Noir Nook: 75th Anniversary Noir – 2024 Edition
It has become my tradition around these parts each year to celebrate the 75th anniversary release of some of film noir’s many first-rate offerings. And this year is no different!
There were a number of outstanding noirs released in 1949, including Act of Violence, House of Strangers, and White Heat, but I’m shining the spotlight on four films that are not only great features from that year, but some of my favorites overall; each of these are films that I’ve seen over and over (and over) again – and will doubtlessly continue to rewatch every chance I get.
Criss Cross
My list of favorite noirs may vary as the years go by, but no matter how many lists I compile, Criss Cross is a sure bet to make an appearance every time. It stars Burt Lancaster as Steve Thompson, who proves that you can go home again – but maybe you shouldn’t. When he does, he reunites with ex-wife Anna (Yvonne DeCarlo), and finds himself embroiled in a variety of noirish behaviors, from mendacity to larceny – and, of course, the betrayal referenced in the film’s title. The cast also includes Dan Duryea as Slim Dundee, the coolest, scariest hood you’ll ever want to encounter.
Criss Cross ticks off some of noir’s most familiar boxes: femme fatale, hapless anti-hero, flashbacks, voiceover narration, painterly use of light and shadow. And it has an absolutely perfect ending. To me, it’s pretty perfect from start to finish.
Favorite quote:
“A man eats an apple. He gets a piece of the core stuck between his teeth. He tries to work it out with some cellophane from a cigarette pack. What happens? The cellophane gets stuck in there too. Anna? What was the use? I knew that somehow I’d wind up seeing her that night.” – Steve Thompson (Burt Lancaster)
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Tension
This feature serves up a unique opening, with star Barry Sullivan, as police Lt. Detective Collier Bonnabel (one of my all-time favorite noir monikers), demonstrating to viewers with a rubber band his contention that tension is the “only thing that breaks cases wide open.” The case in point involves Claire Quimby (Audrey Totter), a two-timing dame if ever there was one, her unassuming pharmacist husband, Warren (Richard Basehart), and Claire’s well-heeled boy-toy (Lloyd Gough), who turns up very dead.
There’s a lot to love about this film. First off, Totter turns in one of my favorite performances as the oh-so-nasty Claire. The cast includes noir vet William Conrad as Bonnabel’s crime-fighting partner, “Blackie” Gonsales, and in a rare non-dancing role, Cyd Charisse. And, best of all, the plot features an unusual twist that’s different from anything I’ve seen in noir.
Favorite quote:
“It was different in San Diego – you were kind of cute in your uniform. You were full of laughs then. Well, you’re all laughed-out now.” – Claire Quimby (Audrey Totter)
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Too Late for Tears
Lizabeth Scott is Jane Palmer, a middle-class housewife whose longing to “keep up with the Joneses” becomes her undoing. The film’s action kicks off when a satchel full of cash is mistakenly tossed into the Palmers’ car while Jane and her husband, Alan (Arthur Kennedy), are driving through the Hollywood Hills. Alan insists on turning in the money to the authorities, but Jane is just as insistent (actually, more so) on keeping it. And there’s nothing she won’t do to make sure she does.
For my money, this was the best role of Lizabeth Scott’s career – one minute, she’s vulnerable and sympathetic, the next, she’s cold-bloodedly resolute. You won’t be able to take your eyes off of her. And, once again, just to kick things into high gear, Dan Duryea is on hand, playing the rightful owner of the money in the satchel and gifting us with some of the film’s best lines. Like the one below . . .
Favorite quote:
“You know, honey, you’ve got quite a flair. I like you. Too bad you’re a chiseler.” – Danny Fuller (Dan Duryea)
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The Set-Up
A noir centered around the world of boxing, The Set-Up stars Robert Ryan as Stoker Thompson, an aging boxer who is – according to his devoted but increasingly disillusioned wife, Julie (Audrey Totter) – always “just one punch away” from getting a shot at the title. The film takes place in real time, depicting a single night at the Paradise City boxing arena, where Stoker is preparing for a bout that he feels certain to win. What he doesn’t know is that his manager (Geroge Tobias) has accepted a payoff from a local gangster to ensure that Stoker will take a dive.
There are several first-rate boxing noirs, but The Set-Up is at the top of the list for me. The film’s examination of the various characters is simply outstanding – we see Stoker’s unflagging self-confidence and refusal to concede defeat; Julie’s struggle to continue supporting her husband; the disloyalty of Stoker’s manager; and the varying experiences of Stoker’s fellow boxers, including a nervous newcomer preparing for his first fight and a past-his-prime old-timer who is knocked unconscious during his bout. We even, however briefly, get to know several members of the crowd, from the blind man who has a friend describing each fight, to the woman who at first claims to be squeamish but is later seen screaming, “Let’s have some action!”
Favorite quote:
“It ain’t I want to hurt you, but what kind of life is this? How many more beatings do you have to take?” – Julie Thompson (Audrey Totter)
What are some of your favorite noirs from 75 years ago? Leave a comment and let me know!
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– Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub
You can read all of Karen’s Noir Nook articles here.
Karen Burroughs Hannsberry is the author of the Shadows and Satin blog, which focuses on movies and performers from the film noir and pre-Code eras, and the editor-in-chief of The Dark Pages, a bimonthly newsletter devoted to all things film noir. Karen is also the author of two books on film noir – Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. You can follow Karen on Twitter at @TheDarkPages.
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