Shoot To Kill (1947)

Today's noir, 1947's 'Shoot To Kill', was also released under the name 'Police Reporter', as can be seen by the poster image to the left. There were tons of 40s & 50s crime programmers with titles containing the word 'reporter', 'investigator', 'inspector', 'federal agent' and so on... And often these crime movies would follow the crime busting government agency docu-noir mold. This one however, does not, and is a straight up noir.

The movie starts off fast, with a car chase ending in a crash. There is only one survivor, Marian Langdon (Luana Walters). But what puzzles the police is the identities of the two deceased men in the car. What were Marian's husband D.A. Lawrence Dale (Edmund MacDonald), and escaped convict Dixie Logan (Robert Kent) doing in the same car and why were they running away from the cops? At the hospital, crime reporter George 'Mitch' Mitchell (Russell Wade) tries to get the scoop from Marian, who explains everything to him... Starting with the court case where Dale, still an assistant D.A., successfully prosecuted Logan, despite Logan claming innocence all the way through. Soon after Marian becomes Dale's secretary, with some help from Mitch, and they eventually fall in love... But nothing is what it seems. Dale is working his way up the ladder by keeping close relationships with the local rackteers, and Marian also isn't quite the charming young lady she pretends to be. She has an agenda of her own, as Dale finds out on their wedding night, making his volatile relationship with those gangsters even more difficult... And then Logan manages to escape prison as well!

The cast, and the slightly outrageous plotline, should already give you an idea that 'Shoot To Kill' is a decidedly B-effort. Not that that means it is bad, I find these B-noirs often have their own charm, and they are almost invariably well-made, as is the case here. Director William Berke was a veteran B director, in many genres, but westerns seemed to have been his forté. As proven with this movie however, he was just as adept at delivering a solid crime movie. He also directed a few other obscure noir-ish movies such as 'Highway 13', 'F.B.I. Girl' and 'Roaring City'. But it's really the cinematography by Benjamin H. Kline that makes 'Shoot To Kill' stand out. Kline's primarily known for lensing the classic B-noir 'Detour', but he also shows flair and skill here. He manages to elevate this movie a notch by making great use of shadows, close-ups and darkness. Given that this movie was apparently made in under a week, some of the set-ups are quite remarkable, and show the craftsmanship of the cast & crew.

The movie's main stars, Russell Wade and Luana Walters, weren't the biggest leading stars, not even in B terms. Wade's biggest moment, or at least the one I imagine he's mostly remembered for, was opposite Boris Karloff in 1945's 'The Body Snatcher'. He's not exactly a charismatic or talented actor and he's unremarkable in this movie. Except for how he comes across. With a hat he comes across as a rugged John Payne like guy, without it he's got more a friendly Hugh Beaumont like face. He never quite made it as leading man in B-movies, quitting the business only a year after completing this movie. The leading lady of this movie, Luana Walters, had been a starlet in B westerns and lighter fare prior to this movie, but her career was already on the decline. She's billed here as Susan Walters, I presume in a failed attempt to give her career a new boost. It's a shame, as she gives a solid performance here, both as the sweet and genteel Marian as well as the more conniving one. Her career's downwards trajectory also wasn't helped by her husband's early death in 1945 which led to her becoming an alcoholic. She died too young at the age of 50.

Robert Kent, appearing under his real name Douglas Blackley here, is convincing as Logan, playing him with a lot of pent up anger. But whether it was under his real name or his acting name, his career was unremarkable. His noir credentials include programmers like 'Federal Agent At Large' and 'Big Town After Dark', decent time-wasters in their own right but unlikely to end up in any top 10 list. Unfortunately he too ended up an alcoholic. Edmund MacDonald ('Detour', Fritz Lang's 'Hangmen Also Die!') was also a B-actor, but unlike the others he managed to carve out a niche for himself. His oily looks made him perfect for playing anything from slick cads to more menacing, sleazy characters. He's perfectly cast as the ambitious and crooked D.A. here, altho his looks do give away from the start he's not beyond bending the law, heh... A stroke cut his career short, he died a few years later at only 43 years old.

The movie's screenplay was written by Edwin V. Westrate, an author mostly remembered for his military related books. But his handful of screenplays had nothing to do with that, and 'Shoot To Kill' is a particularly twisty affair. There are plenty of twists and doublecrosses in the script, and there's even a flashback within a flashback. To be fair, the latter has nothing on 1946's 'The Locket' which has a flashback within a flashback within a flashback, and it pulls it off convincingly! But still, the screenplay is a notch above the usual straight-forward B fare for these kinds of programmers. It doesn't all quite add up tho, and there is also a severe lack of what I would consider hard-boiled or quotable dialogue, which is something I do look for in my noirs. The dialogue is quite stilted at times, clearly this was not Westrate's strongest point when it came to writing. Which also explains the lack of quotes in this review, I simply couldn't find one interesting or witty enough to use for this piece.

The movie wasn't exactly hailed as a classic back in the day, as can be read in this brief review from the NY Times from 1947: 'an all-around amateurish job of movie-making'. I definitely wouldn't go that far tho. Yes, it's certainly not a hidden gem, but it's fast-paced, it's got some stand-out visuals and all in all is a perfectly fine way to spend a lost hour or so on. In short, a solid B-noir.

6+/10

Fall Guy (1947)

Cornell Woolrich's novels and short stories were a rich source of inspiration for films noirs and beyond. Noirs like 'Black Angel', 'The Chase', 'Fear In The Night' and 'Phantom Lady' but also the Hitchcock classic 'Rear Window' were all based on his writings. 1947's 'Fall Guy' was based on his short story 'Cocaine' which first appeared in the legendary pulp magazine Black Mask in 1940 under the title 'C-Jag', and was also published in other magazines under the titles 'Dream Of Death' and 'Just Enough To Cover A Thumbnail'.

