Noir Alley

[ElCid]

15 hours ago, laffite said:

I sense an affinity. Not my kind of movie either, nor Beware, My Lovely. Can't stand either one.

Did you mean Farewell My Lovely?  Beware is a Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino movie.  Personally I have never cared for Beware My Lovely even though I like Ida Lupino.  As for Farewell, one of my favorites.

[Sukhov]

On 7/16/2018 at 6:28 PM, Brrrcold said:

"Overplayed" because it's 4-5 hours per week of programming but 25% of the on-air personalities and (my estimate) 10% of the promotional effort.

I don't mind the noir movies, but in fact most of them are not very good quality - just odd or shocking. If the programmers devoted as much of their effort to another genre or sub-genre (eg., 'pre-code' or 'screwball' or 'grindhouse') the point would be the same.

If you mean there are too many commercials then I agree. It's not just the commercials for noir alley but more the wine club and such that really get tiresome. I preferred it better when TCM commercials were mainly just about upcoming programming. 

[ElCid]

8 minutes ago, Gershwin fan said:

If you mean there are too many commercials then I agree. It's not just the commercials for noir alley but more the wine club and such that really get tiresome. I preferred it better when TCM commercials were mainly just about upcoming programming. 

Don't we all, but those days are gone forever.  Unless you want to start paying an additional monthly fee to receive TCM.  Or TCM could go the way of American Movie Classics (AMC).

However, I do not believe Brrrcold was addressing the commercials, but the number of Noir movies presented and the manner in which presented, such as Noir Alley.

[Brrrcold]

No. As I wrote, I don't object to the movies.

I wonder why TCM has decided to turn itself into the Noir Network, or something close to that, via the promos, the branding, the dedicated host, the set, the micro-site/schedule, etc.  ...Some noir fans seem to have a thin skin about this, but I'm simply wondering why noir got elevated to this level and not something else.

And again, I really just wanted to point out how annoying the chef is... sheesh.

[LawrenceA]

1 hour ago, Brrrcold said:

No. As I wrote, I don't object to the movies.

I wonder why TCM has decided to turn itself into the Noir Network, or something close to that, via the promos, the branding, the dedicated host, the set, the micro-site/schedule, etc.  ...Some noir fans seem to have a thin skin about this, but I'm simply wondering why noir got elevated to this level and not something else.

And again, I really just wanted to point out how annoying the chef is... sheesh.

Try DVR'ing what you want to watch, and then you never have to see another promo again. I watch dozens of movies from TCM each month, and I don't even know what chef you are talking about.

I have a hard time thinking TCM is becoming the Noir Network when they just finished showing approximately 2500 musicals last month. 

Rest easy knowing that August is Summer Under the Stars, and all of the regular programs (Noir Alley, TCM Underground, TCM Imports, Silent Sundays) are disappearing for a month. 

[Hibi]

1 hour ago, LawrenceA said:

Try DVR'ing what you want to watch, and then you never have to see another promo again. I watch dozens of movies from TCM each month, and I don't even know what chef you are talking about.

I have a hard time thinking TCM is becoming the Noir Network when they just finished showing approximately 2500 musicals last month. 

Rest easy knowing that August is Summer Under the Stars, and all of the regular programs (Noir Alley, TCM Underground, TCM Imports, Silent Sundays) are disappearing for a month. 

Da-n! I forgot about that.  I'm going to have NOIR withdrawal.

[ElCid]

5 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

Try DVR'ing what you want to watch, and then you never have to see another promo again. I watch dozens of movies from TCM each month, and I don't even know what chef you are talking about.

I have a hard time thinking TCM is becoming the Noir Network when they just finished showing approximately 2500 musicals last month. 

Rest easy knowing that August is Summer Under the Stars, and all of the regular programs (Noir Alley, TCM Underground, TCM Imports, Silent Sundays) are disappearing for a month. 

My least favorite TCM event.  One "star" all day long.

[laffite]

6 hours ago, TheCid said:

Did you mean Farewell My Lovely?  Beware is a Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino movie.  Personally I have never cared for Beware My Lovely even though I like Ida Lupino.  As for Farewell, one of my favorites.

