on a Train.”
December 12, 2010 at 11:46 AM
And one of my all-time favorite movies, “The Third Man.” This is Orson Welles’ improvised “Cuckoo Clock” speech.
December 12, 2010 at 11:48 AM
And a little neo-noir. “Neo” because it’s in color, but we studied it in my noir class in college anyway. It’s “Chinatown.”
December 12, 2010 at 11:49 AM
DYB, I was wondering where you were – this is right up your alley, and here we were thinking along similar lines at the same time. No noir retrospective is complete without Hitchcock.
December 12, 2010 at 11:52 AM
My computer won’t let me imbed, but how about “The Snake Pit” with Olivia de Havilland and “The Lost Weekend” with Ray Milland?
Very “out there” for their time.
December 12, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Pat, I thought about both movies, but I’m starting to hog the thread. For you
December 12, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Pat, you should be able to embed just by pasting the “embed” link from youtube. I don’t do anything extra, no extra codes, nothing. The embed link usually works.
December 12, 2010 at 12:01 PM
Beata> I worked until 5am this morning. (Started at 10am on Saturday), so I took a nap.
December 12, 2010 at 12:05 PM
And what is noir without Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, with both de Havilland and Davis playing against type.
December 12, 2010 at 12:21 PM
@22: “Shadow of a Doubt” was Hitchcock’s favorite film. Mine, too ( along with “Notorious” ). Teresa Wright gave a wonderful performance as “Charley”. I think “Charley” was Hitch’s most fully-developed female character. No ice blonde “dream girl” there but a smart, independent young woman.
December 12, 2010 at 12:28 PM
@34> I agree. We studied “Shadow” in college. “What is the melody that keeps playing throughout the movie? And what significance does it have? Discuss.” (I hate school! LOL.)
December 12, 2010 at 1:18 PM
@34 Beata, I agree, Teresa Wright was brilliant, and it really was the most rounded female role. Amazing movie.
I love all of the clips – to my eternal amazement, I’ve seen all these movies multiple times. Where did I get the time?
Night of the Hunter – Robert Mitchum Evil, Lillian Gish Beatific.
December 12, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Not one of Joan’s better things but when it’s on I try to catch it.
December 12, 2010 at 2:38 PM
off topic but: video from inside the metrodome as the roof collapses.
December 12, 2010 at 8:20 PM
Fredster, holy crap! That is insane. Thanks for linking it!
We need more Hitchcock on this thread. What about “Dial M for Murder?” In color, but still noir.
December 12, 2010 at 9:00 PM
NOW Urges Senate to Reject Obama Tax Plan
Economy Can Be Stimulated Without Undermining Social Security
Statement of NOW President Terry O’Neill
http://now.org/press/12-10/12-10.html
December 12, 2010 at 9:44 PM
Woot, I forgot about Dial M for Murder. A great pick. How about Sorry wrong number…..
December 12, 2010 at 9:50 PM
DYB@45: Oh I loved that film. I liked the detective with the glasses…easy on the eyes. 
Watching Dallas vs Philly. I enjoy watching Michael Vick get dropped to the ground. 
As far as I’m concerned he should have never been let back in to the NFL. Saw an article about him and his terrible finances…hard to get by on 3.5 mill or so because of all of his legal fees and other crap. 
Oh well if he hadn’t been a dog-killer he’d have never gotten to this point would he?
Back to the game.
December 12, 2010 at 9:51 PM
“Sorry, Wrong Number!” Is a fantastic pick. I also loved “L.A. Confidential.”
Speaking of neo-noirs starring Kevin Spacey…”The Usual Suspects.” An amazing film. (Sorry, am on my BB and can’t embed a YouTube.)
December 12, 2010 at 10:06 PM
Yes, Michael Vick is a dog-killing bastard. I was horrified when I heard he had been hired in Philly. A lot of the fans were, too.
December 12, 2010 at 11:16 PM
An interesting op-ed by Frank Rich about a recently pulled piece from a gay-themed exhibit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/opinion/12rich.html?_r=1
Pat, what is he getting emotional about? I can’t bring myself to click play.
December 12, 2010 at 11:23 PM
Pat@50: I think Boner is a boozer. Just from what I’ve seen a few times when he looks like he is hung over.
December 12, 2010 at 11:29 PM
DYB: He is emotional because he is an American. He is emotional because he is there to serve. He is emotional because he has the opportuntity to stand for reelection.
He is emotional because he was probably close to being rip roaring drunk.
He is fast moving up my list of all time “faves” and about to overcome the my first place choice of Michele Bachmann.
December 12, 2010 at 11:37 PM
Pat@55: Well starting in January you’re gonna be able to see a lot of him. Bleh.
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December 12, 2010 at 8:55 AM
Oh, I love this genre! My favorite film noir is “Laura” ( 1944 ) :