Director Reginald Le Borg and cinematographer Mack Stengler don't have a lot of noir credentials under their belt, they worked mainly on quick programmers for the lower end of a double bill. Stengler did work on another Woolrich adaptation tho, 1948's film noir 'I Wouldn't Be In Your Shoes'. First time producer Walter Mirisch would later, together with his brothers, produce several classic movies like 'Some Like It Hot' and 'West Side Story'!

Tom Cochrane (Leo Penn, credited as Clifford Penn) is the 'fall guy' here. One night he passes out in a dark alley, with someone else's blood all over his clothes and his pocket knife. In hospital the next morning, police inspector Shannon (Douglas Fowley) is asking him what happened and who the victim is. Cochrane decides to escape rather than get arrested there and then. He manages to convince his fiancee Lois (Teala Loring) and his brother-in-law Mac McLaine (Robert Armstrong) that he's innocent even if he has only a vague recollection of what happened. He remembers getting dragged to a party by an elevator jockey called Joe (Elisha Cook Jr.), whom he just met that evening. At the party torch singer Marie (Virginia Dale) slipped him what must've been a spiked drink... After he woke up, he found the dead body of a girl in a closet in the apartment. Barely able to stand up, he managed to go outside before collapsing in the alley... Mac, who's a cop, decides he wants to help Cochrane find out the truth before turning him in. Together they go in search of the apartment, Joe, and Marie...

I was not really aware of Leo Penn (credited as 'Clifford Penn' here) before watching this movie, and I can't say I was impressed by his acting in this movie. 'Lightweight' seems to be the right word to describe him. At no point does he convince or seem terribly upset with the predicament he's supposed to face. Penn would quickly move on to work in TV, both as an actor as well as a director. As an interesting sidenote, he's the father of more famous actors Sean & Chris Penn.

Teala Loring comes off as a 'B' version of Rita Hayworth in the looks department, which is not a bad thing at all! She is also pretty decent in this movie acting-wise altho her part as Tom's fiancee is fairly limited. 'Fall Guy' was one of her final movies before retiring from acting, her credentials include such B's as 'Bluebeard' and the Charlie Chan vehicle 'Dark Alibi'. In 'Fall Guy' she lives in with her uncle Jim while waiting for Tom to make up his mind about their marriage and future life. Uncle Jim is played by Charles Arnt, a very familiar face in dozens of 40s movies including noirs like 'The Man Who Cheated Himself', 'Strange Illusion' and 'Hollow Triumph'.

- I take trips in my dreams too, but I don't call it killing!
- Yeah but you don't wake up with blood on your clothes... on your hands... on your knife.

Robert Armstrong is good enough as the grumpy but steadfast brother-in-law. However, whoever cast Armstrong forgot that this 50-something year old actor, with his rugged face and grey hair that made him look even older, was supposed to play a 36-year old man, as shown in a newspaper article halfway through the movie! Not that I have a problem with Armstrong, he's fine, but it makes you wonder if the casting director even looked at the script. Also watch closely as Mac, with Cochrane and Lois, drive away from a cinema. The marquee of the theater shows it's playing a double bill consisting of 'Decoy' and an unnamed 2nd movie. 'Decoy' is a wacky, unique film noir from 1946, with Robert Armstrong as a criminal who dies in the gas chamber and is then brought back to life again!

Saving the best for last, noir favorite Elisha Cook Jr. is far and away the biggest name in this movie. He is his usual solid self, but he doesn't have to do a whole lot here. It's one of the unwritten laws of film noir that Elisha Cook Jr. does not make it to the end of a noir alive or victorious. This noir is no different! And that's not giving away too much. Either way, it's always a pleasure to see him turn up in a noir.

Despite the obvious low budget for the movie, production company Monogram Pictures wasn't one of the so-called Poverty Row film companies for no reason, the movie looks fairly decent, also by cleverly mixing in quite a bit of stock footage for the sequences showing Mac and Cochrane walking all over NYC to find clues. In an unintentionally funny instance tho, there's a birds eye view of a NYC street at night that clearly freezes for a second or so, cars stopping all at the exact same moment, before dissolving into the next shot. Sets are also recycled, interior sets doubling for several apartments and such. But this is most painfully obvious when several entrances to subway stations all look exactly the same, except for a banner hanging above the entrance with a different street number. Chances are all those scenes were shot in a single afternoon as well.

Then I saw the singer, she wasn't bad-looking. You might not give her a second thought, but you'd look twice.

The movie starts out quite decent, with an intriguing set-up. But the middle part with Mac and Cochrane wandering around NYC and a too-long semi-comedic segment where they're questioning the owners of what they think is the apartment where the party was, almost feel like filler even if it's decently done. Things pick up again for the last third of the movie with a few minor twists. The final reveal however comes almost completely out of left-field, hats off to anyone who saw that one coming. I have no idea if this was also lifted from Woolrich's story, but it's more of a 'hmmm' ending than a real 'wowza' twist. So after the promising start, the movie doesn't quite live up to it afterwards. It also doesn't quite have the dark noir look either, apart from a few spots here and there. But at least it moves along at a fast pace, which is pretty much the main requirement for these types of cheap programmers. It's worthy of a watch if you're into these cheapo B's, it has its charms, but if you're looking for a good Woolrich adaptation, look elsewhere.

6/10

Lady In The Lake (1947)

Raymond Chandler's iconic private eye Philip Marlowe has been portrayed by many actors. Humphrey Bogart in 'The Big Sleep' (1946), Dick Powell in 'Murder, My Sweet' (1944) and Robert Mitchum in 1978's remake of 'The Big Sleep' come to mind. Robert Montgomery's take on Philip Marlowe in 1947's 'Lady In The Lake' might not be as well-known as the ones above, but in many ways his portrayal of the character, and the movie as a whole is the most unique. The most unique film noir you'll ever watch.

