TCM Presents: Roadblock (1961)

I was scrolling through the TCM schedule and saw Roadblock starring Charles McGraw and recorded it. 

McGraw is insurance detective Joe Peters who encounters a beautiful "chiseler" Diane Morley (Joan Dixon) at the airport when he's returning from a successful business trip. He's attracted to her but she tells him he's not in her league and she's aiming for the World Series. 

They meet again in Los Angeles and suddenly they're in love. But Joe doubts he can keep Diane on his $350 a month salary after she's been with a rich gangster. Suddenly the (previously) straight shooter Joe gives Diane's ex inside information to rob a train for a third of the take. Then suddenly chiseler Diane decides she doesn't need all that money after all. 

It's a good film, that's weakened by the characters' sudden decisions that go against everything previously established in the film. 

McGraw is perfect in the lead. I had never seen Joan Dixon before; I thought she did a good job. One of the co-stars was Louis Jean Heydt who I wrote about here.

TCM Presents Murder, Mystery, and Noir

I've recorded several films from TCM over the past few days. Rainy weather has helped me sit down and watch a few.

First up--Shockproof (1949)--the Noir Alley selection. Cornel Wilde stars as Griff Marat a parole officer who falls for his client Jenny Marsh (Patricia Knight)--a beautiful convicted murderess. Griff believes in Jenny if she can only stay away from her loser boyfriend Harry Wesson. 

This movie didn't work for me. I don't care for Cornel Wilde's acting, I didn't buy the urgency for Griff and Jenny's wedding. Most importantly, I didn't buy them as lovers on the run. The unrealistic "happy ending" that the Studio insisted on--was the final straw.

Gaslight (1949)--I've known about the concept of gaslighting and its literal use in this film for a long time. But I'm not sure I ever saw this film in its entirety. Charles Boyer as Gregory Anton  exudes charm until he suddenly sneers in viciousness as Ingrid Bergman--as his wife Paula--shrinks away in confusion. I wish the maid Elizabeth had been more pro-active in helping Paula. Elizabeth recognized early on that Gregory was trying to convince Paula she was sick when she wasn't.

This film will be forever enshrined in my heart because of its use in a classic Car 54 Where Are You? episode, "What Happened to Thursday?"

Dial M for Murder (1954)--I've seen this film more times than I can count. Ray Milland is excellent as Tony Wendice--a former tennis pro whose gotten used to living on his wife's money. Worried that her affair may put an end to his easy life, he concocts a scheme to have her killed by an old schoolmate he is blackmailing. It doesn't go as planned--instead his wife kills her attacker and is tried and sentenced to death. It looks like Tony will get away with it, but will he?

The Penguin Pool Murder (1932)--This is the first of the Hildegarde Withers/Inspector Oscar Piper film series that I wrote about recently. We first see Hildegarde (Edna May Oliver) as she thwarts a pickpocket with her umbrella. Soon, she and the class she took to the aquarium, find a body in the titular penguin pool. 

I was glad to see this movie again--I like Oliver in the part more than I remembered. I also liked the mystery. 

Four films down and three more to go. Thanks TCM.

Book 20: Laura by Vera Caspary

I bought this book for $.50 at the Norwalk Library the day I borrowed Booth. It's another book purchase inspired by films (others are Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, All This and Heaven Too, Julie and Julia, and Dragonwyck.)

I love the film, Laura. It's one of my favorites. I liked the book. The film begins with a voiceover by Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb.) The book has three narrators: Waldo, Mark, and Laura. I liked the multiple PoVs. 

Book Waldo is fat, but I can't imagine anyone other than slender Clifton Webb as Waldo. Similarly, Vincent Price doesn't strike me as the hunky, handsome Shelby, but I did mention in my other post that he was more broad-shouldered than I had remembered. As it often happens, I read the book while visualizing the film's actors. 

Back to the book: I loved Caspary's choice of murder weapon--much more elegant and unusual than the movie's. Caspary apparently researched this. I didn't care for all the "Mark is a man" commentary, but I guess it's true to the time.

