DVD Review: Noir Archive Volume 2
Kit Parker Films through Mill Creek Entertainment has released another nine film set of offbeat films that are lesser known, but deserve more attention. These are solid B movies released by Columbia Pictures, and featuring some great actors of the 1950s and some top directors of the genre.
BAIT (1954)
Hugo Hass produced this for Columbia Pictures in 1954. Starting with a prologue featuring Sir Cedric Hardwicke, "Bait" features Hass as a prospector who finds a gold mine with his young partner (John Agar) and the refuses to share with him. He arranges for the partner to stay with him and his wife for the winter, and expects to catch them cheating on him, giving him justification to commit murder. Hass also wrote and directed this film and his auteurist approach to the material works well within the limited budget. 79 minutes
THE CROOKED WEB (1955)
This one has Richard Denning visiting his sister played by Mari Blanchard, whose boyfriend is Frank Lovejoy. Turns out Blanchard and Denning are cops working undercover to find out if Lovejoy killed the son of a wealthy businessman during the war in Germany. Directed by Nathan Juran, who spent the early part of his career as an art director. He also helmed westerns and science-fiction movies, as well as some TV work. 77 minutes.
CELL 2455 DEATH ROW (1955)
Based on the real life story of Caryl Chessman, who wrote books about his imprisonment and impending execution, becoming something of a celebrity and an advocate of abolishing the death penalty. Because his book, which details his background from childhood, was a best seller, the movie, although a B, had some popular impact in its time. The character is called Whit Whittier in the movie and is well played by William Campbell (his real life brother (R. Wright Campbell plays the character as a boy). 77 minutes.
5 AGAINST THE HOUSE (1955)
One of the best films in this set is about four old college friends who, along with a cabaret singer, attempt to commit the perfect crime by robbing a casino. A portent to the Oceans movies (as this also pre-dates the original with Frank Sinatra), this movie features a great cast, including Guy Madison, Kim Novak, Brian Keith, Alvy Moore, Kerwin Mathews, William Conrad, and Jean Willes. Seeing these actors, many of whom were noted for later TV work, as younger and in a much different context, allows the viewer to appreciate another layer of their talent. Martin Scorsese has stated that this film helped inspire his own production, "Casino" (1995). This movie is further aided by the direction of Phil Karlson, whose masterful approach to low budget drama resulted in such classics as Kansas City Confidential, 99 River Street, Bowery Bombshell, and The Phenix City Story. 84 minutes.
THE NIGHT HOLDS TERROR (1955)
Escaped convicts take over the home of a suburban family until the police manhunt dies down. Filled with dramatic tension, this same idea was done the same year in "The Desperate Hours" featuring Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. This film is a compact B movie and quite good in its own right, as it is based on a true story. Veteran director Andrew L. Stone, whose career dated back to the silent era, found a niche during the 1950s directing dramas like this. It has all of the elements of film noir, including the measured narration of the leading character. The cast includes such Jack Kelly, Vince Edwards, Hildy Parks, and John Cassavetes. Another one of the best films in this set. Quentin Tarrantino has cited it as a personal favorite and has shown it at film festivals he has supervised. 86 minutes
NEW ORLEANS UNCENSORED (1955)
A discharged navy man who wants to start his own shipping business, takes a job on the docks to earn some money toward his dream. He discovers that the dock is run by a racketeer and goes undercover to help the New Orleans police capture him. A solid B movie noir with direction by the formidable William Castle, and featuring Arthur Franz, Beverly Garland, Michael Ansara, and Mike Mazurki. 76 minutes
FOOTSTEPS IN THE FOG (1955)
The only color film in this set features Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons as a man who has poisoned his wife, and his maid who blackmails him. It gets to the point where he is unable to break free of this maid and get on with his life, so he attempts to kill her, but fails. The characters are stuck in a tangled web of deceit, lies, and murder in this handsome looking British production directed by Arthur Lubin. 90 minutes.
SPIN A DARK WEB (1955)
A failed Canadian prizefighter in London gets mixed up with gangsters after being enticed by a beautiful woman, and later tries to extricate himself. Faith Domergue, Lee Patterson, and Bernard Fox appear. 76 minutes.
RUMBLE ON THE DOCKS (1956)
James Darren made his film debut in this story as a young street kid who rescues a woman and her brother being terrorized by thugs. This impresses a local racketeer, who takes him under his wing. He eventually gets caught within the confict of two gangs, plus the chagrin of his father who blames the racketeer for crippling him years earlier. Robert Blake and Timothy Carey also appear. James Darren, in later years, fondly remembered the skill of director Fred Sears, who helmed this movie. Another one of the better movies in this set. The fight scenes are a blast. 82 minutes.
Each of these films has something to offer, some of them are quite exceptional, and all of them are welcome additions to blu ray availability. This blu ray set is affordably priced for 9 feature films, and is most highly recommended. It is available at this link: Noir Archive 2.
Here is my review of Noir Archive 1 (including a link to its availability).