The Houston Story (1956)

Film noir relies on suckers. People, typically of the male variety, who for one reason or another make a bad choice or fall for someone or something, and as a result end up in a world of hurt. And if they could turn back time, they'd make the same choice again. This is often due to a scheming femme fatale, and with all the classic ladies, who can blame the men, right? But there are also men who are driven by ambition, taking on risks that they can't afford to take, and biting off a piece that is way too large for them to chew on so they eventually choke on it. A classic noir example is 1950's '711 Ocean Drive' which stars Edmond O'Brien as an electronics engineer who tries to take over a nation-wide bookmaker outfit. A similar story is told in 1956's 'The Houston Story', except it involves the blackest source of money of them all, oil.

The movie starts off with an intriguing pre-credits scene. An unknown girl is found dead near a Houston pier, apparently suicide by drowning. Oil driller Frank Duncan (Gene Barry) identifies her as a chorus singer that went missing some time prior. The coroner, probably jaded, ends the prologue with a nice reference to 'Casablanca':

Out of all the docks in the world to jump off, she had to pick Houston.

After the credits roll, Duncan waits around for the newspapers to write about the dead girl's identification and the person who identified her. Sure enough, the next day he receives a visit from local mob muscle-man Chris Barker (Chris Alcaide), and he gets himself an invite to see nightclub singer Zoe Crane (Barbara Hale), whose real name is the same name Duncan gave to the dead girl. Duncan used to work with Crane's husband back in Oklahoma before she ran away from him. But Duncan wants more than to simply meet her, that was only the first part of his plan. He knows she has contacts with the local mob, and with her in a jam, she introduces him to Paul Atlas (Edward Arnold), who runs the Houston territory. Duncan has come up with a plan to siphon away oil from the oil fields, so it can be sold on the black market, but he needs financing to get the plan in motion, and that is where Atlas comes in. The plan works well, and soon Duncan is swimming in money, working his way up in the organisation. But Atlas's second man, Gordon Shay (Paul Richards) feels threatened, and is out for blood. And when the operation steals some oil pipes with lethal results, police inspector Gregg (Roy Engel), is also trying to get to the truth.

The movie doesn't waste too much time introducing all the characters, which extends even beyond the ones mentioned already. There's also waitress Madge (Jeanne Cooper) who carries a torch for Duncan and is rather naive. Then there's his landlord Louis Phelan (Frank Jenks) who Duncan sets up as the owner of the front for the illegal oil selling business, so there's a fall guy just in case. And finally there's a big boss, who oversees all the different mob territories, Emile Constant (John Zaremba). He runs the outfit like clockwork and Duncan quickly realizes it's him he's got to please, not Atlas and definitely not Gordon Shay. Duncan is smart, and both Atlas and Shay underestimate him, but Duncan also overestimates himself. What else is new?

Frank Duncan is the real noir deal. Ambitious, ruthless, fast, tough, and caring little about others. Pretty much the same can be said for Zoe Crane. Duncan effortlessly moves from the mousy waitress Madge to the sexy and sophisticated Crane. But at no point are Duncan or Crane fully committed, they are simply drawn to each other by sheer greed, lust and dollar signs.The part of Frank Duncan was originally given to Lee J. Cobb, but I really don't see that working well here. I like Cobb, but as an oil driller who ends up with Barbara Hale? No way. Gene Barry ('Naked Alibi') got the part, and the movie's the better for it, he is great here. And he has nice chemistry with Barbara Hale ('The Clay Pigeon', Perry Mason's secretary Della Street), who is an almost unrecognizable platinum blonde femme fatale here. Her first scene has her singing 'Put The Blame On Mame' at the nightclub, and while she's no Rita Hayworth in 'Gilda', she pulls it off well and she shows throughout the movie that she could really be a tough and sexy dame. I found their performances and parts in this movie quite memorable, especially Barbara Hale was an inspired casting decision!

The rest of the cast consist mostly of B and character actors who are solid across the board, but you won't remember much of their performances. The actors are also helped by the screenplay by Robert E. Kent (credited under his usual pseudonym, James B. Gordon), which is fast-moving, complex and twisty, without ever coming across as ludicrous or far-fetched. The movie owes a lot to him, with the rich story that never feels like it loses sight of itself. It's not the most original story however, I already mentioned '711 Ocean Drive' before, but it doesn't detract from the movie's entertainment value. The movie has some decently snappy dialogue, primarily between Frank Duncan and Zoe Crane, who are both tough cookies in their own ways.