I just checked our cable channel guide. Laura is available on TCM on Demand. I hope to add more later. 

Edit 1 7.24.22: I had bookmarked a phrase in Laura that I liked. I'm not sure why I didn't include it. 

Narrated by Waldo Lydecker: 

 The moon had lost its battle with the clouds and retreated, leaving no trace of copper brilliance in the ominous sky. The air had grown heavier.

Edit 2 7.24.22: I watched Laura on TCM last week. I didn't mind the minor changes such as Waldo's weight, where Laura first approached Waldo for his endorsement of a pen, and the police tail of Shelby. 

I still think the book murder weapon and finale are better than the film's. The second entrance to Laura's apartment in the film hadn't been established beforehand. It was awkward (and too easily broken into.)

TCM Noir Alley: Repeat Performance (1947)

The film opens (after a brief narration) with a murder offscreen. Sheila Page (Joan Leslie) has shot her husband. She escapes into crowds celebrating the New Year of 1947. She wishes she could relive 1946 over again to avoid shooting her husband, and suddenly she finds herself in the early hours of New Year's day 1946.

Sheila identifies Paula Costello as a danger; Sheila's husband Barney fell in love with Paula in the original timeline. Sheila believes if she doesn't go to London, Barney and Paula won't meet. But Paula shows up at Sheila's New Year's party. That wasn't supposed to happen. 

The new 1946 continues. Although it doesn't unfold exactly as the original timeline, Barney still falls in love with Paula, and Sheila still faces a crisis on New Year's Eve. 

There are some issues with the film. I can quibble with some of Sheila's actions and some of the dialogue. The biggest problem is that Barney is nice for about one hour of the whole year. I understand why Sheila may not want to kill him, but her determination to save her marriage doesn't make sense. Some people complain that the movie gives no explanation for Sheila's repeat performance. I didn't need an explanation. I love stories about alternate realities and timelines. 

I first saw this movie about 30 years ago. I think it was on the old A&E Network. Then I didn't see or hear of it for years. Apparently the film was almost lost. I'm happy it's been restored. 

Another Look at Body Heat

Over the last two days, I rewatched Body Heat. I want to comment on a few scenes. 

In one, Ned is casing the Breakers where he plans to dump Edmund Walker's body, timing the passes of the police or security personnel. Why is he wearing a red shirt as he hides behind a trash can? Wouldn't gray or black be a smarter choice? 

As Ned is in Miami to establish his alibi for the murder of Edmund Walker, a clown in full make-up drives by in a convertible. This isn't a blink-and-you-miss-it scene; Ned notices and stares at the clown. 

A few scenes later shows a spider in the middle of a web. Who/what will it ensnare?

That's one thing I love about re-watching a film or TV show, re-reading a book. or even listening to a story in class the second (or third) time, there are things you missed the first time around or just didn't pay attention to. There is always more. 

TCM Neo-Noir: Body Heat 1981

Last Sunday, Jeff and I watched Body Heat. I think I saw it when it first came out. I definitely recorded it from a cable showing, but I haven't seen it in years. 

When I first saw it, I wasn't as interested in or as knowledgeable about noir as I am now. I saw the film as a worthy successor to the great noir classic Double Indemnity. The plot outlines are similar. A femme fatale ensnares a man to kill her husband. 

Both women are confident enough in their sexuality to seduce a man to murder for them. Kathleen Turner's Matty Walker is even more evil than Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity. Phyllis was quick to spot Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) as a sap and use him to get rid of her husband. All it took was "a honey of an anklet." Matty actually seeks out Ned Racine (William Hurt) for his mediocre legal skills. 

I also saw a few similarities to The Letter in Body Heat: specifically a masterful use of music, heat, shadows, and wind chimes. 

A strong supporting cast rounds out the film. I especially liked Ted Danson as Ned's dancing friend and assistant deputy prosecutor. 

Body Heat could do something that Double Indemnity could not: its femme fatale succeeded. The last shot of the film shows Matty achieving her ambition: to be rich and live in an exotic land. Hollywood's Production Code ensured that Phyllis had to be punished. 

