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Tonight Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is featuring the films of B-movie director Joseph H. Lewis. So far I have watched “So Dark the Night” (a surprisingly clever film featuring a bevvy of French actors). I am currently near the final 1/3 of “Gun Crazy” a film that I have been eager to catch but never had the opportunity. It is perhaps the best known of Mr. Lewis’ films and required viewing for students of the film noir movement.

However as I am watching it I am a little let down; my expectations were of an authentic, gritty crime thriller of sorts but that is not what I have watched. Sure there are dramatic and somewhat tense moments but nothing on the scale that I was looking for in a noir drama. Of particular interest to me was the performance of John Dall. As the male lead I assumed that his character “Bart” would be the primary catalyst of the criminal action – similar to his portrayal of “Brandon” of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope” (another personal favorite of mine). But instead, he is the trigger-happy, yet reasonable in some ways foil to his more ruthless partner in crime, “Laurie” (Ms. Cummins).

I am still happy that I saw it because in spite of my original expectations being altered as a result of the viewing it is notable in my estimation for one reason – the fact that the female (femme fatale) is so dominant in the relationship and really the one that we should look out for.

HAPPY 94TH BIRTHDAY MS. DE HAVILLAND!

As I am working on the finishing touches to my own personal tribute to the late Lena Horne, I direct your attention to TCM’s 4-movie tribute scheduled for Friday May 21st.

http://www.tcm.com/movienews/index/?cid=317069

The films featured will be:
The Duke is Tops
Cabin in the Sky
Panama Hattie
Swing Fever

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8593508.stm

This BBC article is all about the 50th Anniversary of one of Hitchcock’s masterpieces, “Psycho.”

As a youth, the scene that scared me was always  the shower scene. As I got a bit older, my “favorite” scene was the scene when Martin Balsam walks (creaks) up the stairs to meet his fate. Still disturbs me to this day.

I am currently in the process of migrating and updating my blog. Please be patient as I go through this process. When I can I will continue to post my observations on my LUV for cinema!