Film Noir Videos

Eric Harvey, a Junior at Reed College, responds to Episode 50: The Blue Dahlia with a thoughtful commentary on the scholarship on this film. Harvey focuses on how director Marshall weakens the potential power of Chandler's screenplay by comparing the finished film with Chandler's actual screenplay directions. Harvey addresses stories about Chandler's drinking during the writing of the screenplay, with a special focus on James Naremore's recent scholarship on Chandler's "lack of an ending" for The Blue Dahlia. Harvey concludes by addressing the role of the Breen Office and the Navy and pointing out how censorship forced key changes to the final film, all contrary to Chandler's original vision for the story.

The phrase FILM NOIR is French, n'rst ce-pas?

The very phrase FILM NOIR is French, n'est ce pas?

A script by Raymond Chandler. Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, and William Bendix in leading roles. Costumes by the great Edith Head, and cinematography by Lionel Lindon, who had been nominated for best cinematography just the year before for the Oscar sensation GOING MY WAY. In short, THE BLUE DAHLIA seems to have everything going itâs way. Why, then, does the film fail to deliver the emotional impact of near contemporary titles like THE KILLERS or THE BIG SLEEP? To frame an answer to this question, we must first displace the many frames through which we have become accustomed to viewing the filmâmost notably Producer John Housemanâs apocryphal account of how Chandlerâs alcoholism impacted the screenplay. If we divest ourselves of these frames and really focus on the film, we see that Chandlerâs script rescues, rather than compromises, this movie. THE BLUE DAHLIA is more a victim of an identity crisis, a film unable for reasons of censorship and limited artistic vision to commit fully to the noir worldview that came home full force in 1946. And thus, as a marginal success, itâs a film that can teach us a great deal about how noir came to be both a dominant Hollywood style and a philosophical stance.

Jim Hanvey is a genial but top-notch detective who has retired to his country home. An insurance company hires him to find a missing emerald so they won't have to pay out the $100,000 for which the jewel is insured. It doesn't take him long to find the emerald, but he discovers that finding it was the easy part; the difficult part is getting it back to its rightful owner, and he winds up involved in a murder in which an innocent man is framed. Click here to download the movie

Jim Hanvey is a genial but top-notch detective who has retired to his country home. An insurance company hires him to find a missing emerald so they won't have to pay out the $100,000 for which the jewel is insured. It doesn't take him long to find the emerald, but he discovers that finding it was the easy part; the difficult part is getting it back to its rightful owner, and he winds up involved in a murder in which an innocent man is framed.

WARNING: Some may find the subject matter disturbing. Also, there is implicit sex and violence (though neither is actually shown). Probably not the best choice for work or to pacify the kids, but people's workplaces and children vary, so it's your call. This work is best viewed in high definition, so please take a look at the YouTube version in HD if you get the chance. http://budurl.com/thehusband Additional details are available on the facebook page for this movie, if you're interested: http://budurl.com/trueactionfb The music used is from the album "Lush Mechanique" by Jami Sieber. It is available from the good folks at Magnatune: http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/sieber-lush/ Check it out. I hope you like it. Thanks for watching...

Desert Fury (1947) Part 1 - Directed by Lewis Allen with Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Mary Astor, John Hodiak, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller, William Harrigan, Anna Camargo, James Flavin and Jane Novak.