THE CROOKED WAY (1949)

United Artists, 89m 35s

The World War II veteran has a distinctive status in the film noir, where the alienated stand in the spotlight. After having endured often physical and always psychological wounds of war, the returning soldier finds himself surrounded by uncertainty back home. Invariably he somehow remains at war in a society that has moved forward in his absence, though not necessarily for the better.

THE CROOKED WAY begins in San Francisco within a health care center for veterans. The patient of the narrative's focus is 34-year-old Eddie Rice (John Payne), who served in the US Army during WWII. He earned a Silver Star for bravery overseas, but also was left with a large piece of shrapnel embedded in his brain. He is told he has organic amnesia, which means his memory loss is permanent. Undeterred, Rice returns to his old LA stomping grounds in a bold attempt to discover the man he was. He does not have to look all that hard to find evidence of his pre-war existence.

Within minutes of his arrival in LA, Rice is confronted by his criminal past in the form of Lieutenant Joe Williams (Rhys Williams), who sternly warns Rice to get the hell out of town. Rice has other ideas, especially after running into the attractive Nina Martin (Ellen Drew). Besides the obvious dangers of a tough-talking cop and a mysterious brunette, Rice has a crime sheet that connects with underworld lord Vince Alexander (Sonny Tufts), a well-dressed chap with a nervous condition and a penchant for keeping his fingernails neatly trimmed. Alexander owns the two most violent sequences:  the first, extremely well-staged, involves an ignored phone call as a snitch (John Harmon) gets grilled, the second sends our embattled lead protagonist tumbling down a fire escape.

As Rice explores the maze of his former life, it becomes clear that past betrayals and shady acquaintances are not easy to leave behind, or discover. As one character describes Rice, "A Silver Star and a dumb look doesn't change a no-good heel." In one of my favorite crime film traditions that has its roots in the Fritz Lang German Expressionism classic M (1931), Rice is sought by both policemen and criminal forces. The past seems to deny him a present as the amnesia case struggles for a second chance in a post-war society seemingly defined by the science of determined police procedure.

The setup of THE CROOKED WAY is predated by the less visually stylish but highly effective SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1946), directed and co-written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (HOUSE OF STRANGERS [1949], NO WAY OUT [1950]). The rather labyrinthine SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT provided the major narrative structure for the film under review, with amnesiac war veteran George W. Taylor (John Hodiak) combing the Los Angeles streets, "...where everyone's a stranger." Like the Taylor character, in his identity search Eddie Rice essentially assumes the role of the hard-boiled private investigator featured in such film noir classics as THE MALTESE FALCON (1941), MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) and THE BIG SLEEP (1946).

A far easier film to follow than its source of inspiration, THE CROOKED WAY was directed by Robert Florey, who also helmed THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS (1946), but is perhaps best known for his uncredited contribution to Universal's FRANKENSTEIN (1931). Richard H. Landau (THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT [1955], HELL BOUND [1957]) wrote the screenplay, an adaptation of the radio play "No Blade Too Sharp" by Robert Monroe. Payne is fine in the lead as the disoriented veteran, but I prefer his tougher characterizations that energize 99 RIVER STREET (1953) and HIDDEN FEAR (1957). Perpetually coughing milquetoast Petey (Percy Helton) is a terrific noir oddity, inclined to cower in front of all authority figures. The superb cinematography that elevates THE CROOKED WAY above routine genre fare was handled by John Alton, a name all film noir fans should be familiar with for his masterful contrast between light and shadows. His compositions commonly are fraught with tension, as they were in the same year's BORDER INCIDENT and the prior year's HE WALKED BY NIGHT.

Newly re-mastered in HD, this single-layered Blu-ray edition available from Kino Lorber provides an acceptable presentation, though the lack of restorative work is evident by way of stubborn scratches. Rest assured the wear and tear hardly detracts from this very competent production. The disc is essentially featureless, save for a few trailers.

QUICKSAND (1950)

United Artists, 79m 11s

A good little B-picture, QUICKSAND packs a lot of action into its modest duration. Set in Santa Monica, California, local mechanic Dan Brady (Mickey Rooney) takes an immediate interest in Vera (Jeanne Cagney) when he eyes her at a greasy spoon. But in a telling sign of the financial dislocation to come, Dan is short of cash before their first date. No matter, he already has fallen for Vera, a streetwise blonde dressed in black, and has grown bored with the perfectly nice but too-available Helen (Barbara Bates). Essentially a parable about womanizing and materialism, QUICKSAND suggests how disastrously trouble can escalate for those who attempt to live beyond their means.

