Their Love was a Flame that Destroyed!

Starring: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, Audrey Totter, Alan Rood, Jeff York

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"With my brains and your looks, we could go places." - Frank Chambers to Cora Smith

Why watch this? Desperation breeds action, often to terrible consequences.

Plot Summary: A drifter named Frank Chambers starts working at a rural California roadside diner and immediately enters into a passionate, illicit affair with Cora, the young and unhappy wife of the older owner, Nick Smith. Craving a new life and financial freedom, the lovers plot to murder Nick and seize the diner, but their amateur attempts at crime are met with suspicions from local authorities.

Carey Wilson, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer;
Loew's Inc.

Only a woman's heart could reach out for such a man!

Starring: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed, Tom Tully, Karl Malden, Ruth Donnelly, Craig Stevens, Fred Aldrich, Neville Brand

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Innocent people can get into terrible jams too. [groans] One false move and you're over your head." – Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon

Why watch this? Covering up a murder may prove too much for a detective on the edge.

Plot Summary: This gritty police noir film features a city detective, Mark Dixon, who likes to rough up the bad guys. You see, his father was in the mob, but he's determined break the family curse... by enforcing the law with his fists. When investigating a death during an illegal gambling game, he takes things too far, and leaves a suspect dead on his apartment floor. Does he come clean or hide it? He's pretty sure he can find a way to pin the deed on mobster, Morgan Taylor, who more than deserves it.
 

Dad's Preview: Dana Andrews made a career sporting the most sudden face in black and white, but he's convincing here as an angry detective, full of violence and hatred. The stunning Gene Tierney also heats up the screen as the dead man's estranged spouse. This is worth a look, and the ending might just surprise you.

Otto Preminger; 20th Century Fox

Suspense! Terror! Violence! Will grip you as no other picture since "Scarface" and "Little Ceasar"!

Starring: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen, Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor, Ted de Corsia, Joe Sawyer, James Edwards, Timothy Carey

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You know, I've often thought that the gangster and the artist are the same in the eyes of the masses. They are admired and hero-worshipped, but there is always a present underlying wish to see them destroyed at the peak of their glory." - Maurice

Why watch this? This noir crime film is so gritty, you'll taste sand in your teeth.

Plot Summary: A small-time crook assembles a diverse crew to execute a meticulous plan: the daring robbery of a racetrack's money-counting operation during a major race. The scheme is fraught with tension as personal greed, double-crossing, and the meticulous details of the heist collide. Ultimately, the meticulous planning unravels as external pressures and human error lead to an unexpected and chaotic conclusion.

Harris-Kubrick Pictures Corp.; United Artists

The screen's most exciting lovers in their newest romantic triumph!

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Richard Whorf, Margaret Wycherly, Forrest Tucker, Frank Craven, Stephen McNally, Percy Kilbride, Audrey Christie, Darryl Hickman, Donald Meek, Howard Da Silva

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Perhaps he loved the people, but he didn't trust them to think for themselves." - Christine Forrest, regarding her late husband

Why watch this? This is so much more than a routine political thriller.

Plot Summary: A journalist arrives to write a biography of a beloved national hero who died in a car crash. While researching the book, he meets the hero's enigmatic widow and other members of the household. He soon uncovers conflicting information that makes him question if the hero's death was truly an accident.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Loew's Inc.

I took you out of the gutter... I can fling you back!

Starring: Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame, Gilbert Roland, Leo G. Carroll, Vanessa Brown, Paul Stewart

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Jonathan is more than a man, he's an experience. And he's habit-forming. If they could ever bottle him, he'd outsell ginger ale." - Fred, about Jonathan Shields

Why watch this? Douglas and Turner sizzle in this tale of ambition and betrayal.

Plot Summary: Three prominent Hollywood figures reluctantly reunite at a studio to discuss a comeback project for a once-successful but deeply manipulative producer. Through a series of flashbacks, each of them recalls how their professional and personal lives were both elevated and ultimately ruined by this ruthless mogul. Their shared stories reveal the immense personal sacrifices required for success in the cutthroat entertainment industry.

John Houseman, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Loew's Inc.

The story of a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!

Starring: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson, Dorothy Adams, Ralph Dunn, Clyde Fillmore, William Forrest

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Dying together's even more personal than living together." - Connie Porter

Why watch this? A beautiful woman. A murder. Everybody smoking. Ah... noir!

Plot Summary: Detective Mark McPherson investigates the murder of a beautiful advertising executive who was seemingly killed by a shotgun blast in her own apartment. As he delves into her past by interviewing a group of eccentric suspects, McPherson finds himself becoming obsessed with the victim's enigmatic persona and portrait. The investigation takes a shocking turn when a sudden development forces the detective to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about the case and the people involved.

Otto Preminger; 20th Century Fox

CHILLING SUSPENSE in the screen's most gripping war of nerves!

Starring: Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Martin, Martin Balsam, Jack Kruschen, Telly Savalas, Barrie Chase, Paul Comi, Page Slattery, Will Wright

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I got somethin' planned for your wife and kid that they ain't nