Born Johann Altmann in 1901 in what is now Hungary, John Alton started out in 1924 working in the lab at MGM studios. After a few years, he left MGM and traveled abroad to Europe and South America, returning to Hollywood in 1937 with many credits as both a cinematographer and director of Argentine feature films. When he started his career as a shooter in Hollywood, he quickly became one of the most respected cinematographers, photographing films like the noir classics He Walked By Night, Witness To Murder, and The Big Combo. Alton also photographed classics from other genres, like Father Of The Bride, Elmer Gantry and he won an Academy Award for his first color movie, An American In Paris. He shot the pilot episode of the classic TV series Mission: Impossible, setting a visual tone that stood for the entire series. He was a strong personality, and eventually tiring of the Hollywood early morning grind and constant fighting with producers, Alton gave up the business and traveled the world with his wife, eventually passing away in Santa Monica, CA at age 94 in 1996. John Alton is one of my personal favorites, and many of his shots and set-ups could even stand alone as brilliant still photography. He was never one for needless camera movement, and his photography and lighting set the mood as few other cinematographers ever did. My favorite quote of his is "It's not what you light – it's what you DON'T light."
Here's some of his classics:
He Walked By Night (1948)
Border Incident (1949)
Father of the Bride (1950)
The People Against O'Hara (1951)
Witness to Murder (1954)
The Big Combo (1955)
The Catered Affair (1956)
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
Tea and Sympathy (1956)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
Other Alton films worth seeing are: Slightly Scarlet (1956), Count The Hours (1953), Father's Little Dividend (1951). He's honored in Todd McCarthy's award-winning documentary, Visions of Light, and his work still stands as some of the best of what Hollywood offers, noir or not...
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Film Noir's leading man: Edmond O'Brien
I can't think of one actor who's been in more classic film noirs than Edmond O'Brien, who infused every role with a believability and desperation that few of that (or any) era can match. Eddie O'Brien was a go-to guy for the studios, both big and small, during the forties and fifties. He was in a lot of fine movies, but I think that he was most well known for his film noir work. Many of these were considered almost "B" movies at the time, but they live on as some of the best from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and I would say without reservation that every one of these four films is great. Edmond O'Brien made other noir-style movies, but these four are the best from that category and comprise some of the best film noirs ever made...
The Killers (1946)
White Heat (1949)
D.O.A. (1950)
The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
Some other movies that Edmond O'Brien made that are in this same vein, though not as successfully done but still worth seeing, are:
A Double Life (1947)
Man in the Dark (1953)
Backfire (1950)
An Act of Murder (1948)
This leaves out a lot of his other great movies, such as Seven Days in May (1964), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Wild Bunch (1969), etc. etc. Edmond O'Brien was one of the most respected character actors in the history of Hollywood, and his body of work during his heyday was second to none...
The Killers (1946)
White Heat (1949)
D.O.A. (1950)
The Hitch-Hiker (1953)
Some other movies that Edmond O'Brien made that are in this same vein, though not as successfully done but still worth seeing, are:
A Double Life (1947)
Man in the Dark (1953)
Backfire (1950)
An Act of Murder (1948)
This leaves out a lot of his other great movies, such as Seven Days in May (1964), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Wild Bunch (1969), etc. etc. Edmond O'Brien was one of the most respected character actors in the history of Hollywood, and his body of work during his heyday was second to none...
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Modern noir: Betty Blue and Chinatown
Laced with graphic intimacy that seems real rather than staged or stylized, Betty Blue (original title: 37ยบ2 le matin), released in 1986 and directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, is the story of the tormented, passionate life and love between a handyman who's also a writer, and his young, beautiful, but wild and unpredictable girlfriend Betty. This is a highly intelligent, beautifully photographed, and very smartly directed film, and though not intentionally "noir" in any way, and follows few, if any, noir conventions, it strikes a lot of the same notes. If frank sexuality bothers you, avoid this film, but otherwise, sit back and enjoy a stylish, hard look at love handicapped by mental illness, and a relationship that slowly dissolves in spite of its passion. And, as we know, in noir-land losing is a way of life...
