Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go - The Film Noir Thread

[Inspector Abberline]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

His film To Hell and Back depicts this where he plays himself. It's well worth seeking out if you've never seen it.

Not for getting of course ED Wood.

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Military service

In 1942, Wood enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, just months after the Attack on Pearl Harbour. Assigned to the 2nd Defence Battalions, he reached the rank of Corporal before he was discharged. He was involved in the Battle of Tarawa, among others, and during the war, he lost his two front teeth to a Japanese soldier's rifle butt and was shot several times in the leg by a machine gunner. Wood later claimed that he feared being wounded in battle more than he feared being killed because he wore a bra and panties under his uniform.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

His film To Hell and Back depicts this where he plays himself. It's well worth seeking out if you've never seen it.

I haven't, but will see if it's available to rent or stream.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Inspector Abberline

Not for getting of course ED Wood.

Attachment 172267


Military service

In 1942, Wood enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, just months after the Attack on Pearl Harbour. Assigned to the 2nd Defence Battalions, he reached the rank of Corporal before he was discharged. He was involved in the Battle of Tarawa, among others, and during the war, he lost his two front teeth to a Japanese soldier's rifle butt and was shot several times in the leg by a machine gunner. Wood later claimed that he feared being wounded in battle more than he feared being killed because he wore a bra and panties under his uniform.

His military record is similar to his films.

Of course none of these so called hard men come close to our own Sir Daniel of Dyer.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Ed Wood in a Noir thread...?! I've seen it all now!

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Of course none of these so called hard men come close to our own Sir Daniel of Dyer.

I think I've thrown up in my mouth a little.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Suspicion (1941) - Alfred Hitchcock

In his arms she felt safety...in his absence, haunting dread!

Wealthy, sheltered Joan Fontaine is swept off her feet by charming ne'er-do-well Cary Grant. Though warned that Grant is little more than a fortune-hunter, Fontaine marries him anyway. She remains loyal to her irresponsible husband as he plows his way from one disreputable business scheme to another. Gradually, Fontaine comes to the conclusion that Grant intends to do away with her in order to collect her inheritance...a suspicion confirmed when Grant's likeable business partner Nigel Bruce dies under mysterious circumstances. To his dying day, Hitchcock insisted that he wanted to retain the novelist Francis Iles' original ending, but that the RKO executives intervened. Fontaine won an Academy Award for her work, which is richly deserved as she puts in a fantastic performance here.

Whilst not a Noir at heart, I could kind of ever-so-slightly see why this was included in TSPDT’s Top 250 Quintessential Noir films although you have to really stretch your imagination and possibly even ply yourself with plenty of whisky before-hand to accept this.

Overall it’s a film I enjoyed and also a film that likes to keep you guessing; or more accurately a film that tries to put across an idea to its audience but which turns out not to be quite as you’ve been led to believe. As it’s Hitchcock, it kind of goes without saying that it is recommended viewing, however it’s just a shame the ending as demanded by the studio spoils things a little.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Have you seen the 80's remake?

Although not as good it's still a decent movie.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Have you seen the 80's remake?

Although not as good it's still a decent movie.

I haven't, no. I'll have to seek it out at some point. Is it a fairly faithful re-tread of Hitch's film or does it try and play around with the source material a little?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

I haven't, no. I'll have to seek it out at some point. Is it a fairly faithful re-tread of Hitch's film or does it try and play around with the source material a little?

It's actually very faithful to the original.

I do recall thinking what the hell am i watching? after a few minutes, but persevere and it's a decent watch.

I picked up the Odeon release used a while ago. It was only a few pence plus the obligatory postage. I like the original poster art on the cover so it was worth it for that.

[Inspector Abberline]

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Brian Donlevy is Walter William's an industrialist whiz kid who has a young trophy wife Irene played Helen Walker,unknown to Walter she's having an affair with Jim Torrance (Tony Barrett) .The conniving adulterous couple plane to kill Walter,by having Jim Torrance pretend to be her cousin and getting Walter to give him a lift,en-route Jim then tries to kill Walter.Impact wasn't a film I had come across before,it has all the classic hallmarks of a b-movie noir,double crossing wife,a slight twist abit of mistaken identity,intrigue and a rather quaint little special effects that involve a car and a petrol tanker,that wouldn't look out of place in Thunderbirds episode.
I do it some dis-justice by calling it a B-movie,as the story by Jay Drafter isn't that ]bad,in fact its quite a good twisty little tale that reminds of some Hitchcock's earlier pictures. I just get the feeling this would of been the 2nd feature on a double bill not the main film itself.Directed by Arthur Lubin a film maker im not familiar with its well directed and losing no time in getting the story under-way.
Brian Donlevy seems to appear in quite a few Noirs in the 40's,and I wouldn't say he has the greatest range as an actor but he always delivers a good performance if some what grumpy.On the trail of the missing thought dead Walter Williams is Charles Coburn as Lt. Tom Quincy a rather amusing portrayal of an Irish detective, that gives us character to follow as he routes through the mystery of the missing man and his adulterous wife.
All in all a good film,its always fun coming across an unknown film that actual delivers the goods,part melodrama part noir id say its worth a watch.

out of 5

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Interesting to read your views on this one Inspector after having watched this one for the first time recently too.