What are you trying to do, write your own death certificate?

This was director William Castle's last noir, after he also directed noirs like 'Johnny Stool Pigeon' and 'Hollywood Story'. Soon after this movie he would find his 'niche' so to say, in horror/exploitation movies such as 'The Tingler', 'House On Haunted Hill' and 'Homocidal'. Castle knew his craft, and was a good director who knew how to translate a screenplay to the big screen. For this movie he had cinematographer Henry Freulich ('The Crooked Web', 'Chicago Syndicate') by his side. Freulich was a prolific cinematographer on dozens and dozens of B-features, and he does a really good job here. It won't necessarily give you goosebumps, but he does use his lighting setup's effectively and unlike a lot of late 50s noir movies, never gives this movie that brightly lit TV-like look.

This movie works remarkably well, and in almost every way feels like it had a bigger budget than it probably did. It also has a suitably downbeat ending, with several characters ending up dead, and no easy way out for anybody. Well-made, well acted, with a strong story, you can't really go wrong with this one. It even has a little noir pearl of wisdom, as one of the last lines spoken by Zoe Crane captures the femme fatale ethos perfectly:

I can't afford to latch on to has-been's.

And with that line, I will end this review of a movie that deserves to be better known. A great film noir, that simply delivers the good. Highly recommended!

8/10

Slightly Scarlet (1956)

Only a handful of color noirs were made during the classic noir cycle, which lasted from the early 40s till the late 50s (some would argue there is no such thing as color noir). The most well-known color noirs are 1945's 'Leave Her To Heaven' starring Gene Tierney and 1953's 'Niagara' starring Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Monroe. In 1956, James M. Cain's 1941 novel 'Love's Lovely Counterfeit' became a color noir under the title 'Slightly Scarlet'. Cain of course wrote many novels which became source material for classic noirs, like 'Double Indemnity', 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' and 'Midlred Pierce'. This novel was turned upside down and adapted into a screenplay by Robert Blees. The movie was directed by legendary director Allan Dwan, who had directed close to 400 movies and shorts before this movie, having started his directing career in 1911! Some of his most well-known and remembered movies include 1922's 'Robin Hood' starring Douglas Fairbanks and 1949's 'Sands Of Iwo Jima' starring John Wayne. There's a nice biography on Allan Dwan here with more information on this fascinating director. The cinematography was handled by the noir master himself, John Alton ('The Big Combo', 'The Amazing Mr. X'). The, fairly unremarkable, music was scored by Louis Forbes ('The Crooked Way', 'The Man Who Cheated Himself').

All I can do is give you a gun, if you haven't got guts enough to pull the trigger, I can't help it.

The movie is set in the fictional city of Bay City, where Solly Caspar (Ted de Corsia) is the head of a local mob outfit, but working for a larger syndicate. Ben Grace (John Payne) works for him, and his latest job is to find dirt on rich businessman Frank Jansen (Kent Taylor), who's running for mayor with promises to clean up the city and drive all criminals out of town. He finds it in Dorothy Lyons (Arlene Dahl), the kleptomaniac sister of June Lyons (Rhonda Fleming), Jansen's secretary. However, after Solly humiliates him in front of his men, Grace has had enough and double-crosses Solly. He rats on Solly after Solly kills a large backer in Jansen's campaign, a local newspaper editor, and Solly's ordered by his bosses in the syndicate to skip town. After Jansen wins the election Grace uses his knowledge about Dorothy's kleptomaniac behavior to get June to work on Jansen, so his friend in the police department, Dave Dietz (Frank Gerstle), is promoted to Chief of Police. This way he is able to take over Solly's operations, and through Dietz make sure his new gambling outfit can run untouched by the police. He also makes a play for June, who also falls for him. But Dorothy is not just a kleptomaniac, she's a nymphomaniac as well. And Solly isn't going to stay away forever. Something's gotta give...

