The bizarre and ruthless criminal, going by the name Professor Marcus (Alec Guiness), masterminds a robbery for a gang consisting of conman Major Courtney (Cecil Parker), hit-man Louis (Herbert Lom), spiv Harry (Peter Sellers) and muscle One-Round (Danny Green). The focus of his scheme is an innocent old lady, Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson), They gain
Most of the key artists of early Swashbucklers were involved in this film (director Curtiz, Korngold, Flynn, de Havilland, Rathbone, Pallette, Hale, Rains, fencing master Cavens). With the addition of color The Adventures of Robin Hood became the standard bearer for the genre.
There is evil in the world, but the reason is the corporate state, which is the clock that counts out the hours of our lives. If we can just break away from that big clock, everything will work out. This is Film Noir-light with a big dose of social commentary.
The plot is unclear, but this film isn’t about the destination, but the journey, and it’s one hell of a ride. The film whips along without a slow moment. The dialog is first rate, managing to be meaningful, witty, and funny all in a single sentence. There isn’t a wrong moment.
Forty years of Film Noir and fifty years of Science Fiction met to form a new genre (Cyperpunk). The streets were just as gritty, but those streets were filled with hover-cars. Blade Runner is a film about what it means to live—to be human—and it presents that theme with androids, blasters, chases, fights, and romance.
Resurrecting the genre, Body Heat took Noir style and mood, and brought it up to date. Without the censors, it could express what the earlier films had to hide: sexuality and unpunished immorality. Its rich reds and sickly yellows portrayed corruption better than the silver screen ever managed.
One could argue that this is the first true sound Swashbuckler. It certainly has it all: pirates, a brave hero, a story by Rafael Sabatini, and some of the best movie music ever written (by the master, Erich Wolfgang Korngold).
Any list of top Swashbucklers needs at least one film based on the works of Alexandre Dumas, and this is the best of them. Pleasingly acted and filmed, it still just barely counts as a Swashbuckler due to its leisurely pacing and scarcity of swordfights.
This film works on José Ferrer’s Oscar-winning performance, and on the poetic dialog—taken from Brian Hooker’s translation of the French play. The low budget is obvious, but Ferrer projects the honor and love in the story so well that it makes up for any flaws.
What is often missed about Double Indemnity is that it is a comedy, a dark, twisted, comedy. It’s a parody of Film Noir made while Film Noir was still forming. Just count the number of times the word “baby” is used.
Directed by: Don Siegel Written by: Daniel Mainwaring (from the Jack Finney novel) Produced by: Walter Wanger Walter Wanger Productions Inc./Allied Artists, 1956 Runtime: 80 min Cast: Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy), Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter), Jack Belicec (King Donovan), Theodora Belicec (Carolyn Jones), Dr. Dan Kauffman (Larry Gates) A Few Thoughts In 1956,
Laura is a stylish, funny, occasionally poignant film that makes little sense. It says a lot but means nothing, which works out just fine.