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)
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)
THIS POST IS BY VIRGINIA. I AM POSTING IT HERE BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT HAVE HER OWN BLOG. PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT HERE, BUT EMAIL YOUR THOUGHTS TO HER AT vmhagler@aol.com Thunder in the East is the 21st picture Alan Ladd made in which he is the star. It came almost exactly halfway through his starring filmography. It… Continue reading Thunder in the East (1951)
To say what Alan Ladd means to me is almost impossible, but I will try in my own awkward, inadequate way. Alan is a classic film star that I discovered about three years ago, thanks to the You Must Remember This Podcast, which spoke about one of his best film noirs, The Blue Dahlia, co-starring his perfect match,… Continue reading Tribute to an Icon
I AM POSTING THESE TWO ARTICLES ON BEHALF OF VIRGINIA HAGLER WHO DOES NOT HAVE HER OWN BLOG. PLEASE DIRECT ALL COMMENTS TO VIRGINIA ON HER EMAIL ADDRESS vmhagler@aol.com My Take on Man in the Net from VA in CA My Take on Alan Ladd’s films often takes the form of disagreeing with the majority… Continue reading Man in the Net (1959) & 13 West Street (1962)
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)
Pale Writer 