Robert Montgomery, who both directed this movie and played the lead, decided to take a radically different approach to Chandler's novel of the same name; a novel first published in 1943, but which itself was based on several earlier short stories, including one also entitled 'Lady In The Lake'. MGM got Chandler to write a screenplay for it, but Steve Fisher (author of 'I Wake Up Screaming') also wrote one, possibly at Montgomery's request, which is what ended up being used. One of the ways the screenplay strays from the original is in turning several smaller characters into much more important ones.

You'll see it just as I saw it. You'll meet the people, you'll find the clues... And maybe you'll solve it quick, and maybe you won't.

As with another Chandler novel/adaptation, 'The Big Sleep,' the plot is full of turns and twists and no one is who they appear to be. Phillip Marlowe (yes, with 2 l's) is trying to get some extra money by submitting a story to a pulp magazine. He's invited to the publisher's office to discuss terms, meeting with Adrienne Fromsett (Audrey Totter). There, she persuades him to look into the disappearance of her boss's wife, Chrystal Kingsby. Derace Kingsby (Leon Ames), the boss, is amidst divorce proceedings and needs his wife present to sign documents. Marlowe accepts and before he knows it he's in over his head in a big way. The twisting plot where people and things are not what they seem, and a new clue means nothing is not important. Like all good noirs with labyrinthian plots, think 'The Big Sleep,' it's all about slipping into the right mood and feeling the atmosphere, the psychological make-up of the characters and what drives them, discovering their real motives, hearing the crackling dialog. 'Lady In The Lake' has it all, in spades.

The movie plays out in one long flashback, told from the perspective of Marlowe. In the most literal way, the entire movie, save for a few short scenes where Marlowe addresses the viewer directly to summarize details, is seen through his eyes. Marlowe himself is never seen except reflected in mirrors. This wasn't the first movie to use the subjective camera point of view but it most likely is the first major studio movie to use it as such. Not even 'Dark Passage,' another noir released a year before, and famous for using this technique, used it to this extent. As Marlowe/Robert Montgomery explains at the start of the movie, this gives the viewer a chance to see the case through his eyes, to see if they can crack the case and pick up on the same clues that Marlowe had to go on. An interesting idea, but it failed to connect with audiences at the time. It is also one of several things that are commonly seen as negative about this movie in noir circles.

Using this technique also meant that the actors who did appear in front of the camera needed to be comfortable looking directly into the lens. This was no problem for Audrey Totter ('Tension', 'The Set-Up') whose Adrienne Fromsett is the real star player of the movie, who drives the plot forward. Totter seems completely at ease with this unusual way of acting and gives an amazing performance. With her expressive face and big eyes, she makes use of it all to great effect. The way she flirts with and talks to the camera is incredible. She's a natural and her take on this role is one of the reasons she's one of my favorite ladies of noir. The other main female character, played by Jayne Meadows ('Song Of The Thin Man', 'Undercurrent'), also gives a strong performance. She starts out as Mrs.Fallbrook, Lavery's supposed landlady, but as the movie progresses she turns out to be somebody else, complete with different personalities and manners of speaking. Both Totter's and Meadows' characters are minor and relatively irrelevant in the original novel, but are given a much more important role in this adaptation. To some this deviation from the original, is a source of criticism.

We have a nasty little motto around here: "Every man has his price."

Robert Montgomery plays Marlowe as cynically and verbally abusive as can be. It also doesn't help that you hardly ever see him, leaving little ambiguity about his words. This is a Marlowe that isn't likable, he's mean, never a nice thing to say, and seems to generally dislike people and life. Add that to the list of gripes about this movie too. Of all the actors in this movie, Lloyd Nolan ('The Street With No Name', 'The House On 92nd Street') seemed the least comfortable addressing the camera directly; he is fidgety at times and looks away from the lens too often. But all in all, they both do an admirable job, considering they had to unlearn some common acting lessons such as no looking straight into the camera.

There's a few other ways in which this movie stands out: it uses a lot of long takes, even if there are quite a few cheat-cuts to make it seem like it's an even longer continuous take. Because the movie has very little action, it is full of dialogues. There are many scenes in which an actor is essentially doing a monologue facing the lens with Montgomery/Marlowe responding off-camera. There's also no real soundtrack, apart from a choir providing occasional, rather eery, background music in theme with the Christmas season the movie takes place in. It's certainly a different viewing experience.

There are several scenes where the first person view really works in ways that would be much harder to accomplish if filmed the traditional way. The scene where Marlowe finds Lavery's dead body in the shower cabin is incredibly creepy and quite graphic considering the era, with the choir music adding to the suspense and tension. Later on, when Marlowe's car is pushed off the road and he is stumbling out, he crawls on hands and knees to a phone booth, badly hurt and barely conscious, with the camera going in and out of focus. This crawling alone takes over a minute and all that is shown during this time are his hands as he slowly moves. It's a very effective way of showing his condition without showing Marlowe himself.

- Stop getting involved in other people's murders. Why be a private detective at all?
- Why eat? You only get hungry again.

Aesthetically, the movie does not have the noir look but everything else about it: the story, the characters, the twists and turns, the ambiguity, the psychology and morality, it's all noir. While it may not work for some, the first person view can really draw you in, giving it a different kind of noir aesthetic that relies a lot more on combining what you see with the atmosphere of the scene rather than on chiaroscuro lighting.

There are other unusual touches to the movie, including a Christmas-y credit roll making it seem as if you were watching something like 'It's A Wonderful Life', until it ends with the image of a gun. It also includes a credit for Crystal Kingsby, who is supposedly played by Ellay Mort. Except she never appears in the movie, it's a phony credit, Ellay Mort when spoken out loud means 'she is dead' in French. There are even scenes where the viewer/Marlowe is on the phone and, as one tends to do whilst on the phone, looking at nothing in particular. And so, during the entire conversation you're staring at a piece of furniture! Also watch out for some funny phone calls.

