OllieTSB Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 If the "Bad Girl" element is essential to a film-noir classic, then Ava Gardner in THE KILLERS has to qualify her. Kathleen Turner's BODY HEAT performance got a few of her co-characters killed in that film, but Ava was going to get EVERYONE killed. And she didn't even get to run off to a tropic island hammock like Kathleen did! tsk tsk Then there's sort of the wrong-side-of-the-tracks girl with a heart-of-gold type, like Jean Hagen played in ASPHALT JUNGLE to perfection. What a stretch that lady did - Dear Ol' Mom in PANIC IN YEAR ZERO, this ASPHALT nightingale role, and of course Lena in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 I also loved Ava Gardner in The Killers :x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkadin Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 My favorite Ava role is "Night of the Iguana" (1964), but this is the Noir/Gangster section... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 She was good in that one, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Everyone: Since I'm very fuzzy-headed about what movies are "noir" and which ones aren't, can you tell me if ON DANGEROUS GROUND is considered a film noir? I absolutley love this movie to death but to my thinking it is a drama. Your the experts, so what do you think? [nobr]Thanks, [nobr] [nobr][nobr] [nobr][nobr] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewey1960 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 It is ABSOLUTELY film noir, one of the very best, in fact!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thank you for the photo MissG And yes, it's a film-noir -- one good way to find out with movies you've never heard of before is to look it up on imdb.com and see "genres" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043879/ So this one is categorized as "crime" "film-noir" and "drama". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thanks, Dewey. And Cinemascope, thanks for that tip about imdb.com; I never thought of looking at what genres they list a movie under. Miss G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 It's always good to have a place to check quickly, just in case you've no one else to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Different posters mentioned Richard Conte as a classic film-noir actor and in searching for a photo of him I came across a still, with Colleen Gray, from The Sleeping City. Has anyone seen this movie and can comment on it? It's the first I've heard of it. [nobr] [nobr][nobr] [nobr] [nobr] [nobr] Message was edited by: MissGoddess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewey1960 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 THE SLEEPING CITY is a rarely seen film noir from 1950. Conte goes undercover in a big city hospital to get the lowdown on nefarious goings on. A very strong film. My two favorite Conte performances (in noir films) would be THIEVES HIGHWAY and THE BIG COMBO. Both are out there on DVD. Check 'em out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkadin Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thieves Highway is a great one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissGoddess Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Thanks---I think I've seen The Big Combo but would like to again, as well as the others. I like Conte in House of Strangers, Call Northside 777, Whirlpool, They Came to Codura, Somewhere in the Night (he surprised me in this one!) and The Blue Gardenia. I even liked him in the "Tony Rome" movies. Miss G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewey1960 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 It's in my personal top 100 favorite films of all time; I take it you've seen the Criterion DVD?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Why MissG you almost make it sound like there was something wrong with the Tony Rome movies... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewey1960 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Check him out in the 1956 film FULL OF LIFE co-starring the incredible Judy Holliday. It's taken from a wonderful novel by John Fante, which also comes highly recommended! It's a Columbia film and turns up on TCM. Set your timer when it does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkadin Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Seen it? It's on the shelf calling to me right now! Just kidding. Yes, I have it. I'm a fan of Dassin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Gotta love Dassin :x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewey1960 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 And don'tcha just love Millard Mitchell as Conte's buddy, Ed Kinney? Now there's an actor who doesn't get nearly enough respect! Nobody EVER mentions him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken123 Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Dassin disliked the ending that Zanuck tacked onto the end of Thieves Highway. Mr Z did it while Dassin was filming Night and the City, if my memorary is correct. Millard Mitchell was always great, please check out Winchester '73, The Naked Spur, The Gunfighter, and 12 O' Clock High, in addition to Highway . Message was edited by: ken123 Message was edited by: ken123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Is the original ending still available anywhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkadin Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 There is an interesting interview with the original writer in "The Big Book of Noir" (I forgot his name) He's done many other great films as well. He complained about them screwing up the endings to several of his scripts including "Thieves" and "On Dangerous Ground". Dewey probably knows who I am talking about and can elaborate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinemascope Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 I'd love to hear all the details! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Film_Fatale Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'd go with *Double Indemnity*, which starts on TCM in about half an hour. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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