Vautrin
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Posts posted by Vautrin
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I always feel sorry for the actors who are introduced and then are never heard from again.
Introducing Joe Schome.
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7 hours ago, cigarjoe said:
Come to think of it he also looks a lot like Dort Clark
There is a resemblance, though the actor who played Rafa had sharper features and a rather
unusual angular dimension to his face. He reminds me a bit of someone one might see in a
Fellini film.
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2 hours ago, cigarjoe said:
He reminded me more of Dan Duryea than Peter Lorre.
Yes, physically he doesn't remind one of Lorre. Both Lorre and Duryea could do that I know something
about you and you're going to have to pay, Duryea more forcefully. Rafa was more sophisticated and
light-hearted in going about his game.
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Nix the Eddie and Alicia foreign language blabberthon. The longer they talk the later I have to go to
bed. I liked Death of a Cyclist, though it's not quite as good as Death of a Disco Dancer. As soon
as Maria got into the car at the end of the film you were pretty sure that Jose was not long for this
world. And then when she was speeding during the rainstorm, what were the odds she wouldn't
get into a crash and die? Near zero. Whenever I see a femme fatale get into a car near the finale of
the movie death is usually not far behind. That she crashed due to the actions of the cyclist was kind
of cool, as she had killed a bicyclist at the start of the film. Taking into account the practicalities, since
killing the cyclist was an accident, I doubt the prison time would have been too severe. I don't think
Rafa was that creepy. He just liked to taunt them and make some quick money into the bargain. Third
degree creep.
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2 hours ago, Dargo said:
I understand this is how Evelyn Wood used to watch movies.
It's also how Evelyn Waugh composed his novels.
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This wasn't my first elevator ride. I've always thought the secondary plot about the young punks not on
dope was kind of cliched and unoriginal, though it helps in the overall plot to put Ronet on the spot for
the murders he didn't commit. If only he had not forgotten to get the rope and grappling hook back.
At first it seemed such a dumb move I thought maybe he did it on purpose for some reason. But no ,it
was just a stupid mistake that, like many stupid mistakes, starts the whole plot going. Breathless had a
certain self-parody, nod and wink aspect to it, like Belmondo looking at a Bogart poster and taking a
drag on his cig, saying Bogie. You can't imagine Ronet doing that, he plays it totally straight with no
irony. I noticed that in the intro there were two glasses about half full. At the outro they are still about
half full. Poseurs.
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1 hour ago, Dargo said:
Ah c'mon now, Vautrin! Bob would never flatten a dame.
(...heck, he didn't even do it to Jane Greer or Jean Simmons in those noir flicks he costarred in 'em with, and both of whom richly deserving it)
He didn't hit them and look what happened to him. ✖️
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I'll bet Bob Mitchum could flatten that trio with just one punch.
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Know when to fold 'em.
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Any flick with the Irish blowing up some Brits, I'm there.
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4 hours ago, laffite said:
...though not a very realistic one. No one could climb to such heights in such a short trice of time. But it's a film device. It's called plot-wise economy, ha
//.
Yeah, your standard Hollywood fantasy, though on the rare occasion someone does hit it big right away.
I haven't seen Vicki in a while, but it seems there were more details about how she made it to the big
time.
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Creepy Cregar and Elisha Cooked really helped this movie. Without them, it's a rather pedestrian murder
mystery, with Mature and Grable making cow-eyes at each other for the last half of the movie. But Cregar
keeps things interesting as the crooked cop with the obsession with Vicki, right down to his personal shrine.
Spooky. And Cook takes his usual turn as the pathetic smoe with no chance for the brass ring. There is also
a brief look at the pr business of inventing a star out of very little. I'm sure there is some eager beaver who
could find an earlier flick that has many noir qualities, it would just take a lot of looking.
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3 hours ago, laffite said:
Well, most anyway.
Yep, I think there will be one who will not be satisfied.
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Hot Spot, should be close enough for Hot Spell fans.
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6 hours ago, misswonderly3 said:
What ? I thought he did leave the U.S. Oh, silly me...was Ride the Pink Horse set in an American border town?? For some reason I thought it was set in a Mexican town.
Either way, Gagin is offensively dismissive, as you say, to the local Mexican Indian population. His lack of respect for them is basically the kind of casual, unconscious racism so many white Americans seemed to possess at that time.
