Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from the

[Amber St. Clare]

Does anyone have an interest in the film noir genre and would like to have a discussion about the various movies, directors/actors? Or any movies from the 30s-40s? It's my own opinion that films were better then and I have a HUGE collection and my husbands eyes roll in the back of his head when I try to get him to watch/discuss them. I also have a mad crush on George Sanders, but that's a separate issue.

Anyone interested?

 

[stracci2000]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

One of my favorite movies is The Black Cat with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. A serious classic. I just love the interior scenes with all of the 1930's modern room decor. And of course the beautiful fashions of the day. And the scary storyline!!! The original Frankenstein movies are so well done.
I also love anything with Lon Chaney Jr. especially In "Son of Dracula", where he plays Count Alucard! We almost named the cat Alucard, just because I loved the sound of it, and the fact that the cat looks a little devilish sometimes!

I also enjoy anything with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The 1960's and 70's vampire movies can be downright creepy.
The wheel always breaks off the carriage in front of the creepy mansion, leaving the unsuspecting newlyweds at the vampires doorstep!

I don't like any modern horror movies at all. They are too gory and horrible. The vintage movies are so much better.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

One of my favorite movies is The Black Cat with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. A serious classic. I just love the interior scenes with all of the 1930's modern room decor. And of course the beautiful fashions of the day. And the scary storyline!!! The original Frankenstein movies are so well done.
I also love anything with Lon Chaney Jr. especially In "Son of Dracula", where he plays Count Alucard! We almost named the cat Alucard, just because I loved the sound of it, and the fact that the cat looks a little devilish sometimes!

I also enjoy anything with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. The 1960's and 70's vampire movies can be downright creepy.
The wheel always breaks off the carriage in front of the creepy mansion, leaving the unsuspecting newlyweds at the vampires doorstep!

I don't like any modern horror movies at all. They are too gory and horrible. The vintage movies are so much better.

Oh you are so right--today's horror movies rely way too much on gore and not enough on atmosphere. Christopher Lee is just sooooo
elegant and yet sinister looking!

I remember seeing Nosferatu the Vampire back in the early 70s {yeah, I'm THAT old} and it was a really good movie with lots of atmosphere. On the so bad it's good list have you seen Plan 9 From Outer Space? A really cheap movie from the 60s and the only memorable thing about it is that Bela Lugosi was in it and he died mid-way thru and it is hilarious to see how the directors tried to deal with his death!

My all time favorite movies are All About Eve, The Best Years of Our Lives {which just happened to be on TCM last nite} and The Crucible {with Daniel Day Lewis}. But I'll watch just about anything.

 

[MJ_Mac]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

My husband and I just finished watching Gaslight, Laura, The Thin Man and After the Thin Man. This past weekend (long weekend in Canada) we decided to watch various Film Noir movies mentioned in Remington Steele (one of my all time favourite television series). I loved Laura - it had me on the edge of the seat to the very end. The Thin Man had my DH almost rolling on the floor in laughter.

I am a murder mystery buff but don't like the gore of today's movies. This is one of the reason's I like the early James Bond movies - many people may have been murdered but they never showed blood and guts.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

My husband and I just finished watching Gaslight, Laura, The Thin Man and After the Thin Man. This past weekend (long weekend in Canada) we decided to watch various Film Noir movies mentioned in Remington Steele (one of my all time favourite television series). I loved Laura - it had me on the edge of the seat to the very end. The Thin Man had my DH almost rolling on the floor in laughter.

I am a murder mystery buff but don't like the gore of today's movies. This is one of the reason's I like the early James Bond movies - many people may have been murdered but they never showed blood and guts.

The Thin Man series--OMG Myrna Loy--perfection!

 

[MJ_Mac]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I'm planning on ordering the complete Thin Man series on DVD (I'm old school - still like my DVD's). The chemistry between Myrna Loy and William Powell is amazing. I was surprised to hear the original was filmed in 12 days. I don't know whether it's true or not but I read that Asta the dog bit Myrna Loy during filming. The humour in the film is pretty racy for 1934 (lol).

