Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, by Eddie Muller (Revised and Expanded Edition, 2021, Running Press, 448p.--E-BOOK VERSION)
EACH BLOG POST REPRESENTS A CHAPTER IN THE BOOK.
FILM ANNOTATIONS ARE IN THE ORDER OF THEIR DISCUSSION IN THE BOOK.
CLICK ON ANY T.O.C. LINK (COLOR AND UNDERLINE) TO LINK TO THE ANNOTATIONS FOR THAT CHAPTER.
CHAPTERS THAT HAVE LINKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR ARE IN PROCESS.
CHAPTERS IN LARGE TYPE WITHOUT LINKS ARE THE CHAPTER YOU ARE LOOKING AT.
CHAPTERS THAT ARE NOT LINKED ARE CHAPTERS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN ANNOTATED
==============================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
C 5: "The City Desk: All the news that's unfit to print"
C 6: "Shamus Flats: Lost someone? Gumshoes for hire"
C 7: "Vixenville: Fiefdom of the femme fatale"
C 8: "Blind Alley: Crossroads of coincidence and Fate"
C 9: "The Psych Ward: Where vexed veterans are quarantined"
C 10: "Knockover Square: Deluxe district of heists and holdups"
C 11: "Losers Lane: Street of sorry psychopaths"
C 12: "The Big House: Last stop on a wayward course"
C 13: "Thieves Highway: The risky road out of town"
C 14: "The Stage Door: Enjoy a show... before it's too late
==============================
C 5: "The City Desk: All the news that's unfit to print"
*=Blacklisted. For further information see the Introduction.
**=Trailer Available at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
For other source notes, see the Introduction.
Bonus Film
122B: The Front Page (United Artists/The Caddo Company, 1931) (Director: Louis Milestone) (Criterion Collection--Michael Sragow)
Top Billed male star: Adolph Menjou (fullmoviereview.com)
Top Billed female star: Mary Brian (Movie Magazine International)
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Director and author Bret Wood.
Note: Cinematographer Glen MacWilliams (American Classic Screen Interviews, by John C. Tibbets and James M. Welsh, 2010, Scarecrow Press, P. 182-194) was a Hollywood pioneer, with 85 AFI credits in a 41 year career (1917-1958). He earned 1 Academy Award nomination (1944, Lifeboat, Alfred Hitchcock).
Note: there was no music credit for The Front Page.
Note: The Front Page was nominated for 2 Academy Awards: Best Actor, Adolph Menjou, and Best Director. This was Louis Milestone's 3rd Academy Award nomination. Here he lost to Norman Taurog (Skippy). He won for Two Arabian Nights--1927, and for All Quiet on the Western Front--1930.
Note: Muller opens Chapter 5 (P. 130-131) with a discussion of Ben Hecht (Holocaust Museum) and the importance of his ground breaking 1928 play, The Front Page, that led to the first of several film treatments. The most famous one is His Girl Friday (1940, Howard Hawks), a screwball comedy treatment of the material. But for Noir purposes, I think it is a much better idea to watch the 1931 version, as it is much more faithful to the original play. It is not an easy film to watch for the modern day viewer, as much of its original content remains in tact, including passages which are racist, misogynistic, and homophobic. However, the machine gun dialog that Muller sees as the ancestor of much of Noir sound is on full display here. If you can stand the very troubled cultural milieu that is part of the film, it is excellent, in my opinion, with some memorable direction and cinematography.
Note: According to Wikipedia, The Front Page had a Box Office Gross of $700,000--$14 million. (United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars, by Tino Balio (2009, University of Wisconsin Press, P. 111).
American Film Institute (AFI)
Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
Rotten Tomatoes (RT)
---
123. Call Northside 777 (Fox, 1948) (Henry Hathaway) (Fredrik on Film--Fredrik Gustafsson)
Top Billed male star: James Stewart (Roger Ebert)
Top Billed female star: Helen Walker (Worcester Magazine, Worcester, Massachusetts--Craig S. Semon)
Note: For this film, in another context, see Post C 3, #38, linked to above and below these annotations.