Chinatown (1974) starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, is one of the best of modern film noir. Nicholson, as private detective Jake Gittes uncovers a web of dirty dealing, incestuous lust and corrupt politicians, while Faye Dunaway, who is forever chewing the scenery, is good. The script, which won writer Robert Towne the Academy Award, moves throughout the myriad plot points without getting bogged down or self-conscious, and director Roman Polanski, who's made some other great movies in his career, is at his very best, even doing a cameo as a criminal who teaches Gittes a painful lesson. This is a sprawling story of an emerging L.A. during the time when the early 20th century power grab was on. If you've missed this one you've been in the cultural cave...
Chinatown (1974) starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, is one of the best of modern film noir. Nicholson, as private detective Jake Gittes uncovers a web of dirty dealing, incestuous lust and corrupt politicians, while Faye Dunaway, who is forever chewing the scenery, is good. The script, which won writer Robert Towne the Academy Award, moves throughout the myriad plot points without getting bogged down or self-conscious, and director Roman Polanski, who's made some other great movies in his career, is at his very best, even doing a cameo as a criminal who teaches Gittes a painful lesson. This is a sprawling story of an emerging L.A. during the time when the early 20th century power grab was on. If you've missed this one you've been in the cultural cave...
Thursday, May 23, 2013
2 French film noirs from the 50's...
There are many noir films that are great, made across many decades, and which I absolutely, unequivocally love. But my own personal favorite noir decade is the 1950s, and this noir-ist is not afraid to admit that two of my favorite 50's films are... French! Sacre bleu!!! American noir is certainly part of the cornerstone of the noir library, but I personally don't think that anyone does it better than the French. These movies are among my all-time favorites noirs from any country or decade...
Rififi (1955)-Starring Jean Servais as Tony le Stephanois, and directed by Jules Dassin, an American working in Europe during the blacklist period, Rififi (original title-Du rififi chez les hommes) is one of the finest examples of film noir, regardless of nationality. Written by Auguste le Breton, who also wrote the noir classic Bob le flambeur (see below), Jean Servais plays Tony le Stephanois with a fearless, world-weary detachment. Dassin consented to shoot only on rainy, bleak days, and it perfectly mirrors the mood of the story, a hard accounting of the seamy French underworld. The heist scene, filmed entirely without dialogue and lasting approximately 15 minutes, is taut, tense and exciting without a word being spoken. This is a film without flaws – the acting, directing, as well as the script and story are fast, smart and to-the-point. Yes, Rififi is that good, one of the best noir films you'll ever see. And Dassin himself plays the part of Cesar, the Milanese safecracker, under the name Perlo Vita. If you've never seen this film, run, don't walk, to find it...
Bob le flambeur (1956)-Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and also written by Auguste le Breton, Bob le flambeur stars Roger Duchesne as Bob, a distinguished, generous older man who used to be a gangster but is now a compulsive gambler-older but wiser, very dignified and tres cool-but seemingly on a long losing streak. Mr. Duchesne's performance is mesmerizing, and Isabelle Corey does a terrific job as the nonchalant Anne, the sexy girl Bob rescues from the streets. The supporting cast (Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble, Andre Garet, etc.), is also excellent. This is film noir with both grit and style...
I don't want to reveal any plot points, because both movies are clever and well thought out. And though written by the same writer and involving major heists, you'd be wrong to think that they're similar. Both are street-wise, smart and snappy, and the subplots of each remain important to the outcomes of the movies, but these are pictures with very different tones directed by two accomplished directors. Each is a complete original unto itself – nothing quite like it before, and nothing quite like it since. This is film noir at its best. Vive la France...
Rififi (1955)-Starring Jean Servais as Tony le Stephanois, and directed by Jules Dassin, an American working in Europe during the blacklist period, Rififi (original title-Du rififi chez les hommes) is one of the finest examples of film noir, regardless of nationality. Written by Auguste le Breton, who also wrote the noir classic Bob le flambeur (see below), Jean Servais plays Tony le Stephanois with a fearless, world-weary detachment. Dassin consented to shoot only on rainy, bleak days, and it perfectly mirrors the mood of the story, a hard accounting of the seamy French underworld. The heist scene, filmed entirely without dialogue and lasting approximately 15 minutes, is taut, tense and exciting without a word being spoken. This is a film without flaws – the acting, directing, as well as the script and story are fast, smart and to-the-point. Yes, Rififi is that good, one of the best noir films you'll ever see. And Dassin himself plays the part of Cesar, the Milanese safecracker, under the name Perlo Vita. If you've never seen this film, run, don't walk, to find it...
