Noir Alley

[TomJH]

Few people seem to be familiar with the 1992 remake of Night and the City. I think the film, while largely neglected, is well worth viewing, if only for Robert De Niro's performance. To be honest I had forgotten the film myself, to a degree, but found this review I wrote of it the last time I saw it. This version won't replace your affection for Dassin's 1950 take, by any means, but it's a good film on its own. The ending, however, is different, probably to the advantage of the earlier version.

NIGHT AND THE CITY (1992)

Updating of Jules Dassin's celebrated film noir, the action transferred from London to New York City. The story, however, with a few deviations, is largely the same, with Robert De Niro starring as small time hustler and ambulance chasing lawyer Harry Fabian. Fabian has a line of spiel a mile long and is popular, as well as laughed at, by his street peers as a constantly hustling character. But Fabian has ambitions to break out of the small time by becoming a boxing promoter. This, however, sets him up for conflict with "Boom Boom" Grossman, a major local boxing promoter with mob connections. Nobody stays healthy long if they make Boom Boom unhappy.

The 1950 version with Richard Widmark remains a widely admired noir and perhaps that has worked against this most amiable remake, shot on location in New York City, taking advantage of the sights and sounds of the streets to bring genuine atmosphere to the production. While the story is predictable, the cast is generally first rate. Jessica Lange scores well as the wife of a local bar owner with ambitions of leaving him to set up a bar of her own. She also likes Harry very much to the extent that they are carrying on an affair behind her hubby's back.

Cliff Gorman is excellent as her macho husband who can also be a bit of an intimidating jerk at times. Jack Warden does well, too, as Boom Boom's older brother, a former boxer now retired, who gets recruited by Harry into his plan of competing with his brother. But best of all, perhaps surprisingly, is comedian Alan King, who is no comedian here, bringing an icy menace to his performance as Boom Boom. The scene in which Boom Boom, after first making sure that Harry doesn't have a wire on him to record their conversation, quietly informs him that if anything happens to his brother, even a headache, he will have him killed is genuinely effective because of King's understated, deadly calm delivery. Harry, in response, for once has nothing to say.

As the irrepressible Harry Fabian, I find De Niro to be a complete joy in this film. In fact, due to the fact that he brings a light hearted energy to his perpetually optimistic hustler character, I find this to be one of the actor's most enjoyable performances. His portrayal is lacking the ominous intensity for which he is known in so many of his more famous roles and he's all the more delightful for it. Schemer that he may be, De Niro's Fabian is still an endearing low life character for whom I found myself rooting.

This film has been unfairly dismissed by the majority of critics, in my opinion, and remains a minor but engaging neo noir well worth a viewing, if only for the pleasure of seeing De Niro in fine light hearted form. Director Irwin Winkler's film is, by the way, dedicated to Dassin.

[JamesJazGuitar]

18 minutes ago, laffite said:

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.

Garfield would have provided a much different vibe,   but I'm not sure it would have been a better one;   As played by Widmark, Harry Fabian has a real high degree of nervous energy and that "works" for me.     Harry is a classic noir protagonist,  living on the margins of success and here comes his big-break.   For me his actions reflect the type of persona such a noir protagonist would have in such circumstances.     

Garfield's screen persona works great in the noir films he was in,  but that persona is more of a slow-burn that takes a while before reaching a  boiling point (e.g. Force of Evil,  The Breaking Point,  He Ran all the Way),      I just don't see that persona in Harry Fabian.

 Also,  how Fabian was related to Jules Dassin,  who was exiled from America for alleged communist politics,   and his bitterness related to all of that.  (i.e.  Dassin didn't wish for a low-key approach,  but instead an in-your-face one giving the finger to what was going on in Washington D.C.). 

[laffite]

47 minutes ago, JamesJazGuitar said:

Garfield would have provided a much different vibe,   but I'm not sure it would have been a better one;   As played by Widmark, Harry Fabian has a real high degree of nervous energy and that "works" for me.     Harry is a classic noir protagonist,  living on the margins of success and here comes his big-break.   For me his actions reflect the type of persona such a noir protagonist would have in such circumstances.     

Garfield's screen persona works great in the noir films he was in,  but that persona is more of a slow-burn that takes a while before reaching a  boiling point (e.g. Force of Evil,  The Breaking Point,  He Ran all the Way),      I just don't see that persona in Harry Fabian.

 Also,  how Fabian was related to Jules Dassin,  who was exiled from America for alleged communist politics,   and his bitterness related to all of that.  (i.e.  Dassin didn't wish for a low-key approach,  but instead an in-your-face one giving the finger to what was going on in Washington D.C.). 