As you may have gathered, there is a decently long list of gripes that are commonly brought up about this movie. As you may also have gathered, I don't agree with any of them. I love it! What others see as working against it, I see the other way around. Robert Montgomery clearly went out on a limb with this movie, and I applaud him for it. The only other noir that he directed and starred in, 'Ride The Pink Horse', is also rather atypical. The man simply didn't want to walk the beaten path, and that is never a bad thing. 'Lady In The Lake' is a movie I can watch over and over again. It's a one-of-a-kind noir experience. Most hate it, some love it, like I do.

Besides, what's not to love about a movie where you're the person being kissed by Audrey Totter?!

9/10

The Web (1947)

It is usually not a good idea to judge a book by its cover, but if you've not seen this movie yet you might be tempted to judge 1947's 'The Web' by its poster. The main names on there are all well-known and well-remembered noir names: Edmond O'Brien ('D.O.A.', 'The Killers', 'The Hitch-Hiker', 'White Heat'), Ella Raines ('Brute Force', 'Phantom Lady'), William Bendix ('The Glass Key', 'The Blue Dahlia', 'The Big Steal') and Vincent Price ('Laura', 'Shock', 'The Bribe')... And those are just some of the noirs they've played in. Enough to make anybody interested in film noir salivate. But there's more...

Director Michael Gordon, while not showing up often in the list of noir directors, also directed a few more noirs such as 'Woman In Hiding' and 'The Lady Gambles'. The story was originally penned by Harry Kurnitz who wrote a couple of stories in the popular Thin Man series as well as co-wrote the screenplay for 'Witness For The Prosecution' together with legendary director Billy Wilder. Kurnitz's story was turned into a screenplay by William Bowers ('Convicted', 'Cry Danger') and Bertram Millhauser ('Walk A Crooked Mile'), Bowers still at the start of his career while Millhauser had already done most of his work by this time, his earliest credit on IMDb is from 1911! The cinematography was handled by Irving Glassberg ('Shakedown', 'Larceny'), according to IMDb this was only his 2^nd movie as a DoP, his first one was a movie from 1932! The music was composed by Hans J. Salter ('The Reckless Moment', 'Scarlet Street'). So the noir credentials are there, especially but not just in the acting department.

'If you prove that it's murder, you prove that you're a murderer.'

The story is centered around Robert 'Bob' Regan (O'Brien), a cocky and smug low-level attorney who storms into the office of wealthy enterpreneur Andrew Colby (Price) to give him his summons for damages he caused for the royal sum of $68.75. Impressed with Regan's attitude, Colby hires him as a bodyguard, to protect him from Leopold Kroner. Kroner did 5 years for selling counterfeited bonds from Colby's company, raking in a cool million dollars before getting caught, and sentenced in part due to Colby's testimony. Kroner was released earlier that day and Colby suspects he wants to come after him. Regan is wary but the $5000 paycheck is too good an opportunity to pass up on, plus Colby's personal secretary Noel Faraday (a ravishing Raines) is an added incentive. He gets himself a gun permit from his old neighborhood buddy Lt. Damico (Bendix, for once on the good side of the law) and he is on the job. That evening, after making sure all entrances and exits to the Colby residence are closed, and Regan is chatting up the cool-playing Faraday, a shot is fired upstairs. Regan rushes upstairs and finds Colby in a struggle with Kroner, and when Kroner turns around with a gun in his hand, Regan shoots and kills Kroner. At the inquest it is determined it was self defense and justifiable, so Regan gets off without any charges, but Damico doesn't trust it. And after Regan finds soon after that Kroner was in fact invited by Colby to drop by that fatal evening, Regan knows he's been used as a patsy, as a convenient way for Colby to get rid of Kroner. But what can he do, he killed Kroner, if he proves it was murder, he's the murderer, not Colby...

Regan's predicament is pure noir. He's your archetypical patsy, who comes in thinking he's clever and pretty content with himself, and then realizes he has been taken for a ride all along. Edmond O'Brien, a bonafide noir icon, was made to play these types of smug characters, he had the perfect type of personality and aura, and he's great here, giving his usual solid performance. He's one of my favorites in film noir, and this movie gives me no reason to change my opinion of him. The same can be said for Vincent Price who plays a suave industrialist who seems too oily and devious right from the start but who is also smart and quick with his mind. Price was great at portraying these debonair, but menacing, characters. Bendix usually played heavies/criminals in his noirs, but here he's a cop, even wearing glasses. As Damico he does not mind bending the rules a little tho, when he gets Regan a gun permit without any hassle or tests, simply because of their neighborhood past. He doesn't have too much to do here, but it's always great to see Bendix in a noir.

Together with O'Brien, Ella Raines is the revelation of this movie however. I loved her in her role as Noel Faraday, whose name and character seems an obvious reference to the term Girl Friday. Noel lives in with Colby and Colby's friend and assistant Charles (John Abbott, 'The Mask Of Dimitrios', 'Deception'), but a romantic or sexual relationship between her and Colby is hardly ever implied. Some vague remarks are made that could be interpreted as such, but not a whole lot more. There's some funny and playful banter between her and Regan however, who is more than a little interested in her. Faraday keeps her distance but also enjoys the attention and does not mind getting involved in all the indirect and direct innuendo's that are exchanged between them. But she also has her loyalty to Colby to maintain. Raines is perfect here, as Noel Faraday she is beautiful, friendly, cheeky but coy, but also distant and professional. All the main actors do a great job in this movie, but Raines stood out the most for me here.

'If I could get loose for 5 minutes, I'd kick myself around the block.'

There's a very small part for Howland Chamberlain as the author James Nolan who's hit it big with a novel but was once a reporter working on the Kroner case. Regan visits  him looking for a clue or a lead. At first Nolan speaks in a pretty posh manner as he's a distinguished author now, but once Regan asks about the old case Nolan falls back into his past reporter persona, speaks again in his true accent and has his cigarette in his mouth instead of in a cigarette holder. Once Regan has the information he wants and is about to leave, Nolan goes back to his distinguished author persona, thinking Regan really wanted to talk to him about his book. It's a small and funny touch, but it does add to the movie's level.