Beware. The formula of some nutjob (or anyone) holding someone else captive and all that goes with it is tedious and unpleasant for me. The predatory aspect has something in common with Night of the Hunter. I got about half way through each and gave up. Not for me.

[Hibi]

15 minutes ago, TheCid said:

My least favorite TCM event.  One "star" all day long.

LOL. I'm not a big fan either. Wish they'd keep their regular programs and scale it back. Isnt enough time to watch all this stuff (on the handful of days I'm interested)........

[Hibi]

I have to say I enjoy it better than Oscar month though. That's MY least favorite event! You get to see some obscure titles and stars that dont always get much exposure on TCM......

[misswonderly3]

7 hours ago, Brrrcold said:

No. As I wrote, I don't object to the movies.

I wonder why TCM has decided to turn itself into the Noir Network, or something close to that, via the promos, the branding, the dedicated host, the set, the micro-site/schedule, etc.  ...Some noir fans seem to have a thin skin about this, but I'm simply wondering why noir got elevated to this level and not something else....

Well, as I said earlier in response to this perception you have about too much Noir on TCM, for some reason film noir seemed to be rediscovered in the first 10 years or so of this century, and a lot of people started paying attention to it, creating blogs about it, and otherwise talking about it on social media, etc. Much more so than, say, Westerns or musicals or what used to be called "women's pictures" or screwball comedies or pretty much any other genre from the classic movie era. So, I suppose if there's more active interest out there when it comes to film noir movies as opposed to other film genres, that would be why TCM decided to schedule more dedicated time to noir.

[misswonderly3]

Airprose or whatever your name is:

I know I'm doing what everyone advises people NOT to do when they feel someone has picked them out on some social media forum and is deliberately trying to annoy them: I'm taking your bait. 

First, why on earth would you click the "sad" emoticon in reaction to that post I wrote about noir and how it's quite common for different people to have different responses to it? I said nothing critical, either directly or indirectly, about you or anything you'd said on this thread. In fact, I think it's quite an interesting idea, what our fellow poster cigarjoe says about film and the "tuning fork" idea. Makes sense to me.

Second, I can only conclude that for some reason you now see me as an enemy here, or if that's much too strong a word to describe it ( and I think it is), someone who you've decided you just disagree with on principle. So, how 'bout we both just start all over again? I am extending an olive branch to you. It's just a silly waste of time for people to try to pull each other's chains, just because they may have started out that way, especially over the internet.

[LornaHansonForbes]

23 hours ago, TheCid said:

Did you mean Farewell My Lovely?  Beware is a Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino movie.  Personally I have never cared for Beware My Lovely even though I like Ida Lupino.  As for Farewell, one of my favorites.

then LAFFITE wrote: Beware. The formula of some nutjob (or anyone) holding someone else captive and all that goes with it is tedious and unpleasant for me. The predatory aspect has something in common with Night of the Hunter. I got about half way through each and gave up. Not for me.

I SAY: Sorry, was too lazy to multiquote.

poor BEWARE MY LOVELY, it gets dismissed a lot, and yeah, it's not as good as it could/should be; but I dunno, I have some degree of respect for it. It's basically a filmed stageplay/hour-long television episode; but it's one of those not bad films that i am intrigued by watching because i can see so many ways where it could be helped. i forget who directed it...but the sets are great and the actors especially good, if some passionate first timer had gotten their mitts on it, it would've been something.

in re: NIGHT OF THE HUNTER in all seriousness, have you considered watching just the second part? in many ways, it is like two movies, and i am way fonder of the second half of the movie and it is a MUST for all fans of strong female performances as LILLIAN GISH basically shows up what she would've done with the Sigourney Weaver role in ALIENS.

 

[Looney]

On 7/18/2018 at 8:54 AM, Brrrcold said:

No. As I wrote, I don't object to the movies.