I'm sure Garfield knew how to generate nervous energy if directed to do so. In non-noir films he does have that early vitality, wanting to be somebody and trying to convince the girl friend to believe in him and his rebellious attempts to be something. True, he was younger in those roles but I would guess he had enough fire in the belly left. Dassin's conception of Fabian is interesting from an historical sense but it might not mean much to anyone sitting in the audience.

[Vautrin]

I always felt a little sorry for Fabian. He's obviously a conman  and  a bit of  a scoundrel, but  compared to the other scoundrels he's fairly

harmless, and just out of  their league. I don't think he deserved  the fate he got. And I'm  surprised he could run so fast in those two-toned

shoes. And on what planet is Googie Withers a sex symbol? I would have skipped the part of the ending where Hugh Marlowe appears out

of nowhere to comfort Gene Tierney. Much too old corny Hollywood. This guy is  so dumb he can't even make spaghetti. 

[Coach E-Dub]

Is it me or does Eddie Muller look like Super Champion Quarterback for the Chicago Bears; Jim McMahon? I am looking forward to Noir Alley. I love film noir some of the greatest movies ever made, especially ones with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Also that great Orson Wells film noir classic Touch of Evil.

 

[Thompson]

12 minutes ago, Coach E-Dub said:

Is it me or does Eddie Muller look like Super Champion Quarterback for the Chicago Bears; Jim McMahon? I am looking forward to Noir Alley. I love film noir some of the greatest movies ever made, especially ones with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Also that great Orson Wells film noir classic Touch of Evil.

 

No he doesn’t really look like Jim McMahon, but that’s a good catch,  Coach.  Stick with us,  all kinds of connections, all kinds of good movies.

[Coach E-Dub]

Thank you I most certainly will.

[JamesJazGuitar]

2 hours ago, Coach E-Dub said:

Is it me or does Eddie Muller look like Super Champion Quarterback for the Chicago Bears; Jim McMahon? I am looking forward to Noir Alley. I love film noir some of the greatest movies ever made, especially ones with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Also that great Orson Wells film noir classic Touch of Evil.

 

This Gun for Hire,  The Glass Key, and The Blue Dahila are fine early-in-the-cycle noir films.    Saigon (1948) was the last film they did together and it is clearly the weakest effort.

Calcutta (1947),   with Ladd and Gail Russell as the femme fatale (a unique role for her),  is a good one but TCM doesn't show it (Paramount films are hard to come-by at TCM).

Anyhow,   welcome and I hope you continue to check out Noir Alley.      

 

[TomJH]

"You've got it all, but you're a dead man, Harry Fabian."

[Thompson]

It was different, but Edmond O’Brien in D.O.A. had a similar sort of desperation that can only be portrayed by running up the stairs and running down the street.  It’s not the quiet desperation of a Philip Noseross.

Googie was terrific.  Loved every scene she was in.  She never once came across as false or affected.  Can’t say the same for Tierney, but agree she is pretty.  I think credit should be given to the casting crew because the street people were right on.  They were all good.  I sort of understand  Laffite’s position on Widmark, and mulling it over I believe it’s his hat that was wrong.

[Coach E-Dub]

GREAT!!!! Noir movies you named with Alan Ladd. I Love all of them and I am huge fan of D.O.A. excellent movie.

[JamesJazGuitar]

3 hours ago, Thompson said:

It was different, but Edmond O’Brien in D.O.A. had a similar sort of desperation that can only be portrayed by running up the stairs and running down the street.  It’s not the quiet desperation of a Philip Noseross.

Googie was terrific.  Loved every scene she was in.  She never once came across as false or affected.  Can’t say the same for Tierney, but agree she is pretty.  I think credit should be given to the casting crew because the street people were right on.  They were all good.  I sort of understand  Laffite’s position on Widmark, and mulling it over I believe it’s his hat that was wrong.

Interesting that you mention O'Brien because, since when Laffite implied he would have preferred Garfield instead of Widmark as Fabian,  the noir actor that came to my mind was O'Brien.     As you note both characters had a similar sort of desperation but how that was expressed was different.     I have always felt O'Brien over-did-it to a degree in DOA but that was mostly in the scenes with his girlfriend Paula.        In Night and the City,   when Widmark is discussing with his girlfriend his situation I find that to be very nuanced acting by him.  

