Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 74m 45s Behind the white picket fence of suburban tranquility lies a fractured marriage in CAUSE FOR ALARM!, a longtime favorite programmer-length film noir of mine. Led by director Tay Garnett, the creative team synthesizes the woman's picture with film noir mechanics, in particular the "downward spiral" theme so prevalent in noir formulas. Our lead protagonist falls deeper and deeper into trouble through no apparent fault of her own, other than perhaps having fallen in love too quickly. But other than her disastrous selection of a husband, there is no evidence offered t ..read more

Paramount Pictures, 92m 24s One of the more obscure Hollywood productions to cover the topic of immortality, THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET made its official worldwide home video debut late in 2023. As marketed by boutique label Imprint, this cross-genre specimen incorporates both science fiction and film noir genre tropes. Frankenstein noir might sound like a winning combination, though to be honest I do not admire this title as much as I wish I did. Suspense comes in oddly small doses based upon the sensational subject matter; the plot summary on hand at Turner Classic Movies [SYNOPSIS] sugges ..read more

Paramount Pictures, 88m 44s An extension of the 1943 radio play written by Lucille Fletcher, producer/director Anatole Litvak’s socially uncompromising SORRY, WRONG NUMBER encompasses many of the themes and motifs central to the American film noir cycle:  women who are something other than what they seem, men who are tempted by the allure of money to commit crimes, a decadent urban setting, flashbacks meant to explicate the present, and above everything else, an irrevocable sense of doom as fate closes in on the major characters. An exercise in sustained tension, from the opening moments ..read more

Warner Bros., 94m 43s The Warner Bros. success MILDRED PIERCE (1945) marked a triumphant comeback for actress Joan Crawford and deservedly is remembered as one of the finest film noirs of its time. Four years later, studio boss Jack Warner looked to recreate that production's magic. The reteaming of Crawford, Zachary Scott and Michael Curtiz along with a familiar array of Warner talent resulted in the rags to riches story FLAMINGO ROAD. Once again Crawford's indefatigable character is determined to defy all odds and elevate her social status while retaining her moral foundation. Compared alon ..read more

RKO Radio Pictures, 91m 53s A film noir experience sure to carve out its place in your memory, ANGEL FACE was directed and produced by Otto Preminger, one of the deans of noir directors with LAURA (1944), FALLEN ANGEL (1945), WHIRLPOOL (1950) and WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950) to his credit prior to the release of the title under review. Though I do not consider ANGEL FACE to be on quite the same level as that fab four, his 1952 effort is a significant title in terms of its allegiance to film noir genre conventions and assumptions. As the opening theme music by Dimitri Tiomkin makes perfectly ..read more

United Artists, 92m 25s "My soul is humble when I see the way little ones accept their lot. Lord save little children. The wind blows, and the rain's a-cold. Yet they abide. They abide and they endure." —Rachel Cooper To be a fan of the cinema sometimes causes one, like it or not, to ponder what might have been. Often such thinking revolves around careers cut tragically short; for me that list includes screen legends such as James Dean, Sharon Tate, Bruce Lee and Heath Ledger. Then there are those filmmakers who likely had significant contributions to make had they survived longer, i.e. F.W ..read more

Paramount Pictures, 85m 37s In 1949 the federal government was petitioned to crack down on the long-term social infection of interstate crime. The reaction to that pressure was the formation of the five-member Kefauver Committee, chaired by first-term senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee. The special committee's hearings captured the interest of American television audiences. In fact some 30 million Americans tuned in to watch the live proceedings in March of 1951. Schools even dismissed students so they could view the hearings. Naturally the movie studios did not let the opportunity to profit ..read more

Universal Pictures, 94m 13s The film noir takes on tragic proportions with ALL MY SONS, a powerful anti-war statement from writer/producer Chester Erskine, who adapted the 1947 play of the same title by Arthur Miller (DEATH OF A SALESMAN [1949], THE CRUCIBLE [1953]). This Universal International Pictures production stands as a prime example of a noir film in which events of the past completely rule the present. Also a post-WWII film, it operates under the sound assumption there was no going back to however it was before world conflict. Among the many casualties of world war was an ocean of co ..read more

United Artists, 83m 54s Estimable writer/director Stanley Kubrick went on to accomplish so much after THE KILLING that his quintessential noir heist film tends to get short shrift when critics discuss his oeuvre, especially from an auteur perspective. With THE KILLING, Kubrick proved at the age of 27 he understood Hollywood genre conventions as well as anyone, which is to say he could pull off a standard genre film just as well or better than any of his contemporaries. His later films demonstrated he could make films like nobody else. So many have tried to emulate his trademark themes (filmma ..read more

Columbia Pictures, 102m Format: 35mm 9:15 PM, Wednesday, August 31st, 2022   NOIR CITY: CHICAGO 2022Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL Friday, August 26th, 2022 to Thursday, September 1st, 2022 NOIR CITY: CHICAGO 2022 SCHEDULE  Film historian Alan K. Rode returned to Chicago for another NOIR CITY lineup of likable film noir classics, B titles and rarities. Last night he presented 711 OCEAN DRIVE, released in July of 1950, back when the Kefauver Committee had been formed to deliver a kick in the pants to organized crime. Around that time noir stories adopted a torn-from-the-headlines app ..read more