Bob le flambeur (1956)-Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and also written by Auguste le Breton, Bob le flambeur stars Roger Duchesne as Bob, a distinguished, generous older man who used to be a gangster but is now a compulsive gambler-older but wiser, very dignified and tres cool-but seemingly on a long losing streak. Mr. Duchesne's performance is mesmerizing, and Isabelle Corey does a terrific job as the nonchalant Anne, the sexy girl Bob rescues from the streets. The supporting cast (Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble, Andre Garet, etc.), is also excellent. This is film noir with both grit and style...
I don't want to reveal any plot points, because both movies are clever and well thought out. And though written by the same writer and involving major heists, you'd be wrong to think that they're similar. Both are street-wise, smart and snappy, and the subplots of each remain important to the outcomes of the movies, but these are pictures with very different tones directed by two accomplished directors. Each is a complete original unto itself – nothing quite like it before, and nothing quite like it since. This is film noir at its best. Vive la France...
Saturday, May 18, 2013
5 more noirs from the 40's
Here are more picks from the 1940's. As always in film noir-land, we don't rank one above the other. There's only favorites...
Brute Force (1947)-Directed by Jules Dassin and written by Richard Brooks, an excellent screenwriter and director in his own right, Burt Lancaster plays a won't-bend prisoner pitted against Hume Cronyn's power-mad chief prison guard. This is as tough a treatise on prison corruption and cruelty as you'll find, and a great definition of what 40's noir was all about...
High Sierra (1941)- Written by John Huston and W.R. Burnett, and directed by Raoul Walsh, Humphrey Bogart is Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a thief who was broken out of prison by his old boss to help execute a robbery with less experienced criminals. The one and only Ida Lupino plays Marie, the crippled girl who loves Roy. This is noir at it's best-great script, great acting and top-notch direction.
Detour (1945)-Caught by chance and circumstances beyond his control, a hitchhiker gets entrapped in a web that he can't escape from. Tom Neal is the hitchhiker and Ann Savage plays Vera, who turns in a "bad girl" performance that is still written about. Shot by B-movie director Edgar Ulmer in only a few days, and on a budget of a mere thirty grand, it all comes together in this quintessential noir movie that's greater than the sum of its parts...
Mildred Pierce (1945)-I'm not Joan Crawford's biggest fan, but she ultra-nails it in this one and even wins the Oscar for it. Mildred does whatever it takes to get ahead, though she can never win the approval of her spoiled daughter, played by Ann Blythe. The great Eve Arden plays her smart and wise-cracking friend, and Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) directed this from the book by James M. Cain. This movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Joan Crawford), Best Supporting Actress (both Eve Arden and Ann Blythe were nominated), Best Cinematography (Ernest Haller) and Best Screenplay (Ranald MacDougall)...
The Killers (1946)-This film is as dark as it gets. Burt Lancaster plays the Swede in this taut, tense and fatalistic tale of robbery and murder. Ava Gardner is part of the grand prize, and film noir mainstay Edmond O'Brien plays the insurance investigator who uncovers the truth in this tale of money, lust and treachery. Directed by esteemed noir filmmaker Robert Siodmak...
Leave Her To Heaven (1945)- The only color picture of the bunch, but don't worry-it plays plenty dark. The magnificent Gene Tierney was nominated for a Best Actress award for her part as the socialite who marries, and obsessively loves, handsome writer Cornell Wilde. Jeanne Crain is terrific as her (gorgeous) faithful sister, and Leon Shamroy won an Oscar for his Technicolor cinematography...
Brute Force (1947)-Directed by Jules Dassin and written by Richard Brooks, an excellent screenwriter and director in his own right, Burt Lancaster plays a won't-bend prisoner pitted against Hume Cronyn's power-mad chief prison guard. This is as tough a treatise on prison corruption and cruelty as you'll find, and a great definition of what 40's noir was all about...
High Sierra (1941)- Written by John Huston and W.R. Burnett, and directed by Raoul Walsh, Humphrey Bogart is Roy "Mad Dog" Earle, a thief who was broken out of prison by his old boss to help execute a robbery with less experienced criminals. The one and only Ida Lupino plays Marie, the crippled girl who loves Roy. This is noir at it's best-great script, great acting and top-notch direction.