There's a nice scene in this movie where Colby and Regan discuss the situation and the consequences of Kroner's death over a game of showdown poker and, almost as in a verbal game of poker, lay their respective cards on the table with more than a few implied bluffs. This verbal jousting lays out the majority of the plot of this movie within a couple of minutes, explaining their own position, the other persons position, and where things can or cannot go. It's great to watch, because it also shows how Colby has thought things through quite thoroughly. Something which is reiterated later on in the movie when Regan has tracked down the name of the person who made the engravings necessary to print the counterfeit bonds 5 years ago. When he, through someone else, tries to confront Colby with this name, Colby switfly bounces the ball back and instead plays with Regan, knowing this person isn't alive anymore, something Regan is unaware of. It is then also and ever so subtly implied that Colby had a hand in this engraver's death as well.

Something else that is nice about this movie, and I would say is rather unusual, is that while Colby does get his comeuppance, it is not Regan who manages it. Even though Regan eventually realizes the truth and how Colby fits in, he is unable to clear his name and prove Colby's guilt. In fact, Colby manages to implicate Regan, as well as Faraday, who he thinks is now siding with Regan, in another murder. And again, it is arranged in such a way that all evidence points to Regan, and Regan cannot prove he didn't do it. Good stuff.

'A lot of things can happen in a week. France fell in eighteen days and you're not as tough as France.'

The movie contains plenty of twists and turns and of course the usual double-crosses. Most of them aren't all too surprising and quite out in the open for the viewer to see, but thankfully in this case it does not matter too much. The movie is quite fast-paced and is well-plotted, with some snappy and witty dialogue. It basically ticks all the noir boxes for me, except the cinematography one. Visually, the movie isn't very exciting safe for the last third of the movie, and even then it's quite average and middle of the road. It's a shame, but don't let that hold you back from watching this movie, it more than deserves a viewing.

BTW, that poster has some really bad renditions of Edmond O'Brien and Vincent Price. I'm only assuming it's them together with Ella Raines and William Bendix, because they look nothing like the actors.

8/10

Brighton Rock (1947)

Brighton is a popular sea-side city on the South coast of the the UK with a famous landmark pier. But as is explained at the start of 'Brighton Rock' from 1947, things weren't always like that. In the 1930s, things weren't all pleasant in popular destination Brighton, with mobs roaming the streets. 'Brighton Rock' is a movie about one such mob, and one particular smalltime mobster in particular, Pinkie Brown.

Based on Graham Greene's 1938 novel of the same name, 'Brighton Rock' is still one of the best, and bleakest, British thrillers/noirs. It was adapted into a screenplay by Graham Greene himself together with Terence Rattigan. The movie was directed by John Boulting, with his twin brother Roy Boulting producing. The Boulting brothers would produce and direct a lot a movies together all the way into the 1970s, including some thrillers such as 'High Treason' (1951) and 'Suspense' (1960), but nothing quite as dark as 'Brighton Rock'. Cinematography was handled by Harry Waxman and the musical score was done by Hans May.

'I've sunk so deep, I carry the secrets of a sewer.'

Set in 1935, the movie's central character is Pinkie Brown (an excelling Richard Attenborough), the 17-year old leader of a small gang in Brighton. About a week before the movie starts, the old leader of the gang, William Kite, was killed by a rival gang who suspected him of talking to reporter Fred Hale (Alan Wheatley). At the start of the movie, Hale is back in Brighton again to distribute cards worth money across Brighton under an alias, as a promotional stunt for his newspaper. Pinkie and his gang chase him up & down Brighton and the chase ends up on Brighton Pier, where Hale and Pinkie end up on a ghost train. Pinkie pushes Hale out of the cart when its above the sea and Hall plunges to his death. To establish an alibi, one of the gang members, Spicer (Wylie Watson) hides a few more cards in the neighborhood, including in a cafe. Pinkie doesn't like the latter location, as he assumes one of the people might have seen Spicer, and will notice he's not Hale should they check the newspapers. Pinkie goes to the cafe to retrieve the card, only to find that one of the waitresses, Rose (Carol Marsh) already found it. He decides to befriend her and keep an eye on her, even tho Fred's death is ruled accidental.

Pinkie and his gang are not the only people Fred meets during his last, and final, visit to Brighton however. He also comes into contact with a singer/dancer in a travelling theater, Ida Arnold (Hermione Baddeley), who takes a liking to him. And when she finds out about Fred's death, she has her suspicions, which are only heightened by her 'psychic' powers. She decides to ask a few questions here and there to see what really happened to Fred. Pinkie in the meantime also has to deal with a rival mob led by Colleoni (Charles Goldner), whose outfit is much larger and more professional than his and they are ready to take over Pinkie's protection racket.

Pinkie, despite being only 17 years old, is the leader of the gang, and the other men in the gang are all at least 2 or even 3 times his age. Pinkie is ruthless, cold, filled with a lot of anger and hate, but he's a very calculated person with a natural tendency to lead rather than follow. He denies himself pleasures of any kind, he doesn't drink, smoke or eat chocolate, and has no interest in girls. Rose means nothing to him, except as a person who can ruin him, the only reason he is able to stand her around him. Rose however, who is a devout Christian, becomes almost a self-assigned martyr, deeply devoted to Pinkie. She's in love with Pinkie, but she also wants to be his savior, the catalyst through which he can repent for his sins. And for that she turns a blind eye to the truth, that he's a murderer. It's almost like she has found a purpose for her life, and that purpose is Pinkie's repentance. This stark contrast is quite painful to watch at times, especially when Pinkie records his voice onto a record for Rose. As she looks at him in an idolizing, devoted manner, he records for her his true feelings, and it's quite heartbreaking to watch. The recording comes into play again at the very end of the movie, again creating a gutwrenching and touching moment, which lingers on long after the movie ends, in more ways than one. They have the kind of cinematic relationship that you'll remember for a long, long time. It is to the credit of Graham Greene, Richard Attenborough and Carol Marsh that this uneven and highly unbalanced relationship is believable and touching and not ridiculous to watch.