Script: Part 1 (The Daily Script)
Script: Part 2 (The Daily Script)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historians James Ursini and Alain Silver
Note: Cinematographer Joseph MacDonald (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC] has 91 AFI credits in a 38 year career (1931-1969). He earned 4 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Alfred Newman (Moviemusicuk.us--Craig Lysy) composed the music. He was part of an extended family of composers that earned over 90 Academy Award nominations. His brother Emil had 193 AFI credits, and his nephew Randy is a well known song writer. Alfred, however, is by far the most famous. He has 282 AFI credits in a career that spanned 40 years (1930-1970). He earned an astonishing 45 Academy Award nominations (a record for composers until broken by John Williams in 2011) and won 9 times: 1938, Alexander's Rag Time Band, (Henry King); 1940, Tin Pan Alley, (Walter Lang); 1943, The Song of Bernadette, (Henry King); 1947, Mother Wore Tights, (Walter Lang); 1952, With a Song in My Heart, (Walter Lang); 1953, Call Me Madam, (Walter Lang); 1955, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, (Henry King); 1956, The King and I, (Walter Lang); and 1967, Camelot, (Joshua Logan). His final score, the year he passed, was for Airport (1970, George Seaton), the film that began the 1970's Disaster Film Genre.
Note: This film is based on a true story. The story is told in the AFI link below.
Call Northside 777 tied for 29th Top Grossing US Film of 1948 ($2,700,000--$33 million), out of the top 93 that grossed at least $1,500,000--$18 million. Top grossing film in 1948 was Road to Rio (Norman Z. McLeod) ($4,500,000--$55 million). Road to Rio was released in late 1947. (Variety, January 5, 1949, P. 46).
IMDb**
---
124. The Captive City (United Artists/Aspen Productions, 1952) (Robert Wise) (Senses of Cinema--Robert Schober)
Top Billed male star: John Forsythe (London Guardian Obituary--Ronald Bergan). This was Forsythe's first major film credit. He is known today for his TV work on Bachelor Father and Dynasty. He was also the voice of Charlie Townsend on Charlie's Angels.
Top Billed female star: Joan Camden (IMDb) This was also Joan Camden's debut film. She was in 4 more before turning to TV and then 1 more film before the end of her acting career.
Note: Cinematographer Lee Garmes (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 95 AFI credits in a 50 year career (1918-1968). He earned 4 Academy Award nominations and 1 win (1932, Shanghai Express, Joseph von Sternberg). He did some of the cinematography for Gone With the Wind (1939, Victor Fleming) but was not credited.
Note: Emil Newman (WIK), the Music Director, was part of a large extended family of composers that earned over 90 Academy Award nominations. Perhaps the most famous today are Alfred Newman, Emil's brother (who composed 20th Century Fox's iconic opening music theme that preceded each film, as well as earning 45 Academy Award nominations and 9 wins, and song writer Randy Newman (Emil's nephew). But Emil was also a major Hollywood film presence. He has 193 AFI credits (a large majority of which were as Music Director) between 1936 and 1965. He earned 1 Oscar nomination: 1941, Sun Valley Serenade, H. Bruce Humberstone.
Note: Jerome Moross (Allmusic.com, Bruce Eder) was the composer. He has 29 AFI credits in a movie career that spanned 26 years (1943-1969). He earned 1 Academy Award nomination: 1958, The Big Country, William Wyler--a film Moross wrote 74 minutes of music for. Today he is probably better known for the main theme from the TV Western Wagon Train. He also did work for the stage and composed orchestral works.
Note: At the end of the film Senator Estes Kefauver (Smithsonian Magazine--Gilbert King) addresses the audience about the evils of organized crime. Kefauver is remembered for the Congressional Hearings he presided over in 1951-2, which were the first major hearings that were nationally televised. He ran for President in 1952, and Vice President in 1956. He did not win either nomination. This appearance, coming when it did, has been called a campaign advertisement by some.
---
125. The Turning Point (Paramount, 1952) (William Dieterle) (They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?--Bill Georgaris)
Top Billed male star: William Holden (WIK)
Top Billed female star: Alexis Smith (vintage.es) (includes 43 photos)
Blue Ray/DVD CommentaryTrack by Film Historian Alan K. Rode
Note: Cinematographer Lionel Lindon (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematography [IEC]) has 69 AFI credits in a 26 year career (1943-1969). He earned 3 Academy Award nominations and won once: 1956, Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Anderson).
