We figured it was time to have a place to talk about Steve’s latest video subjects that do not have an UMR page.
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We figured it was time to have a place to talk about Steve’s latest video subjects that do not have an UMR page.
BEST POSTERS STEVE’s 1950 FILM NOIRS VIDEO [FL= Foreign Language version]
1/ALL for Backfire-wow!
2/Both for Born to Be Bad – wow!
3/ALL for Dial 1119 – wow!
4/1st for Convicted
5/FL for Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
6/FL for No Way Out-one of 3 Widmark/Poitier pairings.
7/2 for DOA
8/2 FL ones for Caged
9/1st one for Walk Softly Stranger
10/2 for Armored Car Robbery – wow!
11FL for Union Station – Golden Holden on cusp of mega stardom
12/ALL for Where the Sidewalk Ends
13/ALL for Gun Crazy – wow!
14/1st for Night and the City
15/FL for Asphalt Jungle – wow!
16/ALL for Sunset Boulevard.
17/FL for Damned Don’t Cry – Crawford at height of her powers; decline soon followed.
18/2 FL ones for In a Lonely Place – some critics regard this as Bogie’s finest performance
19/FL for Where Danger Lives – I love that title. Faith Domergue was one of the many ultimately casual mistresses of Howard Hughes and tried to run him down in her car after an explosive row.
20/ALL for Dark City – Although Heston and Lizabeth Scott teamed-up again in 1953’s Bad for Each Other it seems that’s what they were for each other in real life: they didn’t get on well together! See also additional trivia in Part 4 of this post.
I have written on previous occasions about some of the matters covered in Part One; but considered it appropriate to mention those same key issues yet again now because [apart from the fact that I enjoy doing so] I can certainly see where Martin Scorsese is coming from because sometimes in the past week at night in bed I lay there wondering what direction Steve’s next video might take now that he had completed his highly-entertaining 1940s film noir series.
And I must say that I am pleased with what has today emerged [to the tune of a 98.5% rating in my book] as although the 1940s is arguably THE decade for film noirs 1950s is nevertheless a decade that deserves Steve to lend his skills to explore visually the noirs on offer in those years
One fly in the ointment though: although the King of Film Noirs Laddie made some noirs in the 1950s none of them are considered classics as far as I am aware. However 1950s’s Captain Carey USA did have one special piece of class about it: it introduced the now- perennial classic song Myrna Lisa which won a best song Oscar and became a No 1 chart hit for the great Nat King Cole
Myrna Lisa, Myrna Lisa, men have named you
You’re so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only ’cause you’re lonely they have blamed you?
For that Myrna Lisa strangeness in your smile?
Do you smile to tempt a lover, Myrna Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there, and they die there
Are you warm? Are you real, Myrna Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?
Despite that song being musically one of the all-time greats [indeed a bit like the movie’s star himself you might say!] sadly Captain Carey USA Is not covered in the 1950 video though released in the States on 21 Feb 1950 and given a “Good” rating of 62% by IMDB
“There is Before Brando and there is After Brando. That’s it! HE is the marker. During his absences from the screen I used to experience great excitement at the thought of Brando returning. I would lie awake at night sometimes wondering when that would be and in what acting guise he might reappear.”
MARTIN SCORSESE [Recorded Television Interview]
Whenever I think about those wise words from Martin it is instructive to me that whilst Joel Hirschhorn attempted to ‘demonise’ Brando for daring to take a break from filming [though because of Marlon’s shenanigans at the 1973 Oscars Hollywood had declared “open season” on attacking Brando when Joel was writing his stuff so Hirsch had a soft target] Scorsese although apparently as obsessed as Hirsch seemed to be with Brando’s absences channelled his own obsession into more positive musing about The Great Mumbler.
It could be that that’s the difference between a craftsman with a true affinity with moviemaking, and one who maybe does not really possess such a quality: ie the difference between The Real Deal and a possible Mountebank.
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
Deep-drinking largely sobers us again.
ALEXANDER POPE 1709
And what has all THAT got to do with Steve’s 1950 noir video? – see Part 2 of this post.
Hi Bob, thanks for the review, generous rating, info, lyrics and trivia, much appreciated. Happy you liked the posters, stills and lobby cards.
Captain Carey USA wasn’t included because it wasn’t listed at all in the three film noir books I use for reference, and there are a lot of films listed in those books. I think Wikipedia is the only place it’s mentioned as a noir. Btw the three noir books are named in the info box under each noir video on my channel. I don’t always agree with their choices though.
1950’s noir was a great start for the decade, lots of famous titles here. None in color yet. Gene Tierney and Richard Widmark had three top rated noir that year, Widmark’s three all in the top 10.