In determined pursuit of Vera, the Navy veteran Dan clandestinely authorizes his own cash advance from the register of his tightwad employer Mr. Mackey (Art Smith). That shortsighted decision has a domino effect when Dan realizes he has less time than he thought to return the funds. Without any better options, he buys a watch on credit and quickly hocks it for a fraction of its value. That takes care of the cash register balance, but then Moriarity (John Gallaudet) informs Dan he is obligated to pay his debt on the wristwatch within 24 hours since he sold it before he technically owned it.

Is Vera worth all this trouble? "I can handle you easy," she mentions to Dan, who clearly is not up to the task of handling her. The better he gets to know Vera, the higher Dan's criminal credentials rise. Dan goes from petty theft to armed robbery, grand larceny, breaking and entering, kidnapping, and—possibly—second-degree murder. In the process, it becomes apparent Vera has a past with numerous pairs of pants in the area. Despised by her landlady (Minerva Urecal), the blonde prize is really the neighborhood tramp, devoted only to the man who might be able to buy her a ridiculously expensive mink coat. Vera is hardly the only character of low morality, though; some who learn of Danny's crimes would rather blackmail him than involve the police. After narrowly escaping the path of a bullet, Danny delivers the token noir line of existential recognition:  "I feel like I'm being shoved into a corner and if I don't get out soon it'll be too late. Maybe it's too late already." Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) uttered a very similar line in THE DARK CORNER (1946).

QUICKSAND's location work is plentiful, the best of which was captured around Santa Monica Pier. With its games of chance and pierside location, the penny arcade makes for an appropriate film noir setting, especially at night, and particularly since the proprietor is portrayed by Peter Lorre. The cast in general is terrific, with Rooney in great form against type in the lead role. He also co-financed the film with Lorre. I never know what to make of Jeanne Cagney. At times she looks so much like her famous brother James it is difficult to think about her as an individual. In an uncredited role, the instantly recognizable Jack Elam appears briefly, and just where one would expect to find him.

It is especially great to see Art Smith (IN A LONELY PLACE [1950]), who was among those blacklisted after being named by filmmaker Elia Kazan before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1952. As for QUICKSAND director Irving Pichel, he was among the "Hollywood Nineteen" who were subpoenaed but chose not to testify. Pichel also was blacklisted and had to continue his career outside the country before he died in 1954 due to a heart ailment.

The above screen captures were taken from the DVD version released by Image Entertainment way back in 2000. Since the source material was in decent condition, the featureless disc holds up just fine today.

FLESH AND FANTASY (1943) and DESTINY (1944)

NOIR CITY: CHICAGO 8

Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL

Friday, August 19^th – Thursday, August 25^th, 2016

Sunday evening, Film Noir Foundation Director Alan K. Rode was pleased to present a pair of original 35mm prints struck by a very cooperative Universal Pictures. The two obscure features share a kinship beyond the parent studio since the films actually were conceived as one anthology directed by Julien Duvivier (PÉPÉ LE MOKO [1937]).

Reduced to a three-segment anthology by Universal after audience test screenings, FLESH AND FANTASY (1943, Universal Pictures, 94m) unfurls with a surreal structure common to each story, with dreams and reality intertwined. The first episode involves a reflection on inner beauty during Mardi Gras night in New Orleans. Henrietta (Betty Field) must get past her self-loathing if Michael (Robert Cummings) ever is to notice her. Thanks to a mask provided by a man of mystery (Edgar Barrier), Henrietta finds the courage to face what was holding her back. The segment instantly brings to mind various TWILIGHT ZONE episodes, as do the subsequent stories.

The following segment features the dependable Edward G. Robinson as Marshall Tyler, who in a moment of fate is traumatized by a palm reading conducted by Septimus Podgers (Thomas Mitchell), who predicts Tyler will kill! The camerawork by Stanley Cortez and Paul Ivano brings a noir architecture to this second story, with a sense of entrapment following the Robinson character, whose tormentor proves to be his own dark side, externalized thanks to the gloomy suggestion of Podgers. Haunting imagery pushes Tyler to the limit in sequences that anticipate the closing moments of SCARLET STREET (1945), in which Robinson's defeated Christopher Cross is condemned to an eternity of lonely streets and incessant voices.

The second segment segues nicely into the final episode, with tightrope walker Paul Gaspar (Charles Boyer) afraid to perform the most dangerous component of his circus act after he dreams of falling. The safety net's dramatic removal before Gaspar performs is emphasized as to suggest the need for the net is largely psychological. In further noir terms, the third segment implies that past transgressions have a stubborn way of following people. En route from London to New York by ship, Gaspar meets Joan Stanley (Barbara Stanwyck), the apparent embodiment of his dream woman, but perhaps an unattainable one for reasons that are at first imprecise.

