Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah12:2
Isaiah12:2
Take A Look At All The Good Things On This Site
"We have too many intellectuals who are afraid to use the pistol of common sense." Samuel Fuller.
POWELL, POWER AND O'KEEFE ENTER THE WORLD OF NOIR
"Cornered."
|
"Johnny O'Clock."
|
Dick Powell is a great example of an actor that successfully changed his sreen image from one type to another. When Paramount would not let him switch to more non-singing roles, he refused the roles he was offered and was suspended. He was thirty-nine and his career on the wane when he signed with RKO. As part of his agreement RKO would have star in the film adaptation of Chandler's, Farewell, My Lovely, to play Philip Marlowe. The film’s title was changed to, Murder, My Sweet, less his fans think it was another of Powell’s light hearted comedy/musicals. The film was a success and so was Powell's entre in a new career direction. There is debate about who was the best Marlowe, but Chandler opined it was Powell. Powell parlayed the affable and personable good guy persona of his comedies, yet still projected a quality of edginess. NY Times critic Bosley Crowther of the New York Times remarked, " ...and while he may lack the steely coldness and cynicism of a Humphrey Bogart, Mr. Powell need not offer any apologies. He has definitely stepped out of the song-and-dance, pretty-boy league with this performance."
Powell played in other tough guy roles like, Cry Danger, Cornered, To The Ends of the Earth, and Johnny O’Clock. I liked him better when he eschewed the wise-cracks, and the tough guy persona. Two films that stand out post-Marlowe are; The Tall Target, where he played a detective assigned to halt an assassination attempt on the then elected, President Lincoln, and especially in, Pitfall. In that film he effectively captures the mid-life angst of a man who has played by the rules all of his life, except for one brief encounter with a single woman. (Lizabeth Scott).
Powell was a renaissance man. He went on to direct seven movies, including the gritty,Split Second. IMO, this film, made in 1953, more than makes up for his sometime too affable, and cliché affected tough guy role. He went on to produce Four Star Playhouse and the Dick Powell Theatre that starred many big name actors of the 40s.
He died much too young at the age of 58. He began his career as a crooner ‘boy scout,’ type to tough guy, director and producer He was a multi-talented artist and successful businessman who gave much to the world of cinema.
Powell played in other tough guy roles like, Cry Danger, Cornered, To The Ends of the Earth, and Johnny O’Clock. I liked him better when he eschewed the wise-cracks, and the tough guy persona. Two films that stand out post-Marlowe are; The Tall Target, where he played a detective assigned to halt an assassination attempt on the then elected, President Lincoln, and especially in, Pitfall. In that film he effectively captures the mid-life angst of a man who has played by the rules all of his life, except for one brief encounter with a single woman. (Lizabeth Scott).
Powell was a renaissance man. He went on to direct seven movies, including the gritty,Split Second. IMO, this film, made in 1953, more than makes up for his sometime too affable, and cliché affected tough guy role. He went on to produce Four Star Playhouse and the Dick Powell Theatre that starred many big name actors of the 40s.
He died much too young at the age of 58. He began his career as a crooner ‘boy scout,’ type to tough guy, director and producer He was a multi-talented artist and successful businessman who gave much to the world of cinema.
|
|
|
"The Razor's Edge."
While Murder, My Sweet, was a big hit for Dick Powell, Nightmare Alley was the opposite for Tyrone Power. He resumed his career with Fox after three years as a Marine pilot. His first film for them was, The Razor’s Edge. It was a critical and commercial success and broke all of Fox’s records for box office earnings. Power, unlike Powell and Dennis O’Keefe, was still a big time box office draw. Power used his marketability into buying the screen rights for the novel, with him as the star.
In the book Stanton goes from a young, ‘pretty boy,’ to a disheveled, alcoholic who in the end answers his own question of, “how does a person become a geek?” Even with Edmund Goulding, who also directed The Razor’s Edge, and a great adaptation by Jules Furthman, the film bombed at the box office, and that too is understandable. The audience was used to seeing Power in heroic roles, as a swashbuckler, a submarine captain, a masked protector of the poor who made his mark with the sign of the, “Z.” The premise of the movie and the portrayal of the lead character (Stanton Carlisle was a far cry from the idealistic, sympathetic, Larry Darrell of, The Razor's Edge) did not go over with his fans.
In my opinion, Power’s performance is the best in film noir. He is in almost every scene. We watch Carlisle’s spiral into degradation and the inevitably of his self-destruction with the horror and fascination of a voyeur following the downward trajectory of a jumper falling to his death from a skyscraper. In addition, America was still recovering from the war. The last thing an audience wanted to see was a film devoid of hope, and redemptive qualities, set in a dark, cynical, unfeeling, soulless and irreligious world.
Power was thirty three, Powell thirty nine and O’Keefe forty when they tested the noir waters. Had, Nightmare Alley a modicum of success, he might have made more complex, dark roles. Instead, much of his post-Nightmare Alley work consisted of comfortable audience pleasing films as Captain from Castille, The Luck of The Irish,and Prince of Foxes. I haven’t seen many of his films, but I liked Rawhide, was memorable for me, and of course, Witness for The Prosecution, and by that time he was totally jaded by the system.