 

[dk168]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

My top 3 films of all time reflect my love for older films: Gone With The Wind, It's A Wonderful Life and To Kill A Mocking Bird.

I can appreciate why the OP has a crush on George Sanders - he can talk me into doing anything with that voice of his alone!

Gregory Peck is my favourite actor, and I could see a star in the making after seeing him in Hitchcock's Spellbound. Tall, dark and handsome, with a come-to-bed voice!

I have a large collection of DVDs, a lot of them are old films. The youngest film that made it into my Top 10 is E.T., and that is over 30yo!

DK

 

[stracci2000]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I must mention Night of the Living Dead (196. George Romero made this film in Western PA, where I grew up.
I always enjoy this film, especially all the Pennsylvania references, and locales.
I also love "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf". It is dark and raw, and sometimes hard to watch.

 

[missy]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

Yes, I adore these movies. To name a few that have not yet been mentioned that are quite delicious: Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, Niagara, Vertigo, Arsenic and Old Lace. So many to name but these are the few I can think of that have not yet been listed here. If you have not seen them please do yourself a favor and check them out.

 

[distracts]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I've been watching pre-code films lately. Very interesting to see what the themes were and how comparatively racy they were to the older films we're more familiar with!

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I've been watching pre-code films lately. Very interesting to see what the themes were and how comparatively racy they were to the older films we're more familiar with!

PRE-CODE!

I just received a pre code dvd today--Housewife starring George Brent, Bette Davis and Ann Dvorak. Davis plays a vamp which ill be interesting.

Just finished a biography of Bette Davis. And extremely talented woman who was extremely unhappy in her personal life and a raging alcoholic.

 

[HollyS]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

TCM is my favorite tv channel. I love the movies of the 30s and 40s. I think the movies were more about developing the characters then, while action seems to be more important now. The old studio system really did create a look and feel to their movies and their stars . . . a kind of sophistication and mystery that today's Hollywood does not have.

My absolute fave is Casablanca. I have the DVD, but I will still stop everything to watch when TCM airs it.

I was excited to finally see 'Mrs. Miniver' this week on TCM. Six Oscars won and I had never seen it. Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon were great, but the sets stole the show for me.

TCM had another showing of a great Hitchcock film Tuesday night: Shadow of a Doubt. Although I think I'd watch anything with Joseph Cotton in it.

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

You reminded me of the scene in, "All About Eve" where Marilyn Monroe calls for a waiter and the George Sanders character tells her he's a butler, not a waiter. She says that she doesn't want to call, "Butler!" because it might be someone's name and he says, "You have a point. A fatuous one, but a point."

AGBF

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

TCM is my favorite tv channel. I love the movies of the 30s and 40s. I think the movies were more about developing the characters then, while action seems to be more important now. The old studio system really did create a look and feel to their movies and their stars . . . a kind of sophistication and mystery that today's Hollywood does not have.

My absolute fave is Casablanca. I have the DVD, but I will still stop everything to watch when TCM airs it.

I was excited to finally see 'Mrs. Miniver' this week on TCM. Six Oscars won and I had never seen it. Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon were great, but the sets stole the show for me.

TCM had another showing of a great Hitchcock film Tuesday night: Shadow of a Doubt. Although I think I'd watch anything with Joseph Cotton in it.

I've seen that movie about 4-5 times and every time I've seen it I develop serious home envy!

This month TCM is devoting one day to an actor/actress. My dvr is set to record so many I had to delete a lot of shows I never got around to watching--mostly ID Chanel shows. In addition to showing Gone With The Wind on the 18 they will be showing a really interesting documentary about the making of it.

July was a great month for noir movies. They had Fridays After Dark and I could usually count a one, if not two movies that I hadn't seen before. Gloria Graham had quite the career as the bad girl!

I never realized Raymond Burr was in so many noirs. and I never realized how handsome he was n his early years!

Barbara Stanwyck had quite the career, didn't she? I especially loved her in Witness to Murder. Not an especially good movie, but she starred next to my love George Sanders, so that sent my ratings higher.

