While Michael Curtiz would go on to make more films (22 more) in the decade following 1950, it is with good reason that I have chosen THE BREAKING POINT as the film to finish out our Curtiz journey. “Noir Czar” Eddie Muller while being interviewed on TCM by Robert Osborn once described this film as” brilliant,” and his favorite Michael Curtiz film; and yes, he … Continue reading THE BREAKING POINT (1950)
As we cruise farther along our Michael Curtiz journey, today we’re pulling over to a little jazz club to discuss, YOUNG MAN with a HORN (1950). At this point, we have explored a variety of film genres that Curtiz not only explored but excelled in directing. Now let’s look at a film that is not only a biopic, but a musical biopic. American novelist Dorothy … Continue reading To jazz up your day… YOUNG MAN with a HORN (1950)
THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) was the very first film Michael Curtiz made under his new production company, Michael Curtiz Productions. As such, it’s an important pit stop in our Curtiz journey. In the end, it was a mix of hits and misses; but overall, an important lesson in his life as a filmmaker. With Hal Wallis’s post-CASABLANCA disgruntled exit at Warner Brothers and with Curtiz’s maiden … Continue reading A Little Noir Gem, THE UNSUSPECTED (1947)
IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) This is one of many postwar films where Hollywood takes an introspective, and in the case of the film noirs like this, a darker view of itself. Not unlike private dicks such as Sam Spade, here it’s a Hollywood screenwriter who is showcased as the loner, cynical figure. Going deeper, darker, and more complex than Joe Gillis in Billy Wilder’s … Continue reading Nicholas Ray’s In A Lonely Place
Next month marks the 70th anniversary of the gripping film noir, Anthony Mann’s BORDER INCIDENT (1949). It’s a violent, intense, shocking, and visually stunning peek into the slave labor conditions of the braceros who work farming along the American/Mexican border. Here it is 70 years later, and I cannot think of anything more topically relevant. Don’t let the arid, sweltering heat of the Imperial valley … Continue reading BORDER INCIDENT (1949)
The postman always rings twice doesn’t refer to a mail carrier’s methodology of delivery in this 1946 film noir directed by Tay Garnett, starring John Garfield and Lana Turner. This is film noir, friends, so we are addressing the subject of dark and dirty crime. Not just any crime but murder. Mariticide, to be exact. Mariticide is the act of killing one’s husband. Not exactly … Continue reading She Kills Her Husband Once but THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, 1946
It’s dark. Too dark to see without assistance from a handy flashlight to confirm the time on his watch. Private dick Philip Marlowe is scouting out the meeting place in a densely wooded area, just off the road. He walks cautiously as dense, smoky fog crawls along the ground, in his tipped fedora and buttoned up trench coat. He hears the snap of a twig … Continue reading The Black Pools of Noir in MURDER, MY SWEET 1944
Fields of sunflowers with their friendly faces reaching up to the sky, as rumbles of enormous dark storm clouds approach rapidly. This scene was played out just a couple of days ago in my town and is pretty typical here in the heartland, as we transition from the long, hot days of late summer into cool Autumn. But what may be less known about this … Continue reading CLASSIC FILM FALL REPORT: Fly in to ‘Fly Over States’
Boy howdy, is there a fun summer in store for you, film fans! In case you haven’t heard, Turner Classic Movies network has packed your summer with everything you need to keep those hot, sizzling days nice and cool. Whether you’re up for family fun flicks or dark noir, TCM has the ultimate silver screen soiree scheduled for everyone… all summer long. Starting June 5th, … Continue reading KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND! Summer Sizzles in Cool Noir on TCM- plus more!
Outspoken & Freckled 