TCM Noir: The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry

I don't watch Noir Alley every week, but I usually check out the selections. This week's description was sparse: something like a man poisoned his good sister when he meant to poison his bad sister. 

The movie was slow-moving, although well-acted. Unfortunately, the ending sucked--equivalent to "it was just a dream." I had to rewatch the scene; I wasn't sure what part was the dream. 

Apparently the studio filmed five endings and picked one that made a waste of the film. 

Noir Classic Re-Watch: The Narrow Margin

The Narrow Margin is a classic noir B movie starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor. Detective Brown (McGraw) is a hard-bitten police detective assigned to escort Mrs. Neall (Windsor) a mobster's widow from Chicago to LA to testify before a grand jury against her husband's accomplices.

Most of the action takes place on a train--the perfect claustrophobic setting for a noir with its small compartments and narrow corridors. Brown and Neall are menaced by men with guns, a man with a bribe, and maybe others.

The dialogue crackles. In an early scene, Brown's partner wonders what the widow looks like. Brown's response: "A dish...Sixty-cent special. Cheap, flashy, strictly poison under the gravy."

Brown's partner is killed before they even get Mrs. Neall out of her apartment. On the train, Brown's drink and conversation with a woman makes her a potential target. Mrs. Neall wants to take advantage of the situation.

Brown: "You make me sick to my stomach."
Mrs. Neal: "Well, use your own sink. And let me know when the target practice starts. "

Later Mrs. Neall suggests they sell out. "Oh, wake up Brown. This train's headed straight for the cemetery. But there's another on coming along, a gravy train. Let's get on it."

I love how compact the story is with a running length of 71 minutes--a complement to the claustrophobic train setting.  McGraw and Windsor make a great team.

I do have a problem with the ending of the movie. It's a bit too sweet and cutesy and does a disservice to a major character.

I still love this film.

Noir Classic Re-Watch: Double Indemnity

"It was a hot afternoon. I can still remember the smell of honeysuckle all along that street. How could I have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle?"

Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) has just met Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) and murder is in the air.

There's a reason this film is a classic. The opening credits run over an image of a man on crutches walking toward the camera. A car rushes through the Los Angeles night running through an iconic "STOP/GO" light. Walter Neff stumbles into his office to dictate his story of murder for his co-worker Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson.) 

The narration makes sense here based on the close relationship between Neff and Keyes. Neff wants to explain how he and Phyllis Dietrichson planned the murder and how they dealt with unforeseen problems and complications.

The three main actors shine in strong performances. This film was shown as part of the evening line-up when Robinson was star of the month. Robinson is excellent, even in a scene where MacMurray listens to him on a dictaphone. The supporting cast is also good. 

I really enjoyed seeing this movie again. It reminds me that there's always something more in good films. It can be something you didn't notice before or something you forgot. It can be a look, a prop, a shadow. There is always something more to discover in good films.

Thoughts on the Casting of Mildred Pierce

Another Noir Alley selection: Mildred Pierce. I've seen the movie before, but this was this first time in years that I watched the entire film.

I admit I'm not a big Joan Crawford fan. Maybe Bette Davis prejudiced me against her. Joan's good as Mildred, but I don't know if her performance was Oscar-worthy. I was more impressed with the work of Ann Blyth, Jack Carson, and Eve Arden.

I'm also more interested in who didn't play Mildred. Bette Davis turned the role down. She said she couldn't stand to work with director Michael Curtiz again--they made seven films together. According to TCM host Eddie Muller, Ann Sheridan also turned down the role. I don't know why--she would have been good.

The oddest part of Muller's story is that Barbara Stanwyck wanted the part and they turned her down. That's shocking; she would have been great. I would have loved to see her as Mildred--a lost opportunity.