Also sexist. Although he does express gratitude to Pancho, I don't remember his doing the same, except maybe at the very end, to Pila.
He did not follow Canned Heat's advice, but stayed in the U.S.. And he was definitely not a model for the Good
Neighbor policy. He seemed to be a rough-hewn character in general with a particular dislike for the Hispanic
people in the town, though he softened a little bit toward the end. He is certainly not a likable character.
I also wondered about the old key in the chewing gum hidden just behind the map trick. I guess it was unlikely
anyone would notice it, but you never know. But that's a minor point. I forgot to credit Art Smith. He often
played a law enforcement officer of some kind who is often, perhaps because of his unassuming stature, under-
estimated by the bad guys. He usually came out ahead of them and usually did it with something of a wink and
nod. Well done.
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5 hours ago, Bronxgirl48 said:
Great point. This was kind of a disconnect for me but after the movie was over I thought that perhaps she was "putting it on" for her peers so they'd continue to just think of her as that regular kid, when in reality she was always a mystical, set-apart person who had to hide that "specialness". Loved Wanda's performance.
There was also the small town girl visiting a big city, okay a bigger village, in the mix too. That comes out in the
ending where she has gone back to her ponytails and has something to brag on that she didn't have before, I guess
it's a bit disappointing that she isn't just a mystic figure. Either way, I agree that Wanda Hendrix was very convincing
in this role.
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On 3/9/2020 at 5:42 PM, LornaHansonForbes said:
Rather Bergmanesque. The absurdity of life, death in the midst of life, life in the midst of death,
death followed by a dance. And then the one chess match we will all lose.
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Checkmate.
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3 hours ago, Dargo said:
Well Vautrin, considering, believe it or not, that there is a sizable percent of Americans who don't know that New Mexico is actually part of the U.S., I'd say this might be a harder question to answer than you'd think!
(...considering this variable, anyway)
Yeah, these kids with their long hair and crazy music.
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3 hours ago, Dargo said:
Yes, but did HE look like Ruth Buzzi TOO???
Fortunately, no. Of course he didn't have her comic timing.
Pedophilia on the Installment Plan.
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Celine was a notorious anti-Semite, but he was never accused of child molestation. Plus
he's a better writer than Woody Allen.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Dating Teenage Girls, But Were Afraid To Ask.
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I was wondering why a street smart guy like Montgomery's character would go out into a dark alley
with the check still on his person. Really dumb move. Of course it keeps the plot going. Then Hugo
gives out with a pitch perfect reading of the disillusioned WW II vet theme that is made so much of in
film noir theory. He just lays it all out, though he lets it drop there. Wanda Hendrix was good as Pila.
She's a bit other worldy and untutored for much of the picture, though at the conclusion she turns
into a regular kid telling her friends about her adventure with the stranger. At the start of the flick
Montgomery is rather dismissive of the locals. Can you be an ugly American without leaving the
U.S. ?
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I would publish it as a graphic non-fiction novel. Woody has had some relationships with much
younger women, though not as young as seven.
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3 hours ago, cigarjoe said:
Yea, I can only think of Brian Donlevy in The Big Combo.
I only saw The Big Combo once many years ago and had forgotten about Donlevy. Okay, one of the
few bald hearing-aid wearing villains. Just goes to show how difficult it is to be unique.
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Noir Alley
in General Discussions
Posted
Pretty good, pretty forgettable. It's basically the same old cons on the loose/heist movie, better than average,
with some good location filming to add grit. I thought it was kind of dumb to let the wounded guy drive away
in the car. Why not shove him down in the back seat, take off with a healthy driver and head the hell out of
town and later stop for some medical attention at the always handy doctor who lost his medical license because
he was an alkie or a careless abortionist. But noooo, because Doc Penny is the "brains" of the gang. Just because
he uses a cigaret holder doesn't make him any smarter. I'm glad these dumb losers got their's at the end. They
deserved it. And I'm happy that Lacey got through this relatively unscathed. The innocent bystander often meets
a more deadly fate in these types of movies. Hayden was just your usual nasty cop, the kind who enjoys stomping
people just for the fun of it and knowing he can do so without much chance of a reprimand. I got a kick at the
end of the movie when he tells Lacey if he gets in trouble again to call him. Who the hell would call a jackass
like Hayden for help?