GUN CRAZY
OK, no noir fan am I, but I just happened on a couple of great ones
DEADLY IS THE FEMALE (AKA GUN CRAZY) Has the hottest film duo since, well, Tarzan and Jane. Peggy Cummins and John Dall (woof) give great performances in this little known noir of two bank robbers on the lamb. AND THEY LOVE GUNS!!! This is a hot one for your queue. I was amazed.
Naturally, their is no other Femme Noir than Joan in MILDRED PIERCE. Watch her stalk around in house dresses and heels, tote guns, smoke like a fiend, and deal with her HORRID daughter Veda, and ineffectual hubby. She gets glam, and quick. You'll hate Zachary Scott, but love Ann Blythe as the wretched daughter. Who could as for anything more?! Just think, Crawford was just over 5' but she looks HUGE.
IN THIS OUR LIFE. OK, not exactly noir (too early) but Bette Davis and Olivia DeHavilland play bad sister/good sister with aplomb. A box office bomb, Davis hated it, but a pretty good watch. Charles Coburn and George Brent costar. Oh, this one is a potboiler, but sheesh, Davis hams it up, walks around with nails dripping of BLOOD. Watch her try to frame the up-and-coming black lawyer for a crime he does not commit. Hattie McDaniel is great. Jeannine Bassinger gives great commentary. DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.
Eat your heart out over PAUL NEWMAN and ROBERT REDFORD in THE STING. Yeah, you seen it before, but this is a dazzling 90 mins of sheer pleasure. The plot moves along so quickly, you cannot believe it's over.
Speaking of over: Sidney Pollack. At 73. Director of TOOTSIE, this guy was a pro. How he shall be missed.
1 comment:
Craig - I love Gun Crazy! I actually own the dvd as a part of a noir box set. Also, I used to be friends with Zachary Scott's daughter. Here's a bit of trivia, Zachary Scott's wife (my friend's Mom) divorced him to marry John Steinbeck, of all peeps. Toodle-oo! - Hil-o-beans
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