Another Noir: Fallen Angel

I enjoyed Wicked Woman, last weeks' Noir  Alley selection on TCM, so I recorded this week's Fallen Angel. I don't think I've heard of the film before. But Otto Preminger made this film a year after Laura with some of the same actors and crew. I love Laura. Bonus: Dana Andrews stars.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. TCM's host Eddie Muller mentioned that Dana Andrews didn't like the script; he wanted to do Leave Her to Heaven. I would have loved to see him in that film instead of Cornel Wilde. Muller also mentioned that Darryl Zanuck cut several key scenes with Alice Faye to give more screen time to Linda Darnell. That was a bad move because Faye's character's decisions don't make much sense. Plus, I don't get why he thought Linda Darnell was so great. Too bad.

TCM Noir: Wicked Woman

Wicked Woman was a TCM Noir Alley selection last weekend. I almost passed it by but decided to record it. I'm so glad I did. It's far from a classic, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Billie Nash arrives in a small town on a Trailways bus. A tall, long-legged blonde dressed in white, she makes quite an impression, especially on local tailor and rooming house neighbor Charlie.

Billie gets a room in low-rent boarding house. She cons a dinner, $20 "loan," and free tailoring job from Charlie. She gets a waitress job at a local bar owned by Matt and Dora Bannister. The first night on the job, Billie hits on Matt. She learns that Dora inherited the bar from her father, but it was Matt who kept it from going under. Dora's a heavy drinker, and Matt disapproves.

Billie and Matt plan to sell the bar by forging Dora's signature and running off to Mexico with the proceeds, but things go awry. Don't they always.

The plan is foiled because Charlie hears Billie and Matt talking. Charlie forces Billie to spend "time" with him. Matt finds them in a compromising position and freaks out. He tells Dora what happened (off-screen) and manages to cancel the sale of the bar with no legal repercussions. Billie leaves on a bus to Kansas City. She immediately attracts the attention of another passenger, smiles at him, and here we go again.

That's the gist of the plot. Here are some things that interest me.

Could Billie and Dora have become friends? Dora is the one who hires Billie, despite her lack of references. Dora seems to like Billie, especially when Billie slips her drinks behind Matt's back. Maybe it's Dora's drinking habit that keeps her from catching on to Billie. Besides, Billie probably hasn't had a woman friend since she hit puberty.

There were mentions of a problem with the stove; the cook was afraid it would blow up in his face. I  expected it would blow up in Dora's face. Would that help or hinder Billie's and Matt's plan? I guess it would depend on the timing.

The stove did blow up, but no one was hurt. There was just a lot of smoke and Matt closed the bar early. I thought of Chekhov's gun.

An unusual thing in this noir is that no one is killed. At one point, Billie says Matt wants Dora dead, but Matt shuts that conversation down quickly.

Some commenters on imdb.com thought it was unrealistic for Dora to forgive Matt so easily. I don't think she did. I think she's smart enough to know that she can't hold on to the bar without Matt. She's also smart enough not to let him get close to another waitress. Dora will never forgive or forget.

The movie isn't subtle about Billie--just look at the title. It's also known as Free and Easy. Billie is described as a trashy blonde and drifting floozy.

Here's what the film's posters had to say.

"She was born for trouble."
"She uses sex the way a hoodlum uses a loaded gun!"
"They called her 'wicked' but they didn't know the half of it!"
"She's nothing but trouble...Every voluptuous inch of her..."
"She lives up to every scarlet letter of her name!"

We don't learn anything about Billie's back story. We know she likes to smoke and drink and is into astrology. She has a favorite song that she plays over and over on her record player, and she wants to return to Mexico. At one point, Matt says they have to call off the plan to sell the bar and go away later. Billie says there is never a later. It made me wonder if Billie was always wicked, or if something happened that changed her.

The acting was pretty good across the board, but Percy Helton as Charlie was incredible. Helton acted in films and TV from 1915 to 1978 (237 credits.) If you don't know his name, you probably know his face. Charlie's longing for Billie comes off the screen in waves, and he has some creepy overtones when he has something on her.

I recommend this film for noir fans and fans who love to see a character actor's best performance. 

Snow Day

It started snowing around 8:30 this morning. I got Lola to Taylor Farm by 7:30. I didn't know when the snow would start, but knew it would be snowing off-and-on all day.