Note: Irvin Talbot (IMDb) composed the music. He has 68 AFI credits in a 34 year career (1929-1943). He is probably best remembered for his work on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, John Ford).
Note: It might be interesting to compare the crusading press character William Holden plays in this film with his media role 24 years later in Network (Sidney Lumet), for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, but lost to Peter Finch, who also starred in that film. Finch won the award posthumously.
Note: The famous Angels Flight funicular railroad (Los Angeles) was featured in the film. For a list of other films that featured the railroad see the Angel's Flight In the Movies Page See also Chapter 4 Post, #111, linked above and below these annotations, for one of those films.
Note: Carolyn Jones (WIK) made her film debut in The Turning Point. Today she is best known for her work on The Addams Family TV show.
---
126. High Tide (Monogram/Wrather Productions, 1947) (John Reinhardt) (WIK)
Top Billed male star: Lee Tracy (Bright Lights Film Journal--Imogen Sara Smith)
Note: Lee Tracy was the original Hildy Johnson in the stage version of The Front Page (see #122B above), and was available, but was passed over for the part, which went to Pat O'Brien (The Daily Catholic). From what I've read, Tracy would have been a much better choice.
Top Billed female star: Julie Bishop (London Independent Obituary--Tom Vallance
Note: Cinematographer Henry Sharp (WIK) has 116 AFI credits in a career that spanned 39 years (1920-1959).
Composer Rudy Shrager (IMDb) has 29 AFI credits in an 18 year career (1942-1960).
Note: One of the most significant aspects of High Tide, at the end of the day, is that it, like Trapped (Blog Post C 3, #57, linked to from above and below these annotations), was a film that seemed destined for the purgatory of public domain films, copied over and over by all kinds of fly by night DVD distributors, in a form that was almost unwatchable. But that all changed in 2013, when the Film Noir Foundation funded the restoration of the film by the University of California at Los Angles (UCLA) Film and Television Archive. So whatever else you might think of the film, you can now see it in all it's original glory, and another cultural artifact has been restored. The story is told in the Los Angeles Times article on the 2013 Noir Film Festival, which featured newly restored films.
---
+++
Films directed by John Farrow (with a digression into Cinematographer John F. Seitz) and written by Jonathan Latimer
Again, at this point, we have a delightful meandering by Muller that at some points take us out of the Chapter Theme, but leads to marvelous Noirs.
Director John Farrow
Note: John Farrow was married to actress Maureen O'Sullivan from 1936 until his death in 1963. They had 7 children, including actress Mia Farrow (WIK)
Australian Dictionary of Biography--Cameron Hazlehurst
The Films of John Farrow (Filmink, Stephen Vagg)
The Star Australian Director who Hollywood Forgot (London Guardian--Luke Buckmaster)
Catholic University--University Libraries: The Archivist's Nook--William J. Sheperd)
Los Angeles Times Obituary
Cinematographer John F. Seitz (see below in the film annotations)
Screen writer Jonathan Latimer
Thrilling Detective (Kevin Burton Smith)
Jonathan Latimer Interview (by James R. McCahery, Megavore #11 (1980-10, P. 16-22, via Internet Archive).
127. The Big Clock (Paramount, 1948) (John Farrow)
Top Billed male star: Ray Milland (Washington Post Obituary--Martin Weil)
Top Billed female star: Maureen O'Sullivan (vintage.es) (includes 40 photos)
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Critic Adrian Martin. Also included are Turning Back the Clock, a filmed analysis of the film by the critic and chief executive of Film London, Adrian Wootton, and A Difficult Actor, a filmed appreciation of Charles Laughton and his performance in The Big Clock by the actor, writer, and theater director Simon Callow.
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Composer Victor Young (Leonard Maltin) had a prolific Hollywood career. He has 242 AFI credits in a 30 year career (1936-1956)--although he was also credited for films he scored that were released after his untimely death in 1957 from a cerebral hemorrhage. He earned 24 Academy Award nominations, with 1 win (posthumous) (1956, Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Anderson). He was nominated for multiple Academy Awards 3 times: 1940(3), 1941(4), and 1957(2).