I’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He was bold and took a big risk. For all of his popularity, and good looks that made him a movie screen idol, Nightmare Alley, may be the film for which he is most remembered.
In the book Stanton goes from a young, ‘pretty boy,’ to a disheveled, alcoholic who in the end answers his own question of, “how does a person become a geek?” Even with Edmund Goulding, who also directed The Razor’s Edge, and a great adaptation by Jules Furthman, the film bombed at the box office, and that too is understandable. The audience was used to seeing Power in heroic roles, as a swashbuckler, a submarine captain, a masked protector of the poor who made his mark with the sign of the, “Z.” The premise of the movie and the portrayal of the lead character (Stanton Carlisle was a far cry from the idealistic, sympathetic, Larry Darrell of, The Razor's Edge) did not go over with his fans.
In my opinion, Power’s performance is the best in film noir. He is in almost every scene. We watch Carlisle’s spiral into degradation and the inevitably of his self-destruction with the horror and fascination of a voyeur following the downward trajectory of a jumper falling to his death from a skyscraper. In addition, America was still recovering from the war. The last thing an audience wanted to see was a film devoid of hope, and redemptive qualities, set in a dark, cynical, unfeeling, soulless and irreligious world.
Power was thirty three, Powell thirty nine and O’Keefe forty when they tested the noir waters. Had, Nightmare Alley a modicum of success, he might have made more complex, dark roles. Instead, much of his post-Nightmare Alley work consisted of comfortable audience pleasing films as Captain from Castille, The Luck of The Irish,and Prince of Foxes. I haven’t seen many of his films, but I liked Rawhide, was memorable for me, and of course, Witness for The Prosecution, and by that time he was totally jaded by the system.
I’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He was bold and took a big risk. For all of his popularity, and good looks that made him a movie screen idol, Nightmare Alley, may be the film for which he is most remembered.
With Wallace Ford in, "T-Men."
|
"Raw Deal."
|
With Robert Keith in, "Woman On The Run."
|
Dennis O'Keefe was never a perennial leading man much less a box office favorite. He made his first screen appearance in 1930 and by 1938 had only one credited role. His first lead role, The Chaser, where he played an ambulance chasing lawyer. He played a variety of roles, in different genres, but it wasn't until 1947 in the breakthrough movie,T-Men, did O'Keefe make his mark.
O'Keefe started in B films and ended there, but he certainly wasn’t a B talented actor and it was the great director Anthony Mann to bring out his true talent. One film was,T-Men that O'Keefe co-wrote. The film had a 20grade sandpaper coarseness to it that was seldom seen in the films of that period. A scene that sticks out is Wallace Ford being broiled to death in a steam room while Charles McGraw looks on. The film holds up well today.
HIs high water mark, and one of the purest of all noirs is, Raw Deal, directed again by Anthony Mann. He is part of love triangle with the gifted Claire Trevor, and the accomplished Marsha Hunt. They work together like the clockwork in a top shelf Swiss watch. I think of the opening scene when Marsha visits him in jail and hopes to rehabilitate him, then in the forest her hopes are dashed when she realizes he would have murdered the ranger. All Claire Trevor wanted was to have O’Keefe for herself.
This love triangle is held together by O'Keefe who has a natural ability to project screen chemistry with all of his leading ladies. This cannot be taught. It’s natural and comes effortlessly,(Dana Andrews is another such actor) and in, Raw Deal, it’s vital. He's the male fatale (never thought I’d get around to using that term) that Trevor wants to marry and Hunt wants to save.
In addition to those two roles O'Keefe was effective in the very good yet under rated, Woman On the Run with Ann Sheridan and Robert Keith. That film, along with T-Men match up favorably alongside any of Powell’s post-Marlowe crime/noir films. Other less noted films were Cover-Up (that he also co-wrote), and Abandoned (a film with much promise, but hampered by inserting too many light moments along with the helpless female that went out of style years prior.
He may have lacked the ability or ‘it’ factor for being a leading man, but Mr. O’Keefe held his own alongside the best actors of Hollywood. He looks the most physically capable of handling himself and is at ease in playing both hero and villain. In the never-ending universe of, ‘what if’” I wonder what if O’Keefe and not Fred MacMurray played Walter Neff. Had O’Keefe been given a shot at Philip Marlowe, Chandler might have changed his opinion as to the best Marlowe. As it is he was the lead in two of the best crime/noir films to come from the classical era. Not bad for someone who had to wait eight years in the business before seeing his name on the screen.
O'Keefe started in B films and ended there, but he certainly wasn’t a B talented actor and it was the great director Anthony Mann to bring out his true talent. One film was,T-Men that O'Keefe co-wrote. The film had a 20grade sandpaper coarseness to it that was seldom seen in the films of that period. A scene that sticks out is Wallace Ford being broiled to death in a steam room while Charles McGraw looks on. The film holds up well today.