Lola and I spent just about an hour at Taylor Farm. First I saw a snowflake out of the corner of my eye. Next I felt a few flakes. By the time we left, the snowflakes still hadn't coalesced. I grabbed a coffee and glazed blueberry donut at Dunkin Donuts on the way home. Since then I've been a homebody.

Jeff's away this weekend. I had planned a few fun things to do, but wanted to use this weekend to get some things done around the house. With the snow day, I gave up the outside plans (except of course for the dog park with Lola.) Yesterday I made broth using rotisserie chickens. Today I separated chicken, broth and bones, etc. to make a broth for Lola--she loves chicken broth--and some orzo, white bean chicken soup for Jeff and me. I made a double batch of flank steak, black bean chili--it's still cooking on low in the crockpot.

I filed papers away, went through and organized all the instruction and warranty brochures, and tossed some outdated papers. I did a few sewing repairs. I didn't get around to any cleaning besides dishes, but tomorrow is another day.

I watched one of my noir movies. Angel Face. I had seen part of it before, but the ending was a shocker.

A pretty productive day.

Film Round-Up

It's been a while since I've posted about films I've recently watched, so here I go.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie: I wasn't sure what to expect from the movie. I don't think the later seasons of the show were as funny as the first three. And after all this time... But I loved it. It was a lot of fun. In a way it reminds me of Veronica Mars: The Movie: I'm not sure if people who didn't love the show will really appreciate the movies. At least non-show film-watchers won't recognize and know the history of many characters.

Scarlet Street: I found this on TCM one afternoon. I had missed the first 10-15 minutes but didn't think this was a problem because I'd seen the film before. (A few weeks later, I caught the beginning.) But, as I watched I realized I didn't remember it. It wasn't that I confused the film with The Woman in the Window. I remember that film clearly: the same director and main cast of Scarlet Street. I haven't seen The Woman in the Window in years but it was weakened by the "it was a dream" ending. I read somewhere that the studio (International-RKO) required director Fritz Lang to film the "dream" ending. I prefer Scarlet Street and its "real" ending. Robinson is awesome as the mild-mannered, hen-pecked clerk who thinks he found the woman who understands him. He is an actor of great range--far beyond the Little Caesar-type gangster that most people remember. Dan Duryea shines as the pimp/boyfriend of Joan Bennett, the object of of Robinson's affections. Duryea is always great as a sleaze--I especially loved him in Too Late for Tears and The Little Foxes--the latter is only his second screen credit. Joan Bennett is good at Kitty--she's playing roles of sweetheart and artist--but in reality she's a scheming opportunist.

The Maltese Falcon (1931): The first of three versions by Warner Brothers holds up well although it pales in comparison to the iconic 1941 version. (We should all forget about the 1936 version Satan Met A Lady--even Bette Davis couldn't save that one.) Ricardo Cortez is underrated; he does a good job as Sam Spade. I also liked Bebe Daniels. But I missed Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Junior. All three were much more memorable than their 1931 counterparts. I disliked the 1931 ending when Sam visits Ruth Wonderly in prison. The 1941 ending with Spade and Polhaus discussing the "stuff that dreams are made of " is stronger and quoteworthy.

TCM Noir Night--Elevator to the Gallows

Saturday night I watched Elevator to the Gallows--a film I recorded last year as part of TCM's Summer of Darkness film noir course.

This film has subtitles. I'm not anti-subtitles per se, but it means that I have to pay close attention.

Overall, I liked the film. I was originally going to describe it as a "What could go wrong?" plot. But the meticulously planned murder hinges on a rope climb outside an office building on a busy street in Paris in broad daylight. It's such a foolish move--it takes me out of the movie.Then the murderer leaves the rope hanging from the window after he makes his "getaway." His attempt to retrieve the rope leads to him being trapped in the elevator in the title.

A series of seemingly random acts follow that complicate and jeopardize the original plan.This is the part of the movie that I liked--the things that could go wrong.

I had a few other issues. Why did the accomplice wander the streets of Paris asking if anyone had seen the murderer? Isn't that suspicious?

There's a final twist that will take too long to describe in detail--there are enough spoilers in the post as it is. At the end of the film, the policeman tells the accomplice--a woman--that she will serve more time than the man who actually pulled the trigger. At this point, there's only circumstantial evidence against the woman. I'm no expert on French law, but that just didn't seem right--and more than a little sexist.

Film Round-Up

I caught a few films on TV last week.

The most recent film is Mad Max: Fury Road. Based on the reviews I read on IMDB, the film is polarizing: people love it or hate it. I'm not a huge fan of chase scenes, and that's something like 95 percent of the movie. But for the most part, I enjoyed it.

The Woman on Pier 13 is one of my noir course films that I didn't get around to watching. Brad Collins (Robert Ryan) is a young Communist who thought he left the party, but couldn't escape forever. I like this film although it's hard for me from this point in time to take the villainy of the Communist Party so seriously. But besides the Communist Party angle, the story and acting are strong. I like the character of Brad's wife Nan Collins (Laraine Day.) At first, she's rather passive and submissive. But after her brother is killed, she goes into action. Nan does have to be rescued, but at least she tries.

The Racket also stars Robert Ryan and features William Talman (who plays a Communist enforcer in The Woman on Pier 13.) Here Ryan is a local crime boss whose violent ways clash with the national outfit. Robert Mitchum is the honest police captain who beats the mob.

The Big Sleep stars Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe. It's an intriguing but confusing story, with additional scenes written and filmed to beef up the romantic relationship between Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I wish I could have seen the original version. 

The Books on my Nightstand

I love to read and I love books. But a few months ago, I realized that I hadn't been reading many books recently. So I selected a few and put them on my nightstand. I figured I would be more likely to read one if I had the books nearby.

Here's my stack:

Writing a Woman's Life by Carolyn G. Heilbrun
I got this at a library book sale. I had read some of Heibrun's detective novels under the pseudonym Amanda Cross. The book examines how women's lives are written in biography and autobiography.

Simply Southern by Cappy Hall Rearick
A gift from my mother-in-law, Simply Southern is a collection of newspaper columns. The short pieces are good for reading before bed.

Hollywood Be Thy Name The Warner Brothers Story by Cass Sperling and Cork Millner with Jack Warner Jr.
Another book sale purchase, this is a history of my favorite movie studio.

Big Girls Don't Cry by Rebecca Traister
I read good reviews of this book and then picked it up at Barnes & Noble. Traister's observations of the 2008 presidential election should be interesting in light of the 2016 race.

Film Noir The Dark Side of the Screen by Foster Hirsch
I got this book about 20 years ago when I was part of a classic movie group. I started re-reading it when I took my film noir course over the summer.

I finished Writing a Woman's Life, and will return it to a book sale. I'm about three quarters through Film Noir and about halfway through Simply Southern. This is the first time I've read more than one book at a time outside of school. I like this approach and will continue with it.

Memorable Lines: 1945's Noir Classic Detour

I think Jeff and I watched Detour years ago, but it didn't make much of an impression on us. This time around, when I watched it as part of the Summer of Darkness, I watched it more closely.

Detour is the quintessential B picture noir, with a small budget and tight shooting schedule. Errol Morris said, "It has an unparalleled quality of despair, totally unrelieved by hope."

The movie includes these great lines:
 "Life's like a ballgame. You got to take a swing at whatever comes along before you wake up and find it's the ninth inning."

I may be prejudiced because I am a baseball fan, but I think baseball expressions and metaphors are rich and beautiful.

TCM Summer of Darkness

I signed up to take a free online course, Summer of Darkness, via TCM (my favorite channel) and the Canvas Network on Film Noir. It started on June 1, and I'm woefully behind.

I get emails Monday through Thursday with short clips from selected films and some thoughts. TCM airs the full movies and more each Friday. Students can comment on Twitter and/or TCM message boards. There's some additional reading and video lectures.

Students can certificates for completing the class if they take quizzes. I'm working my way through the emails, films, reading and lectures, trying to catch up.