Detour (1945)-Caught by chance and circumstances beyond his control, a hitchhiker gets entrapped in a web that he can't escape from. Tom Neal is the hitchhiker and Ann Savage plays Vera, who turns in a "bad girl" performance that is still written about. Shot by B-movie director Edgar Ulmer in only a few days, and on a budget of a mere thirty grand, it all comes together in this quintessential noir movie that's greater than the sum of its parts...
Mildred Pierce (1945)-I'm not Joan Crawford's biggest fan, but she ultra-nails it in this one and even wins the Oscar for it. Mildred does whatever it takes to get ahead, though she can never win the approval of her spoiled daughter, played by Ann Blythe. The great Eve Arden plays her smart and wise-cracking friend, and Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) directed this from the book by James M. Cain. This movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Joan Crawford), Best Supporting Actress (both Eve Arden and Ann Blythe were nominated), Best Cinematography (Ernest Haller) and Best Screenplay (Ranald MacDougall)...
The Killers (1946)-This film is as dark as it gets. Burt Lancaster plays the Swede in this taut, tense and fatalistic tale of robbery and murder. Ava Gardner is part of the grand prize, and film noir mainstay Edmond O'Brien plays the insurance investigator who uncovers the truth in this tale of money, lust and treachery. Directed by esteemed noir filmmaker Robert Siodmak...
Leave Her To Heaven (1945)- The only color picture of the bunch, but don't worry-it plays plenty dark. The magnificent Gene Tierney was nominated for a Best Actress award for her part as the socialite who marries, and obsessively loves, handsome writer Cornell Wilde. Jeanne Crain is terrific as her (gorgeous) faithful sister, and Leon Shamroy won an Oscar for his Technicolor cinematography...
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Film Noir-point of departure (and 5 favorites from the 1940's)
For those not already familiar:
The term "film noir" is French, literally meaning "black film." Coined by French film critic Nino Frank in 1946, it describes a cinematic genre where stories of revenge, double-dealing and faithless love are illustrated with the graphic high-contrast black and white cinematography that has become its trademark. Many consider it a Hollywood creation, but that's not necessarily true. You could make a strong argument that film noir really began in Germany with the German Expressionists of the early 20th century, not to mention that some of the very best noirs have come from other countries, most notably (quelle surprise!), the French...
There are those who love to laugh at the campy B-movies that occasionally fall into the larger film noir category, but real noir-ists are thrill-seekers: they want it (mainly) black and white with snappy and smart dialogue, strong action and unyielding tension. They relish watching the stories of lost lives of no hope that are now bent on revenge; or the husbands who plot the perfect murder of their cheating wives; and the master criminals who let nothing stand in their way as they prepare to execute the perfect crime...
But most never do because, in noir-land, bad luck and fate take the last hand. The people of film noir don't get nobly upraised-they get what's coming to them. And so will you as you weave your way through some of the best films ever made...
Just to kick off the discussion here's five of my favorites from America in the 1940's. In no particular order:
The Maltese Falcon (1941)- Written and directed by John Huston from the book by Dashiell Hammett, Humphrey Bogart, in one of his signature roles, stars as detective Sam Spade. This is unquestionably one of the greatest movies in all of film noir, sporting a superb cast, an excellent script and inspired direction...
He Walked By Night (1948)-Written by Crane Wilbur and directed by Alfred Werker (with uncredited work by Anthony Mann), Richard Basehart gives an absolutely chilling performance as demented psychopath Roy Martin. Co-starring Whit Bissell, Scott Brady and Roy Roberts, He Walked By Night is a classic, tension-filled noir. The great John Alton was the director of photography, and this movie contains some of film noir's best and most iconic images. Based on a true story from the Los Angeles Police files and narrated by the great Reed Hadley...
The Naked City (1948)- Not merely a film noir classic, this story of lies and murder in New York is one of the most famous movies of that decade. Filmed entirely on location and using non-professional extras, The Naked City is the definition of gritty noir, and director Jules Dassin stated that he was inspired by the documentary approach of the Italian neorealist film movement. Starring Barry Fitzgerald, Don Taylor, Howard Duff and Ted de Corsia...