I also loved Shadow of a Doubt with Teresea Wright and Joseph Cotton. He exuded the right amount of sociopathy and superficial charm and Wright's awareness that her beloved uncle is the Merry Widow Murderer is effective. And it took us a while to spot Hitchcock's cameo in this film!

 

[HollyS]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

There was a good noir a few weeks ago on TCM. Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, and Raymond Burr as the heavy. Did you see it?

Jane Russell has never looked so good. The body, yes; but her hair was gorgeous, too!


The blog, Hooked on Houses, has features on movie/tv homes we all love. Mrs. Miniver is one of the sets she talks about; lots of still photos to ogle.

 

[HollyS]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

My husband and I just finished watching Gaslight, Laura, The Thin Man and After the Thin Man. This past weekend (long weekend in Canada) we decided to watch various Film Noir movies mentioned in Remington Steele (one of my all time favourite television series). I loved Laura - it had me on the edge of the seat to the very end. The Thin Man had my DH almost rolling on the floor in laughter.

I am a murder mystery buff but don't like the gore of today's movies. This is one of the reason's I like the early James Bond movies - many people may have been murdered but they never showed blood and guts.

The Thin Man series is top notch entertainment. My DH is totally smitten with Myrna Loy.

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

You reminded me of the scene in, "All About Eve" where Marilyn Monroe calls for a waiter and the George Sanders character tells her he's a butler, not a waiter. She says that she doesn't want to call, "Butler!" because it might be someone's name and he says, "You have a point. A fatuous one, but a point."

While I was reading a book I suddenly remembered that George Sanders' character in, "All About Eve" was Addison DeWitt. He was, I think, supposed to be a famous gossip columnist or theatre critic. I haven't seen the movie in 30 years or more, but I probably saw it at least ten times!

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

Yes, I adore these movies. To name a few that have not yet been mentioned that are quite delicious: Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, Niagara, Vertigo, Arsenic and Old Lace. So many to name but these are the few I can think of that have not yet been listed here. If you have not seen them please do yourself a favor and check them out.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is one of our family favorites. My husband and I used to watch that with our daughter when she was quite little. She also grew up on the Marx Brothers. And, "Bringing Up Baby". I should ask her what else she watched when she was very little. We didn't traumatize her with, "Bambi"!

My husband adores Hitchcock but didn't start our daughter on him until she was in her teens, and then only had her watching the old, elegant films. They still had her scared out of her wits!

Deb/AGBF

 

[HollyS]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

Bringing Up Baby was on TCM this afternoon. I'm a little less fond of that one, because it was a bit too screwball comedy for me.

I love Hitchcock. Dial M For Murder and Rope being two of my favorites. North by Northwest is the best, I think.

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

Bringing Up Baby was on TCM this afternoon. I'm a little less fond of that one, because it was a bit too screwball comedy for me.

I love the old, screwball comedies. I love Irene Dunne and Cary Grant; Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey; Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant; and so forth! Besides, "Bringing Up baby" and all the Hepburn-Tracey films, I love "My Favorite Wife" and "The Awful Truth". I also loved "Life with Father", but for other reasons. I think that it was less a screwball comedy than a play based on irony! Nonetheless, she was charming in it.

Another actress I adored was Jean Arthur. I thought she was an absolutely amazing and sexy comedienne!

AGBF

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

A couple of films we watched recently. Mr. St. Clare pretends to be interested, but I've caught him snoring few times!
1
A really, really good film is Born to Kill a film from 1947 starring Lawrence Tierny, Clare Trevor and Walter Slezak. A gritty story of to "sisters" and them men n their lives. Trevor and Tierny are the bad guys with absolutely no redeeming value. The photography lend itself nicely to the noir genre and the ending is appropriate. This is a hard, dark movie that doesn't sugarcoat the man charcters

East Side West Side--Barbara Stanwyk and James Mason {certifiably swoon worthy!} are married. Apparently he has cheated in the past and she has forgiven him and wants to move forward. He runs into the other woman in question, she winds up dead. Van Heflin also stars. Not one of Stanwyk's best but still entertaining.