Note: While Charles Laughton (London Daily Telegraph--Simon Callow) does not get Top Billing in this film, he makes his presence known in this very understated performance, and in my opinion, definitely raises the quality of the film.
The Big Clock was tied for 63rd Top Grossing US Film of 1948 ($2,000,000--$25 million), out of the top 93 that grossed at least $1,500,000--$18 million. Top grossing film in 1948 was Road to Rio (Norman McLeod) ($4,500,000--$55 million). Road to Rio was released in late 1947.
(Variety, January 5, 1949, P. 46).
IMDb**
+++
128. This Gun for Hire (Paramount, 1942) (Frank Tuttle*)
(They Started Talking--information, a short excerpt, and purchase details about Tuttle's autobiography.
Note: This film did not involve John Farrow or Jonathan Latimer. It also did not fit in with the theme of the chapter. In an aside, Muller mentioned other great Noirs that featured Seitz as Cinematographer. This was one of them.
Note: Though Frank Tuttle is not on any of the Hollywood Blacklist compilations I could find, there is a hole in his AFI credits between 1947 and 1950 and between 1951 and 1956. He was a member of the Communist Party beginning in 1937, according to WIK, and later testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, implicating 16 people, including Director Jules Dassin (WIK).
Top Billed female star: Veronica Lake (1) Diabolique Magazine--Stephen Vagg (2)Vanity Fair--Hadley Hall Meeks) (3) Museviews (173 photos)
Top Billed male star: Robert Preston (Washington Post--David Richards)
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Historians Alan K. Rode and Steve Mitchell
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations.
David Buttolf (WIK) composed the music. He has 137 AFI credits in a 28 year career (1935-1963).
Note: Although Robert Preston was the top billed male star, this was Alan Ladd's (Central Arkansas Library System Encyclopedia of Arkansas--Nancy Hendricks) Film Debut. And what a debut it was! This role catapulted him into an immediate A-list star. It was also the beginning of a fruiful film partnership with Veronica Lake.
Note: This Gun for Hire was tied for 92nd Top Grossing US Film of 1942 ($1,000,000--$18 million), out of the top 100 that grossed at least $1,000,000--$18 million. Top grossing film in 1942 was Mrs. Miniver (William Wyler) ($6,000,000--$109 million).
(Variety, January 6, 1943, P. 58)
IMDb**
+++
129. Double Indemnity (Paramount, 1944) (Billy Wilder) (Senses of Cinema--Richard Armstrong)
For this film in another context see Chapter 4 Post, #90, linked to above and below these annotations.
Like This Gun For Hire, the placement of Double.12 Indemnity in this sequence has nothing to do with John Farrow, Jonathan Latimer, or the subject matter of the chapter. It was, however, another one in a long series of films that owed part of their excellence to the cinematography of John F. Seitz.
Script: (Stands4 Network).
Filmsite Film Review and extensive story (more than a synopsis, less than a script)
DVD Commentary Tracks by Film Historian Richard Schickel and Screenwriter Lem Dobbs & Film Historian Nick Redman
Note: Double Indemnity was nominated for 7 Academy Awards
Best Picture: Lost to Going My Way
Best Director: Lost to Leo McCarey--Going My Way
Best Best Actress: Barbara Stanwyck: Lost to Ingrid Bergman--Gaslight (George Cukor)
Best Writing: Screenplay: Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler: Lost to Frank Butler and Frank Cavett--Going My Way
Best Cinematography--Black and White: John F. Seitz : Lost to Joseph LaShelle--Laura (Otto Preminger)
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Double Indemnity was tied for 28th on the American Society of Cinematographers [ASC] 1894-1949 Best Shot Films list.
Best Music--Scoring: Miklos Rozsa: Lost to Max Steiner--Since You Went Away (John Cromwell)
Miklos Rozsa (Miklos Rosa Society--Christopher Palmer; John Fitzpatrick) has 85 AFI credits in a career that spanned 45 years (1937-1982). He earned 17 Academy Award nominations and won 3 times: 1945, Spellbound, Alfred Hitchcock; 1947, A Double Life, George Cukor; and 1959, Ben-Hur, William Wyler.