FLESH AND FANTASY (1943)

The best-received segment of the original anthology would be excised by Universal and converted into DESTINY (1944, Universal Pictures, 65m). Director Reginald Le Borg was commissioned to expand the Julien Duvivier episode that originally opened FLESH AND FANTASY. In what begins in overly familiar territory for noir fans, cynical ex-con Cliff Banks (Alan Curtis, PHANTOM LADY [1944]) finds himself on the run in LA, albeit through no fault of his own. He blames his troubles on his uncanny ability to take up with the wrong dames, like the sexy frame possessed by night club singer Phyllis Prager (Vivian Austin). Events take a significant turn when Banks encounters Jane Broderick (Gloria Jean), a kind woman who can "see" despite her blindness and seems to be the miraculous antidote to what ails Banks. She even has a calming effect on animals known to be frightened of humans.

Banks finds redemption when he embraces the theme persistent in both films:  without faith in the basic goodness of other people, there is no basis for existence. Also significant is the healing power represented by the blind woman in a pastoral rural environment, which stands diametrically opposed to the oppressive chaos of the urban world rich with duplicitous types such as Marie (Minna Gombell) and Sam (Frank Fenton). DESTINY certainly stands as a progenitor of ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951) by way of distinct settings that clash.

DESTINY (1944)

Though generally I am opposed to studio meddling, I can understand Universal's enthusiasm with the potential of what was originally a 30-minute sequence. I wish I could evaluate the original FLESH AND FANTASY screened to test audiences, but today all that can be determined is DESTINY is unusually touching for a crime film laced with noir elements, and the edited version of the original film plays well enough at just over 90 minutes.

The remaining schedule:  NOIR CITY: CHICAGO 8

99 RIVER STREET (1953)

United Artists, 83m 30s

Though not a true boxing film, the gripping 99 RIVER STREET is a brisk film noir with a retired boxer as its scrappy featured protagonist. The opening sequence sets the tone well with the bruising action of a championship heavyweight prizefight. Challenger Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) accounts for himself admirably versus the reigning champ until an eye injury inhibits his fighting ability. As it turns out, Driscoll is watching his failed bid for the heavyweight crown on television, as part of a series called "Great Fights of Yesterday." Like so many other noir examples, 99 RIVER STREET revolves around a significant past event that defines the present for the main character, who in this case psychologically remains confined to the savagery of the squared circle despite having been barred from it for medical reasons.

A career on the ropes

"I could've been the champ."

An easily riled man to begin with, Driscoll encounters plenty of reasons to embrace his violent pugilistic past. The post-boxing world has not been terribly accommodating to Driscoll, who finds himself stuck with a compromised optic nerve, a dull cabbie job, and perhaps worst of all, vitriolic criticism from his ex-showgirl wife Pauline (Peggie Castle). Not content with the couple's current financial position and unimpressed with her husband’s dream of one day owning a gas station, Pauline has taken up with Victor Rawlins (Brad Dexter), a "reckless" jewel thief with a plan to take Pauline to France after settling his 400-carat score. The plot gains momentum when fence Christopher (Jay Adler) attempts to distance himself from the caper that, naturally, did not quite go as outlined. The situation is not helped by the unwelcome presence of Pauline, who ignites tensions within the jewel thief network. Pauline personifies the alluring but no-good noir femme fatale, and director Phil Karlson emphasizes her physicality on multiple occasions, with her tempting body and attractive face framed as her only redeeming qualities.

Transpiring mostly over the course of one night, 99 RIVER STREET exploits the dark side of human nature at every turn, as people cast others aside in pursuit of their own wants. That sort of reflection on human nature is not limited to arch criminals like Rawlins and Christopher. Even ostensibly benign personalities are capable of deception and impulsive self-interest. Aspiring stage actress Linda James (Evelyn Keyes), a basically nice city gal, plays an exceptionally cruel trick on her friend Driscoll for the chance to play the lead in a Broadway production. Quite understandably, he becomes upset and roughs up some of the condescending theater producers who collectively wronged him. If that were not enough, the production team then seeks free publicity by sending the police after Driscoll, thus wronging him twice in one evening! "Any time you get hooked up with a dame you're bound to end up in trouble," Driscoll later grumbles.

Recurring low camera angles create unease within interior shots, where people are as likely to turn on each other as not. On these Manhattan streets, disputes are resolved mostly through some type of violence. The pace is relentless as characters are grabbed, pushed, slapped, punched, strangled, and shot. One unfortunate receives the full force of a heavy chain over his cranium. The final confrontation between Driscoll and Rawlins serves as a reenactment of the boxing match that opens the film, and in fact the entire narrative makes the same point:  life never stopped hitting Driscoll after his boxing career ended. The former contender bears resemblance to the returning soldier who finds himself without a clear place in civilian life in many a film noir. For those who take part in combat of any form, perhaps there is no easy exit strategy.

