Noir Alley

[cinemaspeak59]

This was a great choice by Eddie. Bob le flambeur established a Melville archetype: the antihero, over the hill, looking for one last score, with a loyal woman trying to keep him out of trouble. (See Lino Ventura’s character in Le deuxième souffle from 1966.) Eddie rightly pointed out the outstanding cinematography by Henri Decaë, as he crafted heady nocturnal images of Paris’s club scene, stirring the imagination. Roger Duchesne as Bob looked the part. His performance was carried by his robust figure, expressions, and stares. And the ending was not what I expected, but summed up Bob the Gambler brilliantly.

[Dargo]

10 hours ago, TikiSoo said:

Yeah, I notice when you ruck up!

LOL

Wow, Tiki! Didn't know besides all that wonderful work you do restoring those old carousel horses, you ALSO could do a pretty good  Scooby-Doo impression like this TOO?! 

 

 

[Hibi]

The film took too long to get to the heist plot for me. Well made film, but a bit too leisurely paced for my taste. I also didnt understand parts of the plot. WHY did they go ahead with the robbery after the one idiot told the girl? Bob even said in that one scene it was OFF! Did I miss something? I also didnt understand why the wife of that one guy went to the police? What was in it for her? She wouldn't get any of the dough by squealing. The ending also was a bit underwhelming. A film I was glad I had a chance to see, but not something I'd watch again. I'll be skipping this week's. Another rerun.

[Thompson]

3 hours ago, Hibi said:

I also didnt understand why the wife of that one guy went to the police? 

That one guy.  Man lately I can’t pull any name up.  My conversations go something like, You remember that one guy, he played that character in that one movie with the twisty ending, that one actress was in it, you know her, she was in that noir a few weeks back, also was great in that other movie with that other guy.

[Dargo]

9 minutes ago, Thompson said:

That one guy.  Man lately I can’t pull any name up.  My conversations go something like, You remember that one guy, he played that character in that one movie with the twisty ending, that one actress was in it, you know her, she was in that noir a few weeks back, also was great in that other movie with that other guy.

Hmmm. Kind'a sounds like how over half the queries are prefaced that we get over in that "Information, Please!" forum! 

[Fading Fast]

3 hours ago, Hibi said:

The film took too long to get to the heist plot for me. Well made film, but a bit too leisurely paced for my taste. I also didnt understand parts of the plot. WHY did they go ahead with the robbery after the one idiot told the girl? Bob even said in that one scene it was OFF! Did I miss something? I also didnt understand why the wife of that one guy went to the police? What was in it for her? She wouldn't get any of the dough by squealing. The ending also was a bit underwhelming. A film I was glad I had a chance to see, but not something I'd watch again. I'll be skipping this week's. Another rerun.

Another thing I didn't understand is why they tried to go through with the heist when they no longer had buy in from the inside guy to stop the elevator before it took the safe to the concrete vault. It seemed without stopping the elevator, they had no chance for success. Or did I miss when they straightened that detail out - I very well might have?

[Thompson]

I can’t navigate any other threads.  No way.  I have to pause, and remember what’s next after brushing my teeth.  First I congratulate myself for remembering to brush them in the first place, then is it mouthwash next or face washing?  9 on Sunday I still remember.  Gotta hold on to that.

[jameselliot]

4 hours ago, Fading Fast said:

Another thing I didn't understand is why they tried to go through with the heist when they no longer had buy in from the inside guy to stop the elevator before it took the safe to the concrete vault. It seemed without stopping the elevator, they had no chance for success. Or did I miss when they straightened that detail out - I very well might have?

I skipped over a chunk of the plot because I had the impression that the writers didn't want to detail the robbery plans as most heist films tend to do. The shootout looked amateurishly choreographed and filmed but maybe that was Melville' s intent. It turned into a fantasy when he kept winning. Overall, I gave it a high rating and I'll watch it again in a few months.

[JamesJazGuitar]

Noir Alley will feature the 1950 film  Night and the City.      One of my favorite noir films.   Richard Widmark gives a more nuanced performance (verses Kiss of Death or No Way Out).       The English actors Googie Withers and Francis L. Sullivan give a can't-take-your-eye-off-them performance.    The film was shot on location in London.

Some people may wish to skip Eddie talking about this film since he is sure to bring up a topic that some at this forum believe he has beaten to death:

Jules Dassin's 1950 masterpiece was his first movie after being exiled from America for alleged communist politics, and the unpleasant ordeal seems to have infused his work with a newfound resentment and pessimism, as the film—about foolhardy scam-artist Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) and his ill-advised attempts to become a big shot—brims with anger, anxiousness, and a shocking dose of unadulterated hatred

[TomJH]

6 hours ago, Thompson said:

I can’t navigate any other threads.  No way.  I have to pause, and remember what’s next after brushing my teeth.  First I congratulate myself for remembering to brush them in the first place, then is it mouthwash next or face washing?  9 on Sunday I still remember.  Gotta hold on to that.