Best Sound--Recording: Loren Ryder: Lost to Edmond H. Hansen--Wilson (Henry King)
Note: Double Indemnity is listed on 6 of AFI's "Top" lists:
1998: (#38) and 2007: (#29) 100 Years--100 Movies
2001: (#24) 100 Years--100 Thrills
2002: (#84) 100 Years--100 Passions
2003: (#8--Phyllis Dietrichson) 100 Years--100 Heros and Villains
Note: The two screen writers had little positive to say about each other. According to AFI:
Chandler on Wilder: "working with Billy Wilder...was an agonizing experience and has probably shortened my life, but I learned from it about as much about screen writing as I am capable of learning, which is not very much."
Wilder on Chandler: "[Chandler] gave me more aggravation than any writer I ever worked with."
Note: In my opinion, DI is one of a handful of essential Noirs, along with, so far The Big Heat (see Chapter 3 Post--#63). Every facet of classic Noir style, subject matter, and exposition is on display, as well as one of the greatest femme fatale performances you'll see. Oh, and Edward G. Robinson is also in the film.
Note: According to IMDb, DI grossed $5,720,000--$96 million.
IMDb**
+++
130. The Lost Weekend (Paramount, 1945) (Billy Wilder) (Senses of Cinema--Richard Armstrong)
Top Billed male star: Ray Milland (Washington Post Obituary--Martin Weil)
Top Billed female star: Jane Wyman (Jane Wyman Web Site)
This film was also included here in the book due to the cinematic contributions of John F. Seitz. The Lost Weekend won 4 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screen Play (Wilder and Charles Brackett [Commentary--Terry Teachout]). Wilder and Brackett had a long, successful, and now almost forgotten film collaboration. According to AFI, they worked together on writing/writing-directing/writing-directing-producing 14 films. They wrote together under the direction of Ernst Lubitch (1)--British Film Institute--10 Essential Films--David Parkinson (2)--(New Yorker, Alex Ross) (2 films);
Mitchell Leisen (Senses of Cinema--David Melville) (3 films) and;
Howard Hawks (Senses of Cinema--David Boxwell) (1 film).
Wilder directed 6 films that they co-wrote. And Brackett produced 4 films that Wilder directed and they co-wrote. Notable: Bluebeard's 8th Wife (1938, Lubitch), Ninotchka (1939, Lubitch), Midnight (1939, Leisen), Ball of Fire (1942, Hawks), The Lost Weekend (1945, Wilder, W+B--Writers, Brackett, Producer), and Sunset Boulevard (1950, Wilder, W+B--Writers, Brackett, Producer).
Script (The Weekly Script)
Filmsite Film Review and extensive story (Tim Dirks). More than a synopsis, less than a script.
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Historian Joseph McBride
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Composer Miklos Rozsa (Miklos Rosa Society--Christopher Palmer; John Fitzpatrick) has 85 AFI credits in a career that spanned 45 years (1937-1982). He earned 17 Academy Award nominations and won 3 times: 1945, Spellbound, Alfred Hitchcock; 1947, A Double Life, George Cukor; and 1959, Ben-Hur, William Wyler.
Note: Billy Wilder, according to WIK, became interested in the topic (alcoholism and it's personal consequences) after working with Raymond Chandler (Chicago Public Library) on the screen play of Double Indemnity (see #129 above). Due to the stress of the work, Chandler, a recovering alcoholic, began drinking again.
Note: The Lost Weekend was tied for 11th Top Grossing US Film of 1946 (it was released late in 1945) ($4,300,000--$66 million), out of the top 60 that grossed at least $2,250,000--$35 million. Ray Milland was the 19th Top Grossing film star with $7,850,000--$120 million. He made 2 Top Grossing films for an average of $3,925,000--$60 million. Top grossing film in 1946 was The Bells of St. Mary's (Leo McCarey) ($8,000,000--$123 million). Top Grossing film star was Bing Crosby with $18,000,000--$276 million. He made 3 movies for an average of $6,000,000--$92 million).
(Variety, January 8, 1947, P. 8)
IMDb**
+++
131. Calcutta (Paramount, 1947) (John Farrow)
Note: Here Farrow comes back into Muller's narrative, and we see another example of John F. Seitz' cinematic artistry. However, Latimer is missing, and the film doesn't fit the subject matter of the chapter. Farrow was a consistent money maker for Paramount, and this film did surprisingly well (see below under Top Gross).