Like other film noirs that conclude on an optimistic note, there is a seemingly false ring here, yet something authentically noir at the same time. A man who almost became heavyweight champion of the world and a once-promising stage actress find service-station bliss in each other's loving arms, as the repression of great aspirations leads to a happy if humble partnership. It is an easy enough lesson to relate to since most of us, like it or not, learn to appreciate successes that may fall a bit short of our original hopes.

Acclaimed director Karlson helmed several other film noirs, the most vital of which was probably KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952, also featuring Payne). 5 AGAINST THE HOUSE (1955) was a lesser noir entry, notable mostly for the presence of hot-tempered war vet Brick (Brian Keith). THE PHENIX CITY STORY (1955) is one of the more convincing docudrama noirs of its time, and THE BROTHERS RICO (1957) plays quite well, thanks in part to the presence of dependable noir man Richard Conte. I think 99 RIVER STREET is Karlson's best-realized effort of the bunch, with Payne superbly cast as the down-but-not-out ex-prizefighter. The film is distinguished by its excellent supporting team as well, especially Frank Faylen as cab dispatcher Stan Hogan, who was also Driscoll's former trainer. Jack Lambert offers a fine performance as the impatient thug Mickey, and Jay Adler is probably the best supporting player of all since it does not seem a stretch that his fence character would also run a pet shop. The screenplay is by Robert Smith, who also wrote the screenplay for QUICKSAND (1950) and co-wrote the script for SUDDEN FEAR (1952), two of my favorite underappreciated film noirs. Cinematographer Franz Planer captured additional classics of the genre, including THE CHASE (1946), CRISS CROSS (1949) and 711 OCEAN DRIVE (1950).

Newly re-mastered in HD and framed at the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1, this single-layered Blu-ray edition available through Kino Lorber provides a very clean B&W presentation. Though not without a few mild imperfections, this 1080P version is an obvious improvement over the made-on-demand MGM DVD, which was cropped to 1.33:1.

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

MGM DVD

When it comes to audio commentary tracks, you know you are in for an education with film noir expert Eddie Muller on the mic. Like any great teacher, Muller makes it fun to learn. His analysis of Karlson's directorial preferences is spot-on, especially in terms of recurring compositions that suggest one character’s dominance over another, or when actors walk into close-ups. Karlson was an appropriate match for producer Edward Small, who preferred directors skilled enough to work creatively within modest budgets. Small was fully aware of the direction commercial filmmaking was headed, with studios functioning more as distribution facilitators than creators of original content. As one might expect, Muller offers in-depth biographical information on the actors, Evelyn Keyes in particular, who was a good friend of his. His commentary even touches accurately on actual boxing, with Muller demonstrating acumen for the sweet science (his father was a longtime boxing writer for the San Francisco EXAMINER).

The only other supplemental material consists of a trailer gallery. Besides the trailer for the film under review, trailers for other titles available from Kino Lorber include HIDDEN FEAR (1957), SHIELD FOR MURDER (1954) and HE RAN ALL THE WAY (1951).

Publicity Photo

Karlson cribs from his own playbook in 5 AGAINST THE HOUSE

KEY LARGO (1948)

Warner Bros., 100m 24s

It is always a pleasure to revisit KEY LARGO, one of the finest Warner Bros. products of the classic studio system era. Every time I watch it, I admire it a little more. Though not an overtly noir production in terms of visual style, its character types and situations reflect a society still coping with the aftermath of prohibition and war, which neatly positions the film in the noir universe from a narrative sense. Dramatic events of the past almost always give shape to the film noir.

"Frank McCloud, no address."

Set in the upper Florida Keys, an unlikely area for a noir story to unfold, KEY LARGO presents a group of disparate people struggling to find themselves after World War II. The drama occurs at and around a hotel owned by James Temple (Lionel Barrymore with pants under armpits), who is confined to a wheelchair more often than not. He lives at the hotel with his jaw-droppingly beautiful daughter-in-law Nora Temple (Lauren Bacall), the widow of the elder Temple's son George, who was killed overseas. Dropped off by bus is visitor Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart), who served as George's commanding officer in Italy. The war took a lot out McCloud, maybe everything. Despite an American victory, he has been converted into a defeated character, an itinerant job-hopper since the war ended. Nothing sticks to McCloud, who may have landed in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not only is a hurricane approaching, but an unsavory group of mugs led by exiled mobster Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) have rented the entire Temple hotel for one week under the pretense of a deep-sea fishing trip. Rocco's cohorts include Richard "Curly" Hoff (Thomas Gomez, RIDE THE PINK HORSE [1947], FORCE OF EVIL [1948]), Edward "Toots" Bass (Harry Lewis, THE UNSUSPECTED [1947], GUN CRAZY [1950]), Angel Garcia (Dan Seymour, THE BIG HEAT [1953]) and the gangster moll Gaye Dawn (Claire Trevor, MURDER, MY SWEET [1944], BORN TO KILL [1947]). In a related plot thread, the local sheriff Ben Wade (Monte Blue) and his deputy Clyde Sawyer (John Rodney) are looking for two Native Americans who escaped from jail:  John Osceola (Rodd Redwing) and Tom Osceola (Jay Silverheels). The Osceola brothers trust Mr. Temple, who truly wants to assist them. The boys get no help from the egocentric Rocco, though, who is loyal to nobody, not even his old crime buddy Ziggy (Marc Lawrence in a hilarious turn).

"There's only one Johnny."

The role of the cigar-chomping gangster figure Rocco points to one of the major differences between the noir film of the late 1940s and the gangster film popularized in the 1930s. One of the last of a dying breed, Rocco is set up as McCloud's double, each man with no clear role in post-WWII, post-prohibition society. Despite his lack of place, the arrogance of the gangster persists. In a memorable moment, Rocco cannot stop talking about himself long enough to get a complete shave. However, other folks do not share the gangster's high opinion of himself. Though he is unable to mount much of a challenge, Mr. Temple is the most outspoken about the "filth" Rocco represents. Temple embodies a familiar noir staple:  the crippled man whose ideals are undone by physical limitations. McCloud suggests Rocco turn his gun on the hurricane in a pointless gesture that only would underscore the gangster’s loss of power since the time of prohibition. Interestingly, Rocco is in the process of making his comeback as a counterfeiter; he literally cannot make money any of the old-fashioned ways (alcohol, slots, etc.).

Both Bogart and Robinson appeared as arch criminals in plenty of gangster films for Warner throughout the prior decade, so there is an obvious irony at work when Robinson's character is at odds with the man Bogart portrays. It seems McCloud would rather live a coward than die a hero when he admits, "One Rocco more or less isn't worth dying for." But McCloud ejects from self-preservation mode when he instinctively shows compassion for the embarrassing drunkard Dawn at her most humiliated. In the film's dramatic turning point, Nora reacts to the moral worth of McCloud; her gaze at him completely altered from that point on.

Mirrors suggest layered personalities in the film noir

KEY LARGO was the fourth collaboration between director John Huston and Bogart, who had combined previously on THE MALTESE FALCON (1941), ACROSS THE PACIFIC (1942), and THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948). Maxwell Anderson's 1939 play, in which Paul Muni played McCloud, was adapted for the screen by Huston and Richard Brooks (BRUTE FORCE [1947], CROSSFIRE [1947], MYSTERY STREET [1950]). The dialogue is terrific and eminently quotable, especially when Rocco dominates the scene, as when he condemns the people he propped up who ultimately deported him, or when he lectures Dawn about her excessive drinking. Rocco's unfailing disregard for others allows for the redemption of some of the film's flawed characters and implies a second chance for the downtrodden.

Some location footage from the Florida Keys is featured, but cinematographer Karl Freund (METROPOLIS [1927], DRACULA [1931]) worked mostly within Warner sound stages (what a time traveling treat it would be to visit them!). In what makes for a superbly noir environment, the heat of the off season locale is noticeable on the sweaty faces of characters. The well-staged hurricane, a compilation of stock footage from NIGHT UNTO NIGHT (1949), injects more chaos into an already unstable situation. The editing by Rudi Fehr (POSSESSED [1947], THE DAMNED DON'T CRY [1950]) is skillful, particularly during the sequence when Rocco gives McCloud a gun and taunts him. As usual, the score by Max Steiner is overbearing at times. Great performances abound, especially by Robinson and Trevor, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Bogart offers one of his most subtle performances as the disillusioned veteran McCloud.

Warner Blu-ray

Warner DVD

The Warner Archive Collection dual-layered Blu-ray version of KEY LARGO boasts a magnificent transfer, framed at the correct theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 (the DVD version released in 2000 compressed the image to 1.33:1). The lack of supplemental material other than a trailer (2m 24s) is odd considering the revered status of this beloved black & white classic. Despite the absence of bonus features, this is a nice upgrade for owners of the DVD, no doubt about it.