Mr. Arkadin (1955)

 

Directed by Orson Welles. Found on Tubi. AKA Confidential Report. No idea which version this is on Tubi, but it is 100 min.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Arkadin

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/21095

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2006/cteq/mr_arkadin/

https://crimereads.com/orson-welles-mr-arkadin-lost-film/

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

 

Directed by John Sturges. Found on Tubi. Spencer Tracy, Anne Francis, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Walter Brennan. Never seen it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Day_at_Black_Rock

https://trailersfromhell.com/bad-day-at-black-rock/ 

https://www.tcm.com/articles/27617/bad-day-at-black-rock

Blast of Silence (1961)

 

Directed by Allen Baron. Criterion Blu-ray next. Black and white noir a few years after the film noir cycle ended. Set during Christmas. Lionel Stander narration. Found this originally in my local library. A real gem and beautifully shot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blast_of_Silence

https://trailersfromhell.com/blast-of-silence/

https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=37495 

https://www.avclub.com/blast-of-silence-1798204058

Strangers on a Train (1951)

 

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Found on Tubi. Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker. Screenplay by Raymond Chandler.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_on_a_Train_(film) 

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-strangers-on-a-train-1951

https://cinephiliabeyond.org/strangers-train-technically-perfect-psychological-carousel-one-hitchcocks-best/

https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s3988stra.html 

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/16135/strangers-on-a-train#articles-reviews?articleId=26796

https://sabinastent.substack.com/p/the-surrealism-of-strangers-on-a

The Suspect (1944)

 

Directed by Robert Siodmak. Charles Laughton, Ella Raines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suspect_(1944_film)

https://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=5104

https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=53258

D.O.A. (1949)

 

Directed by Rudolph Mate. Found on Tubi and it is public domain noir. Edmond O'Brien.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.O.A._(1950_film)

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/5855/doa#articles-reviews?articleId=82781

https://www.derekwinnert.com/d-o-a-1950-edmond-obrien-pamela-britton-luther-adler-neville-brand-beverly-garland-classic-movie-review-2565/

Double Indemnity (1944)

 

Directed by Billy Wilder. Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson. I have this two-disc special edition DVD and the book by James M. Cain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Indemnity

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-double-indemnity-1944

https://trailersfromhell.com/double-indemnity-4k/

https://cinephiliabeyond.org/double-indemnity-mesmerizing-film-noir-conceived-troubled-relationship-two-greats/

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

 

Directed by Tay Garnett. Lana Turner, John Garfield. Next on Tubi. I also have this book by James M. Cain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Postman_Always_Rings_Twice_(1946_film)

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/378/the-postman-always-rings-twice#articles-reviews?articleId=191498

https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s3970post.html

The Woman in the Window (1944)

 

Directed by Fritz Lang. Next on Tubi. Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett. Almost the same cast and crew made Scarlet Street a year later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_the_Window_(1944_film)

https://trailersfromhell.com/the-woman-in-the-window/

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/cteq/woman_window/

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

 

Directed by Orson Welles. Next on Tubi. Rita Hayworth. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_from_Shanghai

https://trailersfromhell.com/the-lady-from-shanghai-2/

https://www.avclub.com/the-lady-from-shanghai-dvd-1798194931

High Sierra (1940)

 

Directed by Raoul Walsh. Next on Tubi. Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Sierra_(film)

https://trailersfromhell.com/high-sierra/

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2017/cteq/high-sierra/

https://www.avclub.com/high-sierra-dvd-1798199144

The Killers (1946)

 

Directed by Robert Siodmak. Burt Lancaster. Classic scene with William Conrad as the heavy used in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killers_(1946_film)

http://www.dvdsavant.com/s715kill.html

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/80270/the-killers#articles-reviews?articleId=153215

https://www.avclub.com/ernest-hemingways-the-killers-1946-1798198287

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

 

Directed by Carl Reiner. Steve Martin. Film noir private detective parody. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Men_Don%27t_Wear_Plaid

https://nerdist.com/article/dead-men-dont-wear-plaid-old-hollywood-movie-references-double-indemnity-suspicion/

https://thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=2350

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/19211/dead-men-dont-wear-plaid#articles-reviews?articleId=29972

The Big Clock (1948)

 

Directed by John Farrow. Ray Milland, Charles Laughton. When I watched this Blu-ray several years ago there was a scene in Charles Laughton's office that was so perfectly composed that I watched Laughton's feet to see if there was a mark on the floor. When he moved his feet there were two marks, one for each foot. The office set was built so that all the walls could be removed and then they could get in there to do all the fancy camera moves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Clock_(film)

https://trailersfromhell.com/the-big-clock/

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/68644/the-big-clock#articles-reviews?articleId=25899

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

 

Directed by Alexander Mackendrick. Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis. James Wong Howe cinematography. Criterion Blu-ray up now. I had never seen this one until just a few years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Smell_of_Success

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-sweet-smell-of-success-1957

https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/480-keynote-sweet-smell-of-success-and-the-other-ugly-/

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/24062/sweet-smell-of-success#articles-reviews?articleId=21090

Your Future Is All Used Up

 

https://imdb2.freeforums.net/

IMDb2 boards are here. This was the sig line of an infamous poster on the old IMDb message boards. Touch of Evil with Orson Welles and Marlene Dietrich. 

Phantom Lady (1944)

 

Directed by Robert Siodmak. Film noir. Elisha Cook Jr. on the drums. Cornell Woolrich novel. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Lady_(film)

https://trailersfromhell.com/phantom-lady/

http://platoshrimp.blogspot.com/2009/08/phantom-lady-1944-87-min.html

https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review-robert-siodmaks-phantom-lady-on-arrow-academy-blu-ray/

Gun Crazy (1950)

 

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis. Film noir. One of my favorite movies. Another one of the great blind finds on DVD from the library. Every time I watch it it moves up in my list of greatest films. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_Crazy

https://trailersfromhell.com/gun-crazy/

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/77083/gun-crazy/#articles-reviews?articleId=581433

https://www.indiewire.com/2015/07/criticwire-classic-of-the-week-joseph-h-lewis-gun-crazy-130694/

https://www.avclub.com/gun-crazy-went-where-hollywood-wouldn-t-dare-1798243898

Crime Wave (1954)

 

Directed by Andre De Toth. Bizarre Timothy Carey performance. Film noir. Sterling Hayden, Charles Bronson, Dub Taylor. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_Wave_(1954_film)

https://thegoldenhornblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/andre-de-toth-director.html

https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s2362deco.html

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/71813/crime-wave#articles-reviews?articleId=484678 

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

 

Directed by Billy Wilder. Film noir DVD coming up next. Like many of the classic noirs I first saw this on DVD from the library. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Boulevard_(film)

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-sunset-boulevard-1950

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/sunset-boulevard-the-original-hollywood-expose/

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/4254/sunset-blvd#articles-reviews

https://thedissolve.com/news/286-cable-pick-of-the-day-82113-sunset-boulevard-retro/