[JamesJazGuitar]

2 hours ago, Coach E-Dub said:

GREAT!!!! Noir movies you named with Alan Ladd. I Love all of them and I am huge fan of D.O.A. excellent movie.

Note that there is  a "quote" feature (lower left);    This is  what I'm using now since my post is a reply directly to you.

Hey, I'm not asking or pushing you to use this "quote" feature,  just pointing it out since you're new to this site.

 

[Coach E-Dub]

Thank you for the head's up, much appreciated.

2 hours ago, Coach E-Dub said:

GREAT!!!! Noir movies you named with Alan Ladd. I Love all of them and I am huge fan of D.O.A. excellent movie.

 

[Thompson]

This is a bad movie here, with Frank Sinatra as a heroin addict (please!) and a card dealer.  Showing on TCM now.  The Man With the Golden Arm.  This is not considered a noir, but has noir aspects.  Please!  This is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen and I’m watching it again to confirm that.  Otto Preminger layed a big stink egg with this one.

[ElCid]

Noir Alley this week is The Window, 1949, with Barbara Hale, Arthur Kennedy and Paul Stewart.  It is the one where the kid keeps making things up and no one believes him and then he actually sees something real - and no one believes him.  Based on a Cornell Woolrich book.

[Cigarjoe cellph]

1 hour ago, ElCid said:

Noir Alley this week is The Window, 1949, with Barbara Hale, Arthur Kennedy and Paul Stewart.  It is the one where the kid keeps making things up and no one believes him and then he actually sees something real - and no one believes him.  Based on a Cornell Woolrich book.

It's just one of his short stories. Just a heads up some of The Window was combined with another similar Woolrich short story It Had To Be Murder  into what became the basis of  Hitchcock's Rear Window

[Cigarjoe cellph]

15 hours ago, Thompson said:

This is a bad movie here, with Frank Sinatra as a heroin addict (please!) and a card dealer.  Showing on TCM now.  The Man With the Golden Arm.  This is not considered a noir, but has noir aspects.  Please!  This is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen and I’m watching it again to confirm that.  Otto Preminger layed a big stink egg with this one.

That was the best he could do with the Code at that time. I wish they would have taken it out on location. Check out Stakeout on Dope Street, for a better Junkie Noir 

[laffite]

On 4/19/2022 at 4:27 PM, JamesJazGuitar said:

when Widmark is discussing with his girlfriend his situation I find that to be very nuanced acting by him.  

...when he wasn't throwing her against a wall or the side of a building.

[Shank Asu]

Looking forward to The Window this weekend.  Still without TCM (Criterion is keeping me busy luckilly) but Prime is streaming this one so i'll be able to follow.  I've noticed that most of Eddie's intros and outros are on youtube as well.  Am  noticing there's quite a few repeat showing of films over the years.  The Window is a new one for me.

[Thompson]

 Cornell Woolrich is a great writer.   He takes a little getting used to, but it’s worth it.  He died in a hotel room from gangrene.  It started with an infection in his toe, which of course he didn’t see to.  Every morning I look at my toe, and it looks like it might be gangrene, but it’s probably some kind of sissy fungal infection.

[Katie_G]

The Window is one I haven't seen.  Here's Eddie's 2017 intro.  I miss that noir horn.

 

 

[Vautrin]

I haven't seen The Window in a while, so this  will be a catch up viewing. The apartments look like the higher-priced rentals in

Ralph Kramden's building, still pretty shabby. Even though  it  has  a short running time, the  final chase goes on too long for

me. Otherwise a pretty solid flick. 

[Fading Fast]

40 minutes ago, Katie_G said:

The Window is one I haven't seen.  Here's Eddie's 2017 intro.  I miss that noir horn.

 

 

That horn was perfect for the Noir intro. 

[misswonderly3]

Been away for two weeks and was unable to access this site most of the time.  I see I've got some catching up to do.

But !  I wanted to say, while I was away I read a great novel that I think would make a good neo-noir film.   November Road,  by Lou Berney.

I'd never heard of this writer,  but he's very good.  He has a cinematic style, which is to say,  the way he writes,  you can easily imagine the characters, scenes, etc., as a movie.    The story's set in November, 1963, and involves, indirectly,  the Kennedy assassination,   some ruthless gangsters,  and an exciting  road trip through the southwestern U. S.     The main character's on the run from the mob, and on the way he encounters a woman who's also on the run, in a way.

The novel's beautifully written, and by turns funny,  sexy ( very !),  scary,  suspenseful,  and deeply moving.  I thought it was very noirish, and I highly recommend it.  Anyone here heard of November Road  ?