The plot revolves around corruption and sexual tension, 2 themes very common to film noir. The movie does not shy away from showing as much of either as it possibly could without running into problem with the production code. There's a scene where Dorothy is lying on a couch, legs wide open, scratching her leg with a back scratcher, when Solly, whom she's never met before, walks in on her unexpectedly. She doesn't flinch or pulls her legs together, but immediately starts to flirt with him. It is so blatantly sexual, it's a surprise it got past the censors. The movie also addresses corruption in a very direct manner through Grace's manipulation of both June to get Dietz into the Chief of Police's chair and then of Dietz to drop charges and look the other way. In some ways, especially in the way sex is used in this movie, the movie could not have been made in the 40s, the sexual tension is far more visual here, even if not acted upon, than in 40s noirs where it is implied more through innuendo. In general I prefer the innuendo approach, with its double-entedres and suggestive dialogue, but it's hard to deny that both Rhonda Fleming and especially Arlene Dahl ooze sex-appeal in this movie.

Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl are at the center of this movie in many ways, and femmes fatales in distinct ways. Almost everybody gravitates towards them in one way or another, intentional or not, but most of all, they are the visual focal points. Both have bright red hair, they were both redheads in real life, and both ooze sex appeal. June/Rhonda in a more sophisticated way, Dorothy/Arlene in a sleazier and more carnal way. June is the older and more moral-appearing sister, but the movie also makes clear she's Jansen's lover. There's no way a secretary like June could afford a large house and a flashy convertible like she does. Dorothy is clearly a nymphomaniac, even if it's never mentioned or even alluded to, besides also being a kleptomaniac. When Caspar gives her a bundle of money, she throws it at his feet because, as she tells him, getting money that way is no fun. Both Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl give great performances here, especially Dahl who could have just let go and be over-the-top and campy but she doesn't. She's definitely out there but not in an outrageous way. Nice piece of trivia: Arlene Dahl is the mother of 80s/90s heart-throb Lorenzo Lamas.

I don't like killing people, I never did. But you're not people, I don't think I'd mind a bit.

In a typical noir storyline, Grace sets himself up to get screwed over one way or another. He thinks he can screw over Solly, take over his outfit and get away with it, but he doesn't realize that the top is where the predators reside. John Payne is good here as Ben Grace, in a typical noir role. Payne had plenty of experience in noir land with movies like 'Kansas City Confidential' and '99 River Street' and he gives a good and gritty performance here, but he lacks the tough guy charisma of someone like, say, Lawrence Tierney. His opponent, Solly Caspar, is played by Ted de Corsia, who also had plenty of experience in noirs ('The Naked City', 'Crime Wave'), typically as the heavy. De Corsia excelled at these kinds of roles, and even tho this is not really his best performance, he's his usual solid self here especially in the second half of the movie.

Aside from Fleming and Dahl, John Alton's cinematography is the stand-out aspect of this movie. Visually, this movie is not just pure eye-candy with its lush and lavish use of bright colors and almost kitsch interiors, it is also pure noir with the way Alton handles shadows. Alton was a master at noir chiaroscuro cinematography and 'painting with light' as he called it (which was also the title of a highly influential book on cinematography that he wrote), and here he also shows how to apply it to a technicolor movie. His shadows are deep and rich and almost characters in themselves, as in all his black & white noirs. He lights June's living room and Solly's beach house in a bright manner, but Solly's mansion has rooms that are ominously dark even with the lights on. People move from bright spot to bright spot in it, disappearing almost in the shadows inbetween. Combine this with the brightly colored carpets and furniture, in all interior sets, it makes for a very unique viewing experience. Apparently the movie was also released in a black & white print, but I have to say, I can't see how it would improve the movie, a large part of the movie's appeal is the almost crazy color palette mixed with Alton's shadows.

The movie is not without its flaws however. There's an unintentional comedic element in Grace's car, which is missing its windshield for most of the movie. Also the doors in Solly's beachhouse that lead to the balcony, clearly have no glass panels. I imagine budget costs, and an accidentally smashed windshield might have something to do with this, but it does look a bit silly. I also found the Frank Jansen character too flat in this movie, and underused. His part almost disappears in the second half of the movie. And the soft, soap opera like, soundtrack doesn't help much either, it doesn't really create a sense of urgency and dread. Thankfully the soundtrack is pretty minimal.