Top Billed male star: Alan Ladd (Central Arkansas Library System Encyclopedia of Arkansas--Nancy Hendricks)
Top Billed female star: Gail Russell (1)The Daily Mirror Blog Memorial--Larry Harnisch) (2) Vintage.es (includes 40 photos)
Note: Gail Russell's life was cut short due to chronic alcoholism at age 36. Her story is one of the more tragic Hollywood stories.
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton. Note: on mobile phones you will need to scroll down quite a way to the information.
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Composer Victor Young (Leonard Maltin) had a prolific Hollywood career. He has 242 AFI credits in a 30 year career (1936-1956--although he was also credited for films he scored before his untimely death in 1957 from a cerebral hemorage at the age of 57). He earned 24 Academy Award nominations, with 1 win (1956, Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Anderson--it was a posthumous award). He was nominated for multiple Academy Awards 3 times: 1940(3), 1941(4), and 1957(2).
Note: Edith King (Washington Herald, February 6, 1921, via Library of Congress Chronicling America--scroll to "Edith was a Girl...") was a 50 year veteran stage actress (1916-1966). This was her Film Debut. She was in 5 films between 1947 and 1953
Note: Calcutta was made in 1945 but was not released until 1947.
Note: Calcutta was tied for 40th Top Grossing US Film of 1947 ($2,800,000--$38 million), out of the top 75 that grossed at least $2,000,000--$27 million. Alan Ladd was the 43rd Top Grossing film star with $5,350,000--$72 million. He made 2 Top Grossing films for an average of $2,675,000--$36 million. Top Grossing film of 1947 was The Best Years of our Lives (William Wyler) ($11,500,000--$154 million). Top Grossing film star was Jennifer Jones (Los Angeles Times Obituary--Claudia Luther) ($10,750,000--$144 million). She made only one top grossing film, Duel in the Sun (King Vidor), which was the 2nd top grossing film of the year.
(Variety, January 7, 1948, P. 63)
+++
132. The Glass Key (Paramount, 1942) (Stuart Heisler) (Turner Classic Movies)
Note: Jonathan Latimer wrote the screenplay, an adaptation of a Dashiell Hammett (PBS American Masters) novel. Neither John Farrow nor John F. Seitz were involved in the production.
Top Billed male star: Brian Donlevy (WIK)
Top Billed female star: Veronica Lake (1) Diabolique Magazine--Stephen Vagg (2)Vanity Fair--Hadley Hall Meeks) (3) Museviews (173 photos)
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Historian and Preservationist Allen K. Rode and Film Journalist Steve Mitchell
Note: Cinematographer Theodore Sparkhul (1) (WIK) (2) (Journal of British Cinema and Television: An Adaptable Aesthetic: Theodor Sparkuhl's Contribution to Late Silent and Early Sound Film-making at British International Pictures, 1929-30, Kelly Robinson, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2020, p. 172-190)
has 57 AFI credits for the 13 years (the last years of his life) he worked in Hollywood. But that is only part of the story. His carer began as a projectionist in 1911 in his native Germany. He worked in Germany, shooting 12 Ernst Lubitch (1)--British Film Institute--10 Essential Films--David Parkinson (2)--(New Yorker, Alex Ross) films.
He then worked in England and France (including 2 films under Jean Renoir--Senses of Cinema--James Leahy) before moving to Hollywood. His entire career output is estimated to be about 140 films.
Note: Composer Victor Young (Leonard Maltin) had a prolific Hollywood career. He has 242 AFI credits in a 30 year career (1936-1956--although he was also credited for films he scored before his untimely death in 1957 from a cerebral hemorage at the age of 57). He earned 24 Academy Award nominations, with 1 win (1956, Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Anderson--it was a posthumous award. He was nominated for multiple Academy Awards 3 times: 1940(3), 1941(4), and 1957(2).
Note: Alan Ladd (Central Arkansas Library System Encyclopedia of Arkansas--Nancy Hendricks) stole this film out from under Brian Donlevy, just as he did in This Gun for Hire (see above #128), where Robert Preston was top billed. These two films, coming in quick succession, cemented Ladd's rise to the top of the A list. They also helped rocket Veronica Lane to an A list star after just 6 major roles . It was the 2nd of 4 films they would make together.