'You believe, don't you? You think it's true.' 
'Of course it's true. These atheists don't know nothing. Of course there's hell, flames, damnations, torments.' 
'Heaven too, Pinkie.' 
'Ah, maybe.'

Richard Attenborough is stunning in this movie. Despite being only in his early twenties when this movie was shot he brings a charisma, intensity and menace to Pinkie that is impossible to ignore. His eyes truly look like he's seething with hate inside. Pinkie is nothing sort of a fearless and ruthless psychopath. Likewise, Carol Marsh is almost equally great as well, she makes Rose into a saint-like person, devoted to Pinkie, even giving up her own chances of redemption, without coming off as creepy or deranged.

The other main characters are also memorable and are given excellent performances throughout by their actors. Pinkie's top man Dallow (William Hartnell, the very first Doctor Who), is almost as cold and callous as Pinkie, and doesn't even pretend to stop Pinkie when Pinkie's about to kill Spicer in a gruesome but beautifully shot scene. But unlike Pinkie, he still has somewhat of a moral compass. The gang also uses a corrupt and alcoholic lawyer to handle their affairs, Prewitt (Harcourt Williams), who is a coward and uses quotes from classic books to add gravity to his alcohol-soaked words and who is all too easily manipulated and controlled by Pinkie. Williams makes Prewitt a far more important seeming character because of his layered acting than Prewitt really is. Baddeley is also good as Ida Arnold, a brass and loud character which could've very easily been a caricature, but thankfully isn't, despite some outrageous outfits (she works as a pierrot for a group of performers).

Thematically and visually the movie is dark, dark, dark. There's not a sliver of hope for Pinkie, not even in the person of Rose, whom he doesn't accept, but merely tolerates because he must. And even Brighton starts to look menacing and threatening here, with its narrow sidestreets, the over-crowded and claustrophobic Brighton Pier and the small houses with their cramped rooms and dodgy staircases. And when the night falls and the rain is pouring down hard, the almost empty Brighton Pier becomes a nightmarish maze. The movie also has several point-of-view shots where the actors look straight into the camera, as if we're the person they're looking at. It really adds to the intensity of the movie and draws the viewer in even more. When Pinkie looks straight into the camera, at the viewer, you really feel the menace lurking behind his straight face.

'I wanted to be in a state of grace when I married you. But then I remembered, it wasn't any good confessing any more, ever.'

'Brighton Rock' is one of the very best films noirs in my opinion, it impresses from start to finish and in every way. It has great characters and performances, a compelling and pitch black story that is soaked in noir, it looks beautiful with some really memorable scenes and shots. It is a true classic in my book, and I cannot recommend it enough.

9/10

Dear Murderer (1947)

1947's 'Dear Murderer' is a great British noir thriller. It was directed by Arthur Crabtree with cinematography by Stephen Dade and music by Ben Frankel. The screenplay was co-written by Muriel & Sydney Box and Peter Rogers based on a play by John Legh Clowes.

Lee Warren (Eric Portman) is in New York for over half a year on a business trip, and he made his wife Vivien (Greta Gynt) promise to write him a letter every day. She's been unfaithful to him in the past so when letters start arriving erratically and eventually no longer arrive he grows suspicious. One night in a bar he sees a picture of his wife and one Richard Fenton (Dennis Price) in a tabloid-like magazine. He puts two and two together, and returns back home without telling Vivien, with murder on his mind. When he gets back home, Vivien is out, and he finds a stack of cards signed 'Love always, Richard' in her desk. He goes over to Fenton's place and confronts him. After making Fenton write a suicide note, he kills Fenton and organizes things so it does indeed look like a suicide. But as he's about to leave, Vivien and her new lover Jimmy Martin (Maxwell Reed) pay Fenton a visit for a drink. Warren hides in the kitchen with the dead body, as he waits for Vivien and Martin to leave, who have a quick drink and leave again. Warren can't resist the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, and re-organizes things, framing Martin for the murder of Fenton. Fenton's sister Avis (Hazel Court), Martin's former girlfriend, doesn't believe Fenton's suicide note and inspector Penbury (Jack Warner) also senses something fishy is going on, but after his assistant sergeant Fox (Andrew Crawford) finds a damning piece of evidence in Martin's car, Martin is arrested. Vivien realizes what Lee has done and promises to stay faithful if Lee will clear Martin's name. Lee comes up with an inventive story of how he followed Vivien and Martin that fateful night and arranged Fenton's suicide to look like a murder committed by Martin, to get rid of him. Penbury doesn't believe it and is now convinced Lee is responsible, but he has no evidence to back him up. But Lee isn't off the hook, as Vivien has a few tricks up her sleeve as well.

'Dear Murderer' boasts a very dense & twisty plot, which is executed in a very tight and effective manner, with very few filler scenes. It is similar to 'The Unsuspected' in many ways, it also takes places in relatively upper class circles, the main character is a polite, extremely clever and witty but ruthlessly calculated killer, there is a devious woman with an agenda of her own, and a lot of the fun of watching this movie comes from the sparks that fly off the razorsharp, yet civilized, dialogue and the seemingly clever murderous plans and the ensuing twists. There is also a lot of very black humor sprinkled throughout the dialogue in this movie. As this is a fully British movie, the hard-boiled dialogue of US crime/noirs of that era has appropriately been replaced by posh dialogue with a British accent with an almost innocent-sounding matter-of-factliness to the words, which hides the malice under a thin layer of polite veneer. When Warren holds Fenton at gunpoint and tells him to go lie on the sofa, he tells him he has 15 seconds to do so, despite the sofa being about a meter away from Fenton. I love this weird type of polite maliciousness, but I can also see how somebody else might just see it as contrived and ridiculous.