 

[MJ_Mac]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I'm loving all the suggestions for old movies. I'll be honest, I didn't know what pre-code meant so I looked it up. I'll add another movie suggestion "The Lady Vanishes". It was very good although the ending seemed a little improbable to me (you'll see what I mean if you watch it). We also watched and enjoyed "And Then There Were None" awhile back.

I know it's not as old but as HollyS mentioned - North by Northwest. All time favourite, especially the crop dusting scene. That scene give me chills mainly because we nearly got hit by a crop duster on the Trans-Canada Highway (some pilots like to play chicken with cars). All I will say is that I'm glad I wasn't driving because I nearly passed out!

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I'm loving all the suggestions for old movies. I'll be honest, I didn't know what pre-code meant so I looked it up. I'll add another movie suggestion "The Lady Vanishes". It was very good although the ending seemed a little improbable to me (you'll see what I mean if you watch it). We also watched and enjoyed "And Then There Were None" awhile back.

I know it's not as old but as HollyS mentioned - North by Northwest. All time favourite, especially the crop dusting scene. That scene give me chills mainly because we nearly got hit by a crop duster on the Trans-Canada Highway (some pilots like to play chicken with cars). All I will say is that I'm glad I wasn't driving because I nearly passed out!

I remember watching The Lady Vanishes--My heart actually was racing towards the end because I had absolutely no idea how it was going to end!

For me the screwball comedies just don't hold up. And my first husband thought I was positively UNAMERICAN because the Marx Bros simply got on my nerves.

 

[missy]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

Bringing Up Baby was on TCM this afternoon. I'm a little less fond of that one, because it was a bit too screwball comedy for me.

I love Hitchcock. Dial M For Murder and Rope being two of my favorites. North by Northwest is the best, I think.

Love all of these. Rope, Dial M for Murder and North by Northwest (my dh's personal favorite and we must have seen it a half dozen times at least). Great movies. Classics.

Yes, I adore these movies. To name a few that have not yet been mentioned that are quite delicious: Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, Niagara, Vertigo, Arsenic and Old Lace. So many to name but these are the few I can think of that have not yet been listed here. If you have not seen them please do yourself a favor and check them out.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is one of our family favorites. My husband and I used to watch that with our daughter when she was quite little. She also grew up on the Marx Brothers. And, "Bringing Up Baby". I should ask her what else she watched when she was very little. We didn't traumatize her with, "Bambi"!

My husband adores Hitchcock but didn't start our daughter on him until she was in her teens, and then only had her watching the old, elegant films. They still had her scared out of her wits!

Deb/AGBF

I have to agree that Bambi was one of the most traumatizing movies especially at the age I saw it. Much prefer all the above movies and including all the scary Hitchcock films. But then I have always enjoyed watching scary movies but always hated any movies where animals were portrayed as being hurt or killed. I still cry a little when I think of Old Yeller. No more animal movies for me unless they are happy all the way through. When I think of March of the Penguins I still cry thinking of that sweet sweet little baby penguin that died with the camera men and movie people doing nothing to intervene and help.

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I have to agree that Bambi was one of the most traumatizing movies especially at the age I saw it. Much prefer all the above movies and including all the scary Hitchcock films. But then I have always enjoyed watching scary movies but always hated any movies where animals were portrayed as being hurt or killed. I still cry a little when I think of Old Yeller. No more animal movies for me unless they are happy all the way through. When I think of March of the Penguins I still cry thinking of that sweet sweet little baby penguin that died with the camera men and movie people doing nothing to intervene and help.

missy, it shouldn't be a surprise that you and I feel the same way about animal movies, and yet-in a way-reading it in print is a bit of a surprise in the middle of this thread. We are truly common souls when it comes to animals. Never, on my watch, did my daughter see animal abuse or see a little animal lose its mother for entertainment when she was a little girl.

Of course, as was bound to happen, she did see it. It was the trauma of a lifetime. I had left her at her grandparents' house, where I left her every day of her life. She was very close to both her grandparents and, although my mother has died, is still close to her 94 year-old grandfather.

