Classic and James Bond films unite
Dark Passage is Bogie and Bacall's penultimate film together, coming after To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep. It's a film that seems to divide their fans and those who enjoy film noir, due to its subjective camera perspective for the first half of the movie, as well as Bogie's more subdued performance.… Continue reading A tangled web: Agnes Moorehead in “Dark Passage” (1947)
Flamingo Road (1949) begins with Joan Crawford's narration about the town in which her character, Lane Bellamy, will try and carve out a life for herself. About the places and people that make it what it is, but especially Flamingo Road, the street reserved for the wealthy and successful. The place that she tells a… Continue reading The Crooked Road to Success: Flamingo Road (1949)
Jeopardy (1953) is the kind of film that exists on a star's filmography and gets overshadowed by bigger, better known fare. When you think about Barbara Stanwyck's career, you immediately think of Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve or Baby Face. You don't think about, because you probably don't know about, a modestly budgeted film noir,… Continue reading A Matter of Time: Barbara Stanwyck in “Jeopardy” (1953)
A few months ago I undertook the task of watching all fourteen of the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies. I am very glad to say that I was successful in my little quest. Like most classic film fans, my feelings about the series are mixed. I feel that the majority of the… Continue reading A Glowing Mist: Sherlock Holmes and The Scarlet Claw (1944)
Wikipedia calls The Crow an American superhero film, but for me, it's more a gothic horror/romance film. The Crow isn't really a superhero, he's an antihero who becomes like that because of circumstances. He reminds me more Darkman than Clark Kent. The Crow is largely famous because it was Brandon Lee's final motion picture due to his tragic… Continue reading Rain and Revenge: The Crow (1994)
Undercurrent (1947) is definitely not a film that many mention in connection with any of its three stars, which really is a shame, because it's a film that deserves more attention. I've read some reviews that have called it a Gaslight knock off, and while Undercurrent shares some elements with that film, it is decidedly different in others. For me, Undercurrent can… Continue reading Rolling in the Deep: Katherine Hepburn in “Undercurrent” (1946)
Mystery Street (1950) is one of the best film noirs I have watched. Yes, a bold claim I know when you consider such faultless outings as Double Indemnity, The Blue Dahlia and The Big Sleep. But Mystery Street is another animal entirely. It is a noir that combines human drama with the police procedural and forensic investigation, which would have been quite… Continue reading Bone Collector: Ricardo Montalban in “Mystery Street” (1950)
As Classic Film Fans we often talk about the stars of classic cinema being great in the singular, as in Joan Crawford was spectacular or Myrna Loy's capacity for shade was untouchable. But what we often don't talk about is how fantastic it was when two classic film stars came together and made the perfect… Continue reading Lake and Ladd: The Perfect Pair
When I first watched Dead Reckoning (1947), I hadn't the faintest idea what it was about or who was in it. When I saw Bogie's name appear on the screen I thought "Well now we're in for a treat". I had no idea who Lizabeth Scott was either. I'm glad that I know now. As… Continue reading Either it’s real or it isn’t: Dead Reckoning (1947)
The Reckless Moment (1949) is a Christmas film as Batman Returns or Die Hard is. It takes place during the holidays, but this happy time is marred by strife and tragedy. A coal in one's stocking for sure. For Lucia Harper (played by Joan Bennett) the coal comes in the form of borderline child sexual… Continue reading Unlikely kindred spirits: Joan Bennett in “The Reckless Moment” (1949)
Pale Writer 