Eric Portman is perfect as Lee Warren, he's icingly charming and extremely polite even when he insults people, yet it is clear he is a ruthless and calculated killer. He is also extremely possessive and jealous, at no point during the movie does he seem to really love Vivien, but they're married so she's his property. Greta Gynt is equally impressive as Vivien, and is also equally unlikeable with her vile ways, and you almost feel like they deserve each other. They maintain their 'loving' image towards Penbury, but you can see and tell they loathe each other. I can see how some people find it unpleasant to watch such vile creatures as the main characters of a movie, but I thoroughly enjoy it, especially because they're so 'civilized' and 'polite', it makes for a very nice contrast, emphasizing their true natures.

The other actors do a pretty good job too, although they are less interesting as they are given less personality to work with, and let's be honest, the villains are almost always more interesting to watch. The exchange between Warren and Fenton however during Fenton's final night, is quite nice. Fenton's a barrister, a lawyer, and he is a typical stiff upperlip Englishman, polite through and through. Coupled with Warren's need to detail his 'perfect crime' plan on how to kill Fenton to him to see if Fenton can find a hole in it, it makes for a very exciting first third of the movie.

The scene where Warren goes to Penbury and explains to him how he intentionally tried to frame Fenton's suicide as a murder committed by Martin, is done in a wonderful manner. Warren is so quick with his mind, and clever, that during the course of this movie he's able to fairly convincingly turn Fenton's murder into a suicide, then into a murder committed by somebody else, and then back into a suicide again. It is to the credit of the screenplay (and ultimately the original play) that everything comes off fairly believable.

Visually the movie feels a bit cramped, due to the confined spaces where most of the movie takes place in, which is further aided by the dark shadows, when someone enters a unlit room during nighttime, it is indeed dark, not semi-lit by offscreen lights. It helps make this movie feel claustrophobic and adds tension and suspense. Also, as is not uncommon in noirs, when lights do get turned on, they only manage to light up a part of the room, leaving other parts still obscured.

Near the end of the movie, Lee says to his wife 'I don't like putting things on paper, you never know what people will make of it afterwards.' which bookends the start and end of this movie perfectly with an ironic twist of events, or a reversal of fortune if you will. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie with its witty posh dialogue, clever story and some truly nasty characters. Highly recommended!

Johnny O'Clock (1947)

As I noted in  my review for Dick Powell's first noir, 'Murder, My Sweet', he attempted to switch up his career by taking up less light-hearted roles compared to his musicals and romantic movies that made him a household name. 'Johnny O'Clock' from 1947 was his third noir (after 'Murder, My Sweet' and 'Cornered') and as in 'Murder, My Sweet', he succeeds remarkably well. The movie was directed by first-time director Robert Rossen ('Body And Soul', 'The Hustler'), who also wrote the screenplay after a story by Milton Holmes. Rossen was known already for his screenplays, including 'Marked Woman' and 'The Roaring Twenties' which are both considered proto-noirs, and he also wrote the screenplay for noir 'The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers' right before 'Johnny O'Clock'. The cinematography was handled by Burnett Guffey ('In A Lonely Place', 'Private Hell 36', 'Nightfall') and the music was done by George Duning ('Scandal Sheet', 'Nightfall').

The plot of the movie is pretty twisty and convoluted but revolves around essentially 2 storylines, which are of course connected in various ways.
The first storyline revolves around Johnny O'Clock (Dick Powell) who runs an illegal gambling joint together with Guido Marchettis (Thomas Gomez). Marchettis is married to borderline alcoholic Nelle (Ellen Drew), O'Clock's ex-girl who still wants O'Clock but married Marchettis because he can provide her with the lavish lifestyle she wants. Nelle gives O'Clock a watch with an engraving as a gift, but he doesn't want things to get any more complicated than they already are. He drops off the watch with hat-check girl Harriet Hobson (Nina Foch) to return to Nelle. But the next morning Harriet is found dead, she apparently killed herself. The connection to the second storyline is Chuck Blayden (Jim Bannon), who's Harriet's boyfriend and wants to replace Johnny as Marchettis' partner in the gambling outfit.
The second storyline revolves around inspector Koch (Lee J. Cobb) and his search for Blayden, who is a crooked cop and wanted for several murders (which are suspected to be ordered by Marchettis). In his search for Blayden he finds the dead body of Harriet. Harriet's sister Nancy Hobson (Evely Keyes) flies into town to deal with her sister's death, and ends up falling for Johnny, who took a liking to Harriet. Blayden however turns up dead and Koch is convinced O'Clock knows more than he's willing to share.

Dick Powell is great as Johnny O'Clock with an arrogant, cocky and self-assured demeanor. He keeps everybody at bay with hard-boiled retorts, veiled insults and sarcastic quips while keeping a very suave air around him. He's not gritty and tough like Sam Spade or Mike Hammer however, which gives his hard-boiled talk a smoother and different edge. But he does also have his soft side as well, he seems fond of Harriet, and he's taken in a former delinquent as a roommate. This roommate, Charlie (John Kellogg), and him have a weird mentor/pupil-like relationship going on which might be meant to suggest a homosexual side to O'Clock', who does play it real cool, ice-cold even, around the ladies... Until Nancy enters his life, and even then he cannot help but build a brick wall around himself, despite falling for her. Evelyn Keyes ('The Prowler', '99 River Street') does a solid job with her portrayal of Nancy, the only downside is that they don't seem to really connect, there aren't any real sparkles between her and Powell/O'Clock.