HIs high water mark, and one of the purest of all noirs is, Raw Deal, directed again by Anthony Mann. He is part of love triangle with the gifted Claire Trevor, and the accomplished Marsha Hunt. They work together like the clockwork in a top shelf Swiss watch. I think of the opening scene when Marsha visits him in jail and hopes to rehabilitate him, then in the forest her hopes are dashed when she realizes he would have murdered the ranger. All Claire Trevor wanted was to have O’Keefe for herself.
This love triangle is held together by O'Keefe who has a natural ability to project screen chemistry with all of his leading ladies. This cannot be taught. It’s natural and comes effortlessly,(Dana Andrews is another such actor) and in, Raw Deal, it’s vital. He's the male fatale (never thought I’d get around to using that term) that Trevor wants to marry and Hunt wants to save.
In addition to those two roles O'Keefe was effective in the very good yet under rated, Woman On the Run with Ann Sheridan and Robert Keith. That film, along with T-Men match up favorably alongside any of Powell’s post-Marlowe crime/noir films. Other less noted films were Cover-Up (that he also co-wrote), and Abandoned (a film with much promise, but hampered by inserting too many light moments along with the helpless female that went out of style years prior.
He may have lacked the ability or ‘it’ factor for being a leading man, but Mr. O’Keefe held his own alongside the best actors of Hollywood. He looks the most physically capable of handling himself and is at ease in playing both hero and villain. In the never-ending universe of, ‘what if’” I wonder what if O’Keefe and not Fred MacMurray played Walter Neff. Had O’Keefe been given a shot at Philip Marlowe, Chandler might have changed his opinion as to the best Marlowe. As it is he was the lead in two of the best crime/noir films to come from the classical era. Not bad for someone who had to wait eight years in the business before seeing his name on the screen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Murder, My Sweet, was the first, and best of the Philip Marlowe films. It incorporates certain noir elements with familiar tropes of the detective/mystery films that preceeded film noir. It is literally a beginner's template for the genre. ... A film with a private eye as protagonist starts out with several points against it. They will contain several Hollywood elements of the ‘old fashioned’ private eye films, the detective is not going to be doomed to a fate he can’t escape; he is on the right side of the law and will invariably bring the bad guy to justice. He is usually too smart to be taken in by the femme fatale, and there will be an ending where at the very worst he is no better off than when he started. There may be some ambiguity about the detective’s character but in the end he’s a straight arrow. CLICK TO READ REVIEW
|
I came across two films I had not seen before. One was based on a Cornell Woolrich short story, and the other starred Edward G. Robinson, Nina Foch and Hugh Marlowe. It’s safe to say I was looking forward to watching them. If one was to judge the film soley on its credits, Illegal would be the safe choice as to the best of the two. But, not so fast my friend. We must never judge a book by its cover or a film by its credits.
I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes, is low-budget and an unapologetically enjoyable B movie. Illegal, blows neither hot or cold, but luke-warm, and who wants that? Click to read full reviews. |
FINAL SEASON RESULTS
Another college season brings the weekly NY POST Saturday's Heroes. I’ve been doing it for quite a while and it’s a nice complement to watching the games.
NY POST CHALLENGE STANDINGS
PRAINO 137-88 31-14
Terranova 124-101 23-20-2
Hale 124-101 24-21
Braziller 118-107 22-23
Lewis 118-107 22-21-2
Shaw 118-107 27-18
Stitches 116-109 19-24-2
Holmlund 113-112 27-18
Kussoy 102-123 19-26
MOVIES
Click poster to read the full review
The Killing is considered one of the best films about a heist. The Killing interweaves the heist within a top notch noir. It has a femme fatale, a chump, murders, double-crosses, intimidating psychopaths, great dialogue and fantastic cinematography. |
|
Harry Quincey (George Sanders) lives with his spinster sister, Lettie (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and widowed sister Hester (Monya MacGill). His reserved staid life is thrown askew by Doeborah Brown(Ella Raines). She is an urbane, free spirit who is as open as Quincy is reserved. She is also the perfect counterpoint to his devious, obsessive, hypochondriac younger sister.
|
This film is about the search to find a serial killer who calls himself The Judge. He kills only when it rains. He strangles his victims from behind, except for when he kills facing them. There appears to be no rationale in how he chooses his victims. He mails cryptic letters by cutting and pasting words from different magazines onto a sheet of paper. He says he has been anointed to rid the earth of the vermin, the unwashed, the evil, or any reasonable facsimile thereof.
|
A Cry In The Night can be said ushers out the old and brings in the new. This film acknowledges that the patriarchal crime/police film, so dominant in cinema for three decades, is on the way out to be replaced by a kinder genre of film. We see this wink and a nod to the end of an era when police Sgt. Edmond O'Brien sits on the couch with a nice glass of beer turns on the TV, turns it off disgustedly and says, "Another cop picture."
|
|
|
|
Johnny Mack Brown-1904-1974. All-American HB at Alabama, Cowboy Actor. When my Dad was a kid growing up on E. 113th in NYC, he wanted to be a cowboy and Mr. Brown was his favorite. This is for you, Dad. Miss you.
Robert Praino. Born in Manhattan, grew up in Hackensack, living in Gulfport.
|