I know just how you feel. I have difficulty knowing which socks to put on in the morning, the blue ones or the red. Sometimes I put them both on the same foot and think, "How did that happen?" But then I smile and think, "At least there's Noir Alley in my life." Except that some times Eddie puts on foreign noirs with subtitles so I am back to figuring out which socks to put on again.

[laffite]

The idea behind the elevator operator/wife was not to tell anyone in the group. So they, the rest, did not even know about that.

Apparently they thought that is okay to go on with heist because snitch guy was shot. But what about the girl, she knew. Whatever!  I'm probably missing something.

That was quite a story Eddie told about the lead guy. Okay fine, he didn't thrill me at all. He is quite bland but maybe there is something there to appreciate that I don't get. He certainly would not be a typical protagonist for an American Noir.

[Thompson]

The socks are what it’s all about for sure.  Just to put them on one foot at a time is a miracle.  A fancy colored sock, when you get just the right noir blend, is a fashion statement unto itself and I believe we should see more socks, colored and checkered socks, from  wardrobe.  Teeth and socks sort of go together.

[cigarjoe]

Don't ya hate it when TCM programs films longer than 2hrs so that those of us on the East Coast got to wait even longer for Noir Alley?  How about some consideration?, and on top of that, I'm not by then, in the mood for a Ben wrap up of the over long film too boot.

Anyway I own Night and The City great film. 

[Thompson]

Did not recognize Dirk Bogarde as the London Bobby who spots the license forgery.  But the scene was very good, sort of exceptional.  There is a lot of good stuff in this movie.  A standout scene is when the Strangler is sitting at the nightclub table eating pasta while these moon eyed women are watching him eat it.

[Thompson]

Or how about the scene where the Strangler’s eyes just Pop Open when he hears about Harry’s set up to force the fight.  Good stuff.

[Boris Lermontov]

6 hours ago, cigarjoe said:

 

Anyway I own Night and The City great film. 

First time seeing it today and was blown away by the fight scene with Gregorius the Great (Stanislaus Zbyszko) and The Strangler (Mike Mazurki). I have always enjoyed Mike Mazurki in films but have never seen Stanislaus Zbyszko before…Mr. Zbyszko stole every scene he was in…

 

 

[midwestan]

1 hour ago, Boris Lermontov said:

First time seeing it today and was blown away by the fight scene with Gregorius the Great (Stanislaus Zbyszko) and The Strangler (Mike Mazurki). I have always enjoyed Mike Mazurki in films but have never seen Stanislaus Zbyszko before…Mr. Zbyszko stole every scene he was in…

 

 

As Eddie noted in the post-film wrap, this was the only film appearance for Stanislaus Zbyszko who was a professional wrestler that the director, Jules Dassin remembered seeing in the ring when Dassin was a kid.  Zbyszko was also in the 1932 film "Madison Square Garden", but it was footage of him in a wrestling match with apparently no speaking parts.  That impromptu fight between Gregorius and The Strangler really looked like the real deal...no fake sweat whatsoever.  It was good to hear Eddie talk about the realism and intensity during that entire scene.  What can you say about Richard Widmark?  The guy played dislikable cads like no other!  I loved Googie Withers in this film, but I wanted to strangle Gene Tierney for always wanting to help her cad boyfriend all the time.  Finally, she wised up in the end, and rushed into Hugh Marlowe's arms!  Great movie that showed the seedy side of London in the late 40's-early 50's and captured the desperation of Harry Fabian as he's trying to escape from every con man, crook, and conniver that he has screwed over on more than one occasion.  Man, talk about the house falling down on one's head!  Eddie Muller was right about the bleak ending of the film, but it was great entertainment nonetheless.

[laffite]

After a stellar introduction By Muller, how can one not be a little disappointed. Richard Widmark reminded me of Ralph Kramden with all the schemes. There was a carefree aspect and a happy enthusiasm about him that lost me. He makes the movie come across as comedy. He doesn't belong in a film with so many find English actors. Despite his antics he is overshadowed by just about all of them. Francis L Sullivan has to just show up and he's great. Stanislaus Zbyszko as Gregorius is simply riveting. No wonder he gets a death scene. Herbert Lom has the thankless task of being steely-gazed tough talker that has been done a thousand time by a thousand actors and he manages to make it his own. A great actor. Wait til you see his Napoleon if you haven't already. Harry Fabian has arguably the most beautiful woman on the earth as a girlfriend and he doesn't even know what to do with her. Beautiful she may be but she didn't have the power to shame Fabian like Alice could with Ralphie boy.. All Hugh Marlow has to do is screw up a spaghetti and he gets the girl. Mike Musurki as The Strangler gets to do the deed and he is not even punished. Maybe the Code excluded slow-witted oafs. Poor Harry is actually innocent. He is only indirectly the cause of Gregorius' demise. But that's the think with noir, an innocent gets over his head and pays for it. Whoever choreographed the Battle of the Titans should have gotten an Oscar. 

[Thompson]

The trait I like in Widmark most, in his noir days, is his physical movement.  He’s very good in chase scenes, very good at running up and down stairs, jumping over railings, etc.  His best  scene in this one (and I wonder if it is improvised) is with Phil when they take turns upping each other and banging in victory on the drum and cymbal.  Widmark pulls off these sorts of spontaneous sudden physical reactions very well.

[TomJH]

38 minutes ago, Thompson said:

The trait I like in Widmark most, in his noir days, is his physical movement.  He’s very good in chase scenes, very good at running up and down stairs, jumping over railings, etc.  His best  scene in this one (and I wonder if it is improvised) is with Phil when they take turns upping each other and banging in victory on the drum and cymbal.  Widmark pulls off these sorts of spontaneous sudden physical reactions very well.

Widmark had nice socks, too.

[JamesJazGuitar]

12 hours ago, laffite said:

After a stellar introduction By Muller, how can one not be a little disappointed. Richard Widmark reminded me of Ralph Kramden with all the schemes. There was a carefree aspect and a happy enthusiasm about him that lost me. He makes the movie come across as comedy. He doesn't belong in a film with so many find English actors. Despite his antics he is overshadowed by just about all of them. Francis L Sullivan has to just show up and he's great. Stanislaus Zbyszko as Gregorius is simply riveting. No wonder he gets a death scene. Herbert Lom has the thankless task of being steely-gazed tough talker that has been done a thousand time by a thousand actors and he manages to make it his own. A great actor. Wait til you see his Napoleon if you haven't already. Harry Fabian has arguably the most beautiful woman on the earth as a girlfriend and he doesn't even know what to do with her. Beautiful she may be but she didn't have the power to shame Fabian like Alice could with Ralphie boy.. All Hugh Marlow has to do is screw up a spaghetti and he gets the girl. Mike Musurki as The Strangler gets to do the deed and he is not even punished. Maybe the Code excluded slow-witted oafs. Poor Harry is actually innocent. He is only indirectly the cause of Gregorius' demise. But that's the think with noir, an innocent gets over his head and pays for it. Whoever choreographed the Battle of the Titans should have gotten an Oscar. 

Harry Fabian was an American that was out-of-his-element in London.      My view  is that Widmark does a find job of acting in his portrayal of that. 

He is a New Yorker that should have stayed in the Bronx.

 

[Thompson]

36 minutes ago, TomJH said:

Widmark had nice socks, too.

See, there’s another reason to watch it again.  This is a good movie all the way around.  It sticks with ya.

[JamesJazGuitar]

10 minutes ago, Thompson said:

See, there’s another reason to watch it again.  This is a good movie all the way around.  It sticks with ya.

Yea,  fancy shoes as well;   Can't find a photo of those socks:

[laffite]

1 hour ago, Thompson said:

The trait I like in Widmark most, in his noir days, is his physical movement.  He’s very good in chase scenes, very good at running up and down stairs, jumping over railings, etc.  His best  scene in this one (and I wonder if it is improvised) is with Phil when they take turns upping each other and banging in victory on the drum and cymbal.  Widmark pulls off these sorts of spontaneous sudden physical reactions very well.

Maybe he should have tried out for the Olympics.  Do they have an event, running up and down stairs. Yes, he certainly can do that well.

I still like the team of Gleason/Meadows. Instead of throwing Alice against walls and concrete edges Ralphie could deliver a few "BAM-zooms" and maybe throw in a "You know where yer goin', Alice ... Yer goin' to the moon!." So yes, Jack, we will book you next time. You'll have to, uh, lose some weight there, big fella. You got some running to do. Whazzat? You'll take the bus? Okay, watch out for those stairs.

[laffite]

19 minutes ago, JamesJazGuitar said:

Harry Fabian was an American that was out-of-his-element in London.      My view  is that Widmark does a find job of acting in his portrayal of that. 

He is a New Yorker that should have stayed in the Bronx.

 

Good point, but it doesn't help the movie, particularly.

What about Garfield? He could generate that sort of rebellious enthusiasm. He would been easier to take seriously (for me). He is more noir. Not sure about his stair running though. Maybe they could use elevators.