IMDb**
+++
133. Night has a Thousand Eyes (Paramount, 1948) (John Farrow)
Note: This film was co-written by Jonathan Latimer and Barré Lyndon (WIK)
Top Billed male star: Edward G. Robinson (1--USC Trojan Family Magazine,"Little Caesar and the McCarthyist Mob, Steven J. Ross
(2--Museviews) (46 photos)
Top Billed female star: Gail Russell (1)The Daily Mirror Blog Memorial--Larry Harnisch) (2) Vintage.es (includes 40 photos)
Note: Gail Russell's life was cut short due to chronic alcoholism at age 36. Her story is one of the more tragic Hollywood stories.
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Noir Author Imogen Sara Smith. Note: on mobile phones you will need to scroll down quite a way to the information.
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Composer Victor Young (Leonard Maltin) had a prolific Hollywood career. He has 242 AFI credits in a 30 year career (1936-1956--although he was also credited for films he scored before his untimely death in 1957 from a cerebral hemorage at the age of 57). He earned 24 Academy Award nominations, with 1 win (1956, Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Anderson--it was a posthumous award). He was nominated for multiple Academy Awards 3 times: 1940(3), 1941(4), and 1957(2).
Night has a Thousand Eyes was tied for 89th Top Grossing US Film of 1948 ($1,500,000-$19 million), out of the top 93 that grossed at least $1,500,000--$19 million. Top Grossing film of 1948 was Road to Rio (Norman McLeod) ($4,500,000--$56 million). Top Grossing film star was Jennifer Jones (Los Angeles Times Obituary--Claudia Luther) ($10,750,000--$144 million). She made only one top grossing film, Duel in the Sun (King Vidor--Deutsche Kinematic 70th Berlin International Film Festival retrospective on Vidor, Brochure--in German and English--.pdf format, 80 p., including small articles on each of 35 of his films!!), which was the 2nd top grossing film of the year.
Variety, January 5, 1949, P. 46). Night has a Thousand Eyes was released late in 1947.
+++
134. Alias Nick Beal (Paramount, 1949) (John Farrow)
Note: Jonathan Latimer wrote the screen play.
Top Billed male star: Ray Milland (Washington Post Obituary--Martin Weil)
Top Billed female star: Audrey Totter (1)--Alt Film Guide (Andre Soares) (2)--Skip E. Lowe looks at Hollywood (Los Angeles and New York Cable Access TV interview via Youtube, ca: late 1980's) (29 minutes)
Audrey Totter also appeared in Lady in the Lake (1947, Robert Montgomery), a film most remembered for it's totally subjective camera point of view, in which Montgomery (as Raymond Chandler's famous Philip Marlowe--billed as Phillip Marlowe) with the exception of the prologue, is only seen when he is looking in a mirror.
Blue Ray Commentary Track by Eddie Muller. Note: on mobile phones you will need to scroll down quite a way to the information.
Note: Cinematographer Lionel Lindon (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematography [IEC]) has 69 AFI credits in a 26 year career (1943-1969). He earned 3 Academy Award nominations and won once: 1956, Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Anderson).
Note: Franz Waxman (franzwaxman.com) wrote the music. He has 147 AFI credits in a career that spanned 32 years (1934-1966). He earned 12 Academy Award nominations and won twice: Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder) and A Place in the Sun (1951, George Stevens).
More to come
+++
---
==============================
C 5: "The City Desk: All the news that's unfit to print"
C 6: "Shamus Flats: Lost someone? Gumshoes for hire"
C 7: "Vixenville: Fiefdom of the femme fatale"
C 8: "Blind Alley: Crossroads of coincidence and Fate"
C 9: "The Psych Ward: Where vexed veterans are quarantined"
C 10: "Knockover Square: Deluxe district of heists and holdups"
C 11: "Losers Lane: Street of sorry psychopaths"
C 12: "The Big House: Last stop on a wayward course"
C 13: "Thieves Highway: The risky road out of town"
C 14: "The Stage Door: Enjoy a show... before it's too late
==============================