The movie is based on a James M. Cain novel but Robert Blees's screenplay restructures it. For instance Dorothy doesn't make an appearance in the novel until the final quarter, whereas here she's introduced as the very first character and plays a more important part. I haven't read the novel, so I can't say whether this screenplay/movie is better or worse than the novel. But I will say that 'Slightly Scarlet' is a pure noir to me, bright colors and all. I wouldn't say it's a great noir, but it's good and entertaining and definitely delivers.

7/10

Time Table (1956)

Is there such a thing as the perfect crime? Dozens, if not hundreds of movies have been made about people who thought they had found the plan for the perfect crime. 1956's film noir 'Time Table' is one such movie and it hits all the right spots, and we can thank Mark Stevens for that. Not only did Mark Stevens play the lead role in this movie, this movie was also directed by him and was made by his own production company, Mark Stevens Productions. Quite the busy man here! He didn't do everything however, Abel Kandel wrote the script for the movie, based on a story by Robert Angus, Charles Van Enger did the cinematography and Walter Scharf wrote the musical score.

The movie starts off with a  pretty clever heist. In this case a robbery executed on a moving train. Somebody feigns illness on a night train, a doctor who just happens to be on the train checks up on him and finds the patient has a contagious disease, so he orders the train car to be quarantined and the train to make an unscheduled stop at the next station to take the patient to a hospital. He also needs to get his medical bag from the baggage car. But his 'medical' tools consist of a gun, some syringes with a sedative to sedate the baggage car crew with and high-end explosives to blow the car's safe. The doctor, the patient and the patient's wife then drive off in an ambulance waiting at the platform, taking $500,000 taken from the safe with them. Because it's a night train, the robbery isn't discovered until the next scheduled stop a few hours later, and the robbers have of course vanished into thin air by then.

The railroad insurance agency is naturally keen to solve the robbery and retrieve the money. So they put their best man on the job, Charlie Norman (Mark Stevens), much to the chagrin of his wife Ruth (Marianne Stewart), as they were about to go on a vacation to Mexico. Norman's teamed up with his good friend Joe Armstrong (King Calder), who is a railroad detective. But the twist of this movie is that Norman already knows all about the robbery, as he is the mastermind behind it! But as always, there is no such thing as a perfect crime. And at no point in the movie is this made clearer than when Norman is leaning against a wall with a pictureframe mounted on it warning him: 'There is no such thing as a Perfect Crime'. You should've known better, Charlie Norman! Norman is having an affair with Linda Bruckner (Felicia Farr), who posed as the patient's wife. She's also the wife of Paul Bruckner (Wesley Addy), the doctor in the heist. Bruckner lost his license to practice due to drinking problems as well as an insurance claims scam he tried to pull a few years earlier, one which Norman investigated. The original plan for the 3 robbers was to escape to Mexico and meet up there with Norman, who was supposed to be on vacation there with his wife. But during the escape the 'patient' accidentally dies, messing with their plans and forcing them into hiding. Meanwhile Norman has to make sure Armstrong isn't getting any closer to solving the crime...

Mark Stevens liked keeping busy it seems, not just on this movie. He directed himself in a couple more movies including another noir, 1954's 'Cry Vengeance', and was also the producer on a TV show called 'Big Town', in which he also starred. And he was quite a talented and versatile actor. He played tough, hard-boiled men like in 'Time Table' as well as having singing roles in musicals such as 1947's 'I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now' (in that sense he reminds me of Dick Powell, except Powell was an A-list actor, Stevens wasn't). I have to say, he plays pretty well here and his directing is pretty spot-on as well, the movie moves along at a nice pace without really dull or rushed moments. He plays Norman well and you can see him becoming more and more stressed and agitated while trying to maintain his composure, as Norman's 'perfect' plan starts to fall apart.

Wesley Addy is another highlight of this movie in the role of Dr. Bruckner. Good performance and his natural charm and acting ability make him a credible doctor at the start of the movie, a calculating and precise robber during the heist and a drunk who's got no pride left and doesn't even care anymore about Norman's affair with his wife, and he is believable throughout the entire movie.

As mentioned, the movie moves along nicely, it is never breaking any new ground in any shape or form, but it is most certainly entertaining. It has some snappy dialogue, and overall good performances from the actors. Nobody will mistake this movie for a classic film noir, but it will most certainly please any film noir fan.