In that respect, Ellen Drew is better, she gives a great performance as Nelle, who flirts a lot with Johnny, and seems to take even more pleasure in it when Guido is around, and their innuendos seem real. Lee J. Cobb ('Thieves' Highway', 'Call Northside 777') plays his usual type of role, that of a smudgy trenchcoat-wearing detective/cop with a cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth and the tenacity of a bulldog. He's solid but at the same time, it's almost a caricature part, the second you see him, you know his entire character. Not that I mind, Cobb was great at playing these types of characters. Thomas Gomez ('Key Largo', 'Macao') is pretty slimey and sleazy as Marchettis, he's fun to watch in this movie.

The movie looks beautiful, there are some great shots and the play with shadows, (cigarette) smoke, staging and lighting is impressive. At times it even looks like the visuals and atmosphere of the scene are more important than the actual story, which does make the movie hard to follow at times. But it doesn't mean the movie is slow, it's well-paced and moves along rapidly. It's highly enjoyable and I'm surprised/disappointed that this movie hasn't had a proper DVD release yet. It certainly deserves it.

The Unsuspected (1947)

Try and guess which movie this is... It deals with the death of a woman... There is a portrait painting of her hanging over a fireplace, and an outsider takes a keen interest in it... There's a devilish older man with a somewhat awkward relationship with this woman... It all takes place in upper class socialite circles... The woman turns out to not be dead after all... Oh, before you hit the buzzer, this is not 'Laura' from 1944. That's right, the movie I am talking about is 'The Unsuspected' from 1947. And while this movie has 'borrowed' heavily from the classic film noir, it is much more than a mere copy. It is actually a really clever, good and fun movie. And like 'Laura', it is a very stylish thriller.

'The Unsuspected' was directed by Michael Curtiz ('Casablanca', 'Mildred Pierce'), cinematography was done by Elwood 'Woody' Bredell ('Christmas Holiday', 'The Killers') and the musical score was done by the great Franz Waxman ('Sunset Blvd', 'Sorry, Wrong Number'). A very strong group of people at the helm of this production therefore, and it shows. And to be fair, Charlotte Armstrong's story was published after 'Laura' was released, so if anything we have Charlotte Armstrong to blame for the blatant similarities. Her story was adapted by Curtiz' wife Bess Meredyth and then turned into a screenplay by Ranald MacDougall ('Mildred Pierce', 'Cleopatra').

The movie opens with the murder, disguised as suicide, of Victor Grandison's secretary during one of his radio shows. 'Genial host, renowned writer, art collector and teller of strange tales' Victor Grandison (Claude Rains) is the host of a very popular real life mystery/crime radio show. He is very charming, suave, highly intelligent and lives in a large mansion. He's kind enough to have 2 of his nieces live in the mansion with him, Matilda Frazier (Joan Caulfield) who is presumed dead at the start of the movie and who was to inherit a fortune, and Althea Keane (Audrey Totter) who lives there with her alcoholic husband Oliver Keane (Hurd Hatfield) and who is pretty much broke. A week after the secretary's suicide/murder an uninvited guest to Grandison's surprise birthday party arrives, Steven Howard (Michael 'Ted' North) who claims to have married Matilda a few days before she died at sea. At the same time Matilda shows up again, who isn't dead at all but survived the accident at sea and needed time to recuperate and get herself together again. This triggers a chain of events that leads to a couple more murders, and the truth behind Steven Howard's motives and ofcourse, the identity of the murderer.

The movie has a lot going for it. First off, it looks absolutely beautiful. The lighting is quite extraordinary, especially with its use of long, moving shadows. There are also some really nice camera shots of people's reflections (the secretary's killer's reflection can be seen in the murder scene, revealing its identity, but you'll miss it if you blink), a large part of which are actually upsidedown.
Another visual gem is when small-time hoodlum Press (Jack Lambert), who's being blackmailed by Grandison, is lying on his bed in his hotelroom and the lights of the hotel (called the Peekskills) flicker on and off, showing only 'KILL' from his point of view... KILL - KILL - KILL.
Then there are 2 fun car chases, with the typical sped up footage of cars doing turns at impossible speeds. There is an unintentional funny moment when one of the cars changes color for a moment before going back to its original color.
The story also has some nice twists and turns that take it out of 'Laura' territory. There is an element of blackmail involved here with Grandison using a 16" vinyl platter recording machine to record conversations with people so he can blackmail them with it later on.
Grandison's background as a radio host also allows for some very interesting scenes of the recording of a radio show.

A separate remark needs to be made about the wardrobe of Matilda and Althea. The contrast between the characters of the nieces is also reflected in their wardrobe. At the start of the movie Althea wears light-colored dresses, and when Matilda first sees Althea again, Matilda is wearing dark clothes, as she just returned from a dark episode in her life. But as the movie progresses, and Althea shows more and more of her true colors, her dresses also become darker until they're pitch black. While Matilda soon starts to wear virgin white dresses, reflecting her good-mannered and somewhat naive character.

As far as the acting goes, Claude Rains and Audrey Totter stand out. Claude Rains does what he does best, playing a debonair, upper-class socialite who's always got an answer, a retort or a comeback. He is devilish and devious as Grandison who has alterior motives when it comes to his affection towards Matilda, while Totter's Althea is quite the bitch who is jealous of Matilda and stole Matilda's boyfriend Oliver out of spite. She's also resentful because Oliver turned out to be a no-good drunk and they've got no money of their own. Joan Caulfield is decent as Matilda, but she's hindered by the very demure, naive and tender character of Matilda. This movie would be the final movie role for Michael North, and maybe for the best, he's a decent actor but he does come across a bit stiff and wooden here as Steven Howard who, surprise surprise, never really married Matilda after all.

'The Unsuspected' is above everything else, a murder-mystery movie. It does fall into noir territories, but doesn't have the grittiness usually associated with noir. At least not on the surface. Some of the characters here are extremely vile underneath the thin veneer of upper-class politeness tho, and the cinematography is very noir, as well as very stylish. I highly enjoyed this movie, and highly recommend it. Don't let the comparisons to 'Laura' hold you back, this is a fun movie!

I couldn't find a trailer for this movie, but the aforementioned blinking KILL scene will do just fine: