Noirvember 2019: The Window (1949) Ted Tetzlaff

I’m kicking off my Noirvember 2019 posts with a rarity: a film noir with a child protagonist, Ted Tetzlaff’s The Window (1949).

Johnny Allegro (1949) Ted Tetzlaff

While everyone watched Nocturne (1946) on TCM’s Noir Alley last weekend, I watched a different George Raft movie, Johnny Allegro. Is it worth your time? Should we call it Johnny Adagio? Should we call it a day and move on to something else? I review the film here.

Brit Noir: Silent Dust (1949) Lance Comfort

I continue to explore British film noir today with an effective title from director Lance Comfort, Silent Dust.

Noirvember 2018, Episode 30: The Lady Gambles (1949)

Barbara Stanwyck let’s ’em roll as we close out Noirvember 2018. Read more.

Noirvember 2018, Episode 8: Stray Dog (1949)

Let’s step away from American shores to take a look at film noir in post WWII Japan, courtesy of the master, Akira Kurosawa. More here.

Noirvember 2018, Episode 6: Cover Up (1949)

Wow, we’re already at Episode 6? Noirvember is flying by. Here’s the latest.

The Threat (1949) Felix E. Feist

(The Threat is the second in a series of four film noir titles I recently purchased from Warner Archive. Riffraff [1947] was the first in that series.)

The Threat (1949)
Directed by Felix E. Feist
Screenplay by High King
Cinematography by Harry J. Wild
RKO
Warner Archive DVD/MOD (1:07)

It’s been called “The poor man’s White Heat,” featuring a standout performance by film noir icon Charles McGraw, but are those reasons enough to recommend The Threat, a 67-minute B picture?

Noirvember 2017, Episode 22: White Heat (1949)

White Heat (1949) Raoul Walsh
Ultimate Gangsters Collection Blu-ray (1:54)

James Cagney stars as Cody Jarrett, psychotic leader of a gang of robbers, but there’s much more to the role and the film. Jarrett is vicious, murdering people without thinking twice, even discarding his own people if they’re injured and unable to help themselves.

Noirvember 2017, Episode 17: Manhandled (1949)

Manhandled (1949) Lewis R. Foster
TCM (1:37)

Writer Alton Bennet (Alan Napier) confides to his therapist Dr. Redmond (Harold Vermilyea) that he’s having nightmares of killing his wife Ruth (Irene Harvey), who just happens to own a very impressive collection of jewelry. Sure enough, Mrs. Bennet turns up dead and, of course, Alton is the leading suspect, but Detective Lieutenant Bill Dawson (Art Smith) thinks Alton is innocent.

Noirvember 2017, Episode 9: Shockproof (1949)

Shockproof (1949) Douglas Sirk
Filmstruck (1:19)

Mention the name Douglas Sirk to classic movie fans and they’ll come up with certain words that evoke the director’s work, particularly the word “melodrama.” Do the same with Samuel Fuller  and you might evoke the words “controversial,” “aggressive,” or “violent.” Sirk suggests high production values in his films; Fuller, low-budget. It seems almost unthinkable that the two would work together on a project, but it happened with Shockproof, written by Fuller and Helen Deutsch and directed by Sirk.