I wonder why TCM has decided to turn itself into the Noir Network, or something close to that, via the promos, the branding, the dedicated host, the set, the micro-site/schedule, etc.  ...Some noir fans seem to have a thin skin about this, but I'm simply wondering why noir got elevated to this level and not something else.

And again, I really just wanted to point out how annoying the chef is... sheesh.

So my guess at the reason is you can market Noir-ish items, AKA See Noir Alley Boutique.  You are not going to see people shelling out cash for a similar items, like hats worn in the same era, in a Slap-Stick Super Saver Mart site.   They can market some pretty nice items and give customers a sense of Noir style.  It is pretty much the same thing as people buying western wear who really only do it because they identify with westerns.  Not that people only do that because they identify with westerns, but it happens.  You aren't really going to be able to accomplish that with too many genres.  Especially given the fact that wearing something with a Noir-ish style is essentially Cosplay that no one would question you for doing.  They would just think you are being stylish.

As far as the general TCM marketing goes I do question the wine club.  I know people enjoy a good movie and a good bottle of wine, but I just think the club seems odd.

And into why people are fascinated by Noir.  I know for me personally it is not just about style; it is about history.  I enjoy Film Noir because it reminds me that people from this era were just like people today and not the archetypes depicted in many of the mainstream movies from the era.  People wanted to tell stories and see stories from the darker side of when life didn't fit the mold of ideology at the time, which still holds true today.

[Hibi]

1 hour ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

then LAFFITE wrote: Beware. The formula of some nutjob (or anyone) holding someone else captive and all that goes with it is tedious and unpleasant for me. The predatory aspect has something in common with Night of the Hunter. I got about half way through each and gave up. Not for me.

I SAY: Sorry, was too lazy to multiquote.

poor BEWARE MY LOVELY, it gets dismissed a lot, and yeah, it's not as good as it could/should be; but I dunno, I have some degree of respect for it. It's basically a filmed stageplay/hour-long television episode; but it's one of those not bad films that i am intrigued by watching because i can see so many ways where it could be helped. i forget who directed it...but the sets are great and the actors especially good, if some passionate first timer had gotten their mitts on it, it would've been something.

in re: NIGHT OF THE HUNTER in all seriousness, have you considered watching just the second part? in many ways, it is like two movies, and i am way fonder of the second half of the movie and it is a MUST for all fans of strong female performances as LILLIAN GISH basically shows up what she would've done with the Sigourney Weaver role in ALIENS.

 

I dont think Beware, My Lovely is that bad. Both Ryan and Lupino are good in it. I think it would've worked better if it had been set in the present.

[speedracer5]

18 hours ago, Hibi said:

LOL. I'm not a big fan either. Wish they'd keep their regular programs and scale it back. Isnt enough time to watch all this stuff (on the handful of days I'm interested)........

I like SUTS only because I have 400 movies recorded on my DVR and it'll give me a chance to attempt to catch up, lol.

[Hibi]

3 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:

I like SUTS only because I have 400 movies recorded on my DVR and it'll give me a chance to attempt to catch up, lol.

LOL. I'd like it more if it was WUTS (scheduled in winter) I'd have more time to watch. In summer I'm just too busy to watch much and the dvr is full right now.

[LornaHansonForbes]

56 minutes ago, Hibi said:

I dont think Beware, My Lovely is that bad. Both Ryan and Lupino are good in it. I think it would've worked better if it had been set in the present.

i actually kind of like the fact that it is (AS I RECALL) set ca. 1910- kinda brings to mind GASLIGHT, THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE and THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS- wish thy'd saved the set pieces from that last one to use again in this.

 

** as i recall- Lupino is the last member of a once-grand family who is trying to keep up the facade in her oversized Victorian all by herself...the film has (AGAIN, AS I RECALL IT) some inferences to make about being a woman of little means in such a time.