Three films scored 10 out of 10 from my sources and they are the top 3 on the video, two more scored 9 and they are no.4 and 5 on the video.
My Video Top 6 –
Sunset Boulevard 9.25
The Asphalt Jungle 8.55
In a Lonely Place 8.2
Night and the City 7.9
Gun Crazy 7.8
Panic in the Streets 7.8
The UMR Critics Top 6 –
Sunset Boulevard 9.0
The Asphalt Jungle 8.7
In a Lonely Place 8.7
Panic in the Streets 8.4
Where the Sidewalk Ends 8.2
Gun Crazy 8.1
IMDB Trivia – “John Huston first met Sterling Hayden in Washington, DC, during a protest against the House Un-American Activities Committee investigation of “subversives” in the film industry. When the pair met to discuss The Asphalt Jungle, Huston said to Hayden, “I’ve admired you for a long time, Sterling. They don’t know what to make of a guy like you in this business.” Huston was honest with Hayden about his chance for the lead role. Hayden recounts in his autobiography Huston’s pitch: “Now, Sterling, I want you to do this part. The studio does not. They want a top name star. They say you mean nothing when it comes to box-office draw–I told them there aren’t five names in this town [that] mean a damn thing at the box office. Fortunately, they’re not making this picture. I am. Now let me tell you about Dix Handley . . . Dix is you and me and every other man who can’t fit into the groove.” Rumored to be fighting severe alcohol and psychiatric problems, Hayden landed the role of Handley, his first major starring role, over the objection of MGM chief Dore Schary. Hayden’s gritty performance proved many Hollywood naysayers flat wrong. For instance, Hayden himself was nervous about the climactic scene in the picture, when Dix breaks down in tears in front of Jean Hagen. According to the director, though, Hayden did not have anything to worry about. After the actor delivered the scene beautifully, Huston took Hayden aside and said, “The next time somebody says you can’t act, tell them to call Huston.”
Bob, I hope this comment doesn’t disappear like the previous one. Did that one ever resurface? Did Bruce read my post? Is anybody home?
I have seen 27 of the 30 top noirs of 1950. Favourites are Sunset Blvd, The Asphalt Jungle, In A Lonely Place, Night and the City, Gun Crazy, Panic and the Streets, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Caged, D.O.A., The Breaking Point, Woman on the Run, Side Street, Whirlpool, Mystery Street, Armored Car Robbery, Dark City, 711 Ocean Drive, Union Station, Convicted, Dial 1119, and Walk Softly Stranger.
I have also seen No Way Out, The Damned Don’t Cry, The Underworld Story, Where Danger Lives, Born to Be Bad, and Backfire.
Favourite posters and stills are from Sunset Blvd, Thhe Asphalt Jungle, In a Lonely Place, Night and the City, Gun Crazy, Where the Sidewalk Ends, D.O.A., No Way Out, The Breaking point, Woman on the Run, Side Street, Mystery Street, Where Danger Lives, Convicted, and Backfire.
Hi Flora, wow another amazing tally, your 27 out of 30 easily tops my 8. My favorites are – Gun Crazy, Night and the City, In a Lonely Place, Asphalt Jungle and Sunset Blvd. I also enjoyed Panic in the Streets, DOA and Dark City.
Thanks as always for commenting, much appreciated. Gad you liked the posters and stills. Another video next friday.
Anyway not only did your 1949 noirs video entertain me in its own right but it gave me the opportunity to say something at length about Ladd. I was keen to talk about him before today as my son has arrive home from London for a 12-day break and during that time my wife who wants no arguments in the home has warned me that I am not supposed to write, talk or even think about Laddie.
You and I have discussed in the past how Hollywood often presents Englishmen and Irishmen on screen as “stock characters” – you guys can be depicted as snooty-nosed posh-speaking “silly twits” as Brit actor Ian Carmichael referred to them – “In this one I’m playing another of my silly English twit roles.”; and WE Irish tend to be drunks spouting at times the most ridiculous blarney:
JOHN WAYNE: Can you tell me the way to Innisfree?
IRISH POSTMAN: Well, do you see that road up there?
WAYNE: Yes.
IRISH POSTMAN: Well it’s not that one.
[The Quiet Man 1952]
It’s your turn now STEVE! I watched last night a Perry Mason episode rerun and in it a prim and posh-speaking lovely young Englishwoman wakes up from a sleep in which she has been recovering from a painful accident and the first thing she says is “Can I have a cup of tea please?” In short: the English according to other nationalities are supposed to be preoccupied and obsessed, among other habits perceived as strange, with drinking tea!