Out Of The Past (1947)-This is one of my personal favorites. Robert Mitchum is at his best as a former private eye trying to outrun his past, and Jane Greer makes her screen debut as one of the baddest bad girls of all time. Kirk Douglas, who plays Whit the gambler (and almost steals the picture) is also excellent. This is probably director Jacque Tourneur's best film...
Double Indemnity (1944)- Fred MacMurray told Billy Wilder that he was afraid he wasn't right for the callous, murdering, bad-guy part. Writer-director Wilder didn't listen, and aren't we glad? This is a classic that's shown on cable regularly-if you haven't seen it you've been living in a cave- and Barbara Stanwyck as the scheming femme fatale and Edward G. Robinson as the can't-fool-me insurance investigator are brilliant in this hard-bitten, sharply written, everybody loses, motion picture. The immortal Raymond Chandler co-wrote the script with Wilder...
Write me and tell me which noirs you think are great...
The term "film noir" is French, literally meaning "black film." Coined by French film critic Nino Frank in 1946, it describes a cinematic genre where stories of revenge, double-dealing and faithless love are illustrated with the graphic high-contrast black and white cinematography that has become its trademark. Many consider it a Hollywood creation, but that's not necessarily true. You could make a strong argument that film noir really began in Germany with the German Expressionists of the early 20th century, not to mention that some of the very best noirs have come from other countries, most notably (quelle surprise!), the French...
There are those who love to laugh at the campy B-movies that occasionally fall into the larger film noir category, but real noir-ists are thrill-seekers: they want it (mainly) black and white with snappy and smart dialogue, strong action and unyielding tension. They relish watching the stories of lost lives of no hope that are now bent on revenge; or the husbands who plot the perfect murder of their cheating wives; and the master criminals who let nothing stand in their way as they prepare to execute the perfect crime...
But most never do because, in noir-land, bad luck and fate take the last hand. The people of film noir don't get nobly upraised-they get what's coming to them. And so will you as you weave your way through some of the best films ever made...
Just to kick off the discussion here's five of my favorites from America in the 1940's. In no particular order:
The Maltese Falcon (1941)- Written and directed by John Huston from the book by Dashiell Hammett, Humphrey Bogart, in one of his signature roles, stars as detective Sam Spade. This is unquestionably one of the greatest movies in all of film noir, sporting a superb cast, an excellent script and inspired direction...
He Walked By Night (1948)-Written by Crane Wilbur and directed by Alfred Werker (with uncredited work by Anthony Mann), Richard Basehart gives an absolutely chilling performance as demented psychopath Roy Martin. Co-starring Whit Bissell, Scott Brady and Roy Roberts, He Walked By Night is a classic, tension-filled noir. The great John Alton was the director of photography, and this movie contains some of film noir's best and most iconic images. Based on a true story from the Los Angeles Police files and narrated by the great Reed Hadley...
The Naked City (1948)- Not merely a film noir classic, this story of lies and murder in New York is one of the most famous movies of that decade. Filmed entirely on location and using non-professional extras, The Naked City is the definition of gritty noir, and director Jules Dassin stated that he was inspired by the documentary approach of the Italian neorealist film movement. Starring Barry Fitzgerald, Don Taylor, Howard Duff and Ted de Corsia...
Out Of The Past (1947)-This is one of my personal favorites. Robert Mitchum is at his best as a former private eye trying to outrun his past, and Jane Greer makes her screen debut as one of the baddest bad girls of all time. Kirk Douglas, who plays Whit the gambler (and almost steals the picture) is also excellent. This is probably director Jacque Tourneur's best film...
Double Indemnity (1944)- Fred MacMurray told Billy Wilder that he was afraid he wasn't right for the callous, murdering, bad-guy part. Writer-director Wilder didn't listen, and aren't we glad? This is a classic that's shown on cable regularly-if you haven't seen it you've been living in a cave- and Barbara Stanwyck as the scheming femme fatale and Edward G. Robinson as the can't-fool-me insurance investigator are brilliant in this hard-bitten, sharply written, everybody loses, motion picture. The immortal Raymond Chandler co-wrote the script with Wilder...
Write me and tell me which noirs you think are great...
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