My mother had sworn she would screen every video she showed my daughter, but failed to screen one that came highly recommended by her sister (my Aunt Dot), grandmother to three of her own grandchildren. So Whitney, very, very tied to me, watched, "Land Before Time" and saw the little dinosaur lose her mother (to death). When I got to my parents' house, Whitney, who was somewhere between about 3 and 5 years old, was inconsolable. She insisted that instead of going home, I go and watch the video again with her. It was as if she had to relive the trauma in my presence. She cried for days. I was never so angry at my mother in my life!!!

AGBF

 

[HollyS]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

In the late 1930s into the 1940s, Bette Davis was at her zenith as a star. I never cared much for her in really early films where it seemed she wasn't grasping the whole acting thing; and she had sadly become a parody of herself by the 1960s, IMO. Yes, I know there are some cult classics in that era. I have no love of them.

She gave some stellar performances in Now, Voyager, Dark Victory, and The Letter. And we all know how good she was in All About Eve.

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

In the late 1930s into the 1940s, Bette Davis was at her zenith as a star. I never cared much for her in really early films where it seemed she wasn't grasping the whole acting thing; and she had sadly become a parody of herself by the 1960s, IMO. Yes, I know there are some cult classics in that era. I have no love of them.

She gave some stellar performances in Now, Voyager, Dark Victory, and The Letter. And we all know how good she was in All About Eve.

I went through a Bette Davis "period' in which I was completely enamoured of her. I saw pretty much every movie she made-except the ones made in the 1960's-even if I do not recall them all now. I did not love "Jezebel", although it was her turn to be a southern belle. I think the film she made with Leslie Howard, I will have to look up its name, in which they were duelling actors is perhaps my favorite. I remember him whispering to her on-stage that she had eaten onions the previous night. Then modifying his opinion and saying, "Worse. Garlic." and calling her, "My little garlic blossom". That is why I so loved the comedies of those days! I shall go look up the name of that one! I also loved, "Watch on the Rhine" and "Now, Voyager".

Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

The movie I loved with Bette Davis and Leslie Howard was (and is), "It's Love I'm After" and I believe it was made because they had done well starring in, "Of Human Bondage" together. Unfortunately the clips on YouTube are of terrible quality, but it is possible to watch the movie in high definition there in its entirety. I highly recommend it to people who have a dry sense of humor.

AGBF

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

In the late 1930s into the 1940s, Bette Davis was at her zenith as a star. I never cared much for her in really early films where it seemed she wasn't grasping the whole acting thing; and she had sadly become a parody of herself by the 1960s, IMO. Yes, I know there are some cult classics in that era. I have no love of them.

She gave some stellar performances in Now, Voyager, Dark Victory, and The Letter. And we all know how good she was in All About Eve.

I went through a Bette Davis "period' in which I was completely enamoured of her. I saw pretty much every movie she made-except the ones made in the 1960's-even if I do not recall them all now. I did not love "Jezebel", although it was her turn to be a southern belle. I think the film she made with Leslie Howard, I will have to look up its name, in which they were duelling actors is perhaps my favorite. I remember him whispering to her on-stage that she had eaten onions the previous night. Then modifying his opinion and saying, "Worse. Garlic." and calling her, "My little garlic blossom". That is why I so loved the comedies of those days! I shall go look up the name of that one! I also loved, "Watch on the Rhine" and "Now, Voyager".

Deb/AGBF

I also did NOT love Jezebel, nor did I love The Old Maid, I thought it was too over acted. Right after she married Gary Merrill {right after All About Eve} they did Another Man's Poison, a thriller wherein she plays a mystery writer and he insinuates himself in her life {naturally she lives in the English moors!}. Not a bad little thriller and I'm trying to get a dvd for my collection.

 

[HollyS]

Re: Is anyone interested in Film Noir? Or simply movies from

I think I only vaguely remember Another Man's Poison, and I know I could not have named it. I recall another 'mystery' Ms. Davis did playing a pair of twins, one of whom drowns, and the other takes over her life. But I cannot remember the name of that film, either. It is one to watch, though.