Jeanne Marie

Thanks for the tip on this Neo Noir film. I will definitely track it down.

Great tidbit. Thanks.

There is so much smoking in Noir. SO much. My father quit after 40 years. He's been smoke-free for 17 years. My father-in-law just died from lung cancer at 83 after smoking for 70 years. That sounds pretty old, but his family tends to live a long time. His mother died only a year before him, so he easily had another 10-20 years if not for the smoking. And people in these movies kiss right after taking a puff. Yuck. It's all terrible. I get that. And yet, cigarettes are working hard in Noir. They have a big role to play. Smoking adds atmosphere: The swirling white smoke, the glowing tip, the crushed stub. Smoking also expresses emotion: Nervousness. Feigned disinterest. Power. Sexual attraction. Giving someone a cigarette, lighting their cigarette, sharing a single cigarette, tossing away a cigarette. A certain way of holding a cigarette makes a woman look terribly elegant. The cigarette is as much an accessory as the painted nails and the elaborate bracelet. It's a potent symbol and an easy shorthand. Nowadays, cigarettes are chiefly a shorthand for identifying someone as a bad guy. Or a hard woman. Could Noir be Noir without cigarettes? And how do you make a contemporary Noir without them? What prop has that versatility to add so much to a scene?

Just watched Hollow Triumph (The Scar). I prefer the title Hollow Triumph, which sets you up to expect a twist at the end. That added an extra bit of anticipation for me, and the movie delivered. Another big plus: Joan Bennett was everything a jaded Noir dame in love with a bad guy should be. But. That accent! Really? Paul Henreid has an accent. His brother doesn't. The doctor has the same accent? Of all the unbelievable aspects to this story, this is the part that really gets me. I can suspend disbelief with the best of them, but that was just silly. (I also had to overlook the fact that Evelyn still wanted to run away with the man who knocked her to the ground.) I also agree with the other poster who said Henreid is just too elegant to be a bad guy. With all that being said, I enjoyed the heck out of Hollow Triumph. And I'm left to imagine what happens to Evelyn once she gets to Hawaii. I'd definitely watch that movie.

I believe that's on my DVD copy. It has both versions, with an explanation of the scenes that were changed. It's been a while since I watched it, but from what I remember, scenes were redone to emphasize the sparks between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It was at the request of her manager, but the studio saw the reasoning behind boosting her presence. The original version was also more linear, if I remember correctly. But that doesn't really help. I've seen both versions AND read the book, and I still couldn't follow the plot!

Seriously. I've been up to midnight or past way too many nights this week. I ended up passing out for a nap on the couch late this afternoon. Didn't I read 1-2 hours plus watching movies? Not if you're reading all the interesting insights in these message boards!

That makes a lot more sense based on some of the comments the murderer makes. Thanks very much for that tidbit.

This scene is the most unsettling I've seen in the Daily Dose. The tilted camera angles, and in some cases low camera angels, are very uncomfortable. His world is topsy-turvy and so are we. I felt like I was going to fall right out of the frame. He felt exposed and vulnerable, and so did i! And that smile! No good will come of that, I'm sure. It was like a Cheshire Cat grin. One second it was there, the next it disappeared. Genius lighting. I would not have been able to identify what was making me feel uncomfortable were it not for this class. I'm so appreciative. I'm getting out of this class exactly what I'd hoped. I already had this movie set to record on Friday. I look forward to seeing the whole thing.

I completely agree with all your points on Crossfire. I kept thinking of the Charleston gunman as Robert Young was explaining how hate takes root and explodes into death. It just made me sad. But I also thought it was interesting that he only talked about prejudice based on religion. Not on race. And yes, we needed far more Mitchum than we got. His role was odd. I kept expecting his character to grow in importance as the investigation progressed, but he never really did. And I love seeing Gloria Grahame in anything. I've only seen her do bad girl roles, so I don't know if she ever had a chance to branch out, but she does bad girl great.

Love your comments on how pristine everything is. That's the cleanest roadside diner ever. I think you're right: It would have been a lot grittier made by another studio. From my understanding, Lana Turner was a top star by the time this was made; you can't put your top star in a dump and dress her like a frump.

Lordy, what an entrance! I have seen the movie but had not remembered that scene. How could I have forgotten? They challenge each other with the lipstick. Her body language says "Bring it to me, now." His says, "No. You come to me." And she does. That tells him everything he needs to know about whether she'll cheat on her husband (once he finds out that she's married, that is). They're both goners from the moment they set eyes on one another.

Great site, thank you for mentioning it!

I'm with you on the teeth. That's all I could see when she talked.

Nightmare Alley and Gun Crazy (spoilers, of course!) I'm not sure why, but Nightmare Alley didn't do it for me. Maybe because I didn't like anyone. Or maybe because carnivals are creepy as hell. I did soften up a little bit when I realized that he really did love Molly, but I originally thought he was ruthlessly using everyone. I get why Tyrone Power fans didn't turn up in droves for this one. Though I have to hand it to the psychologist. Nice work! I did admire the makeup job at the end. He was barely recognizable once he'd fallen so far as to take a job as a geek. But Gun Crazy I loved! The opening scene in the rain just screams noir. And of course I knew going in that there was no way it could end well, but I kept rooting for those two crazy kids. I even liked her, although she was clearly a sick, sick woman. The actors were able to convey the incredible desire and passion they had for each other while keeping all their clothes on. I was happy when he turned the car around. The direction/cinematography kept surprising me with wonderful angles and framing. Riding in the back seat was a brilliant way to take us along for the ride. And that final scene in the mist was their only possible happy ending. He still had a shred of his own values left. The only person he killed was the woman he loved, to make sure she didn't shoot his friends. If they'd made it to Mexico, she would have ended up hating him, and he would have ended up hating himself. Live fast, die young, leave pretty corpses. I haven't seen Bonnie and Clyde, but I wonder if it measures up. I thought this movie was pretty much perfect, so I don't see how it could.

Thirty minutes into the film, I was thinking it was going to be a low-key gangster film with some noir elements, but by the end, I was riveted by Van Heflin's character. As gorgeous as Robert Taylor and Lana Turner are (frankly, I'm having a little trouble thinking of a more beautiful lead couple in any movie), Van Heflin makes this movie. I think he drinks not so much because his love for Johnny is unrequited but because of his own inability to leave him. And his face as the man he loves dies in his arms is just heartbreaking. I was really happy to read afterward that he won an Oscar for his performance. It made the movie.