[LornaHansonForbes]

***copied and pasted from the wikipedia entry for BEWARE MY LOVELY (1952) in case anyone is interested***

 

Production notes

The play on which the film is based, The Man, was originally a short story by Mel Dinelli. Dinelli adapted the story for the stage.^[2] It debuted on Broadway in January 1950 starring Dorothy Gish.^[3] The story was also featured on the CBS radio show Suspense as "To Find Help" on January 18, 1945 with Frank Sinatra as Howard and Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Gillis (Mrs. Gordon in the film). It was dramatized again on Suspense in 1949 with Gene Kelly and Ethel Barrymore on January 6, 1949.^[4]

The movie was shot over an 18-day period in 1951 for Collier Young and Ida Lupino's production company, The Filmakers. Howard Hughes, then the head of RKO Pictures, withheld the film from release for a year. Co-star Robert Ryan later said that he felt Hughes tried to "bury" the film because Ryan was active in left-wing politics and spoke publicly about his involvement.^[5]

[Hibi]

UGH. (Hughes)......

[CaveGirl]

On 7/14/2018 at 9:02 PM, Bronxgirl48 said:

I'm going to say this in a very small voice, but -- VERTIGO.

Yes.

The minute Jimmy gets in his car and starts tailing "Madeline", I invariably drift off into the arms of Morpheus.

Do you really, Bronxgirl? That is so interesting since I am obsessed with that movie and watch it over and over. Should I seek out a shrink?

[CaveGirl]

On 7/14/2018 at 9:13 PM, Bronxgirl48 said:

You're welcome, CaveGirl!

I was really looking forward to BLACK MAGIC but unfortunately fell asleep about a half hour in -- not because of the movie.  I was just tired from a plethora of morning errands.  Drat!

I saw TWO ON A GUILLOTINE for the first time a year or so ago and really enjoyed the copycat William Castle charm, so couldn't resist it again the other day.  I just love that Max Steiner gives the rabbit his/her own theme song!  This time around I caught director Bill Conrad doing a "Hitchcock" cameo at the amusement park.    

Don't you just hate it when you fall asleep during a film you've wanted to see for eons? Of course, now there are ways to allay the pain by refinding it to watch by newfangled means, but still. I too, by the way, love any William Castle film, because..well, he was just such a showman full of great tricks and ploys to entertain an audience. I love fright breaks, insurance policies for dying during films and the like. Missed Conrad's Hitch take but shall have to watch it again to see him. Thanks for the trivia!

[cigarjoe]

1 hour ago, Hibi said:

I dont think Beware, My Lovely is that bad. Both Ryan and Lupino are good in it. I think it would've worked better if it had been set in the present.

Agree, for some reason, for that particular film, seems the wrong era for noir, which is strange because, I like say,  The Tall Target, a pre Civil War film filmed in the Noir style, and similar Noir Westerns.

Others that I fit in with Beware, My Lovely that feel off for Noir are House By The River, Gaslight, The Spiral Staircase, and Hangover Square.

Maybe, like Hibi said, because they could have updated the stories easily. 

 

[misswonderly3]

11 minutes ago, cigarjoe said:

Agree, for some reason, for that particular film, seems the wrong era for noir, which is strange because, I like say,  The Tall Target, a pre Civil War film filmed in the Noir style, and similar Noir Westerns.

Others that I fit in with Beware, My Lovely that feel off for Noir are House By The River, Gaslight, The Spiral Staircase, and Hangover Square.

Maybe, like Hibi said, because they could have updated the stories easily. 

 

I just watched The Two Mrs. Carrolls last night. I'd say it also fits into that "off noir" category you're talking about. (But it's not as good as those other movies.)

[LornaHansonForbes]

20 minutes ago, cigarjoe said:

Agree, for some reason, for that particular film, seems the wrong era for noir, which is strange because, I like say,  The Tall Target, a pre Civil War film filmed in the Noir style, and similar Noir Westerns.

Others that I fit in with Beware, My Lovely that feel off for Noir are House By The River, Gaslight, The Spiral Staircase, and Hangover Square.

Maybe, like Hibi said, because they could have updated the stories easily. 

 

the funny thing about THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE is that it was based on a book by a British author and set in England in "the present day" (and it was published in the 1930's)

i don't think of THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE as a noir and I have more problems with it than things I like, but one of the things about it that I do like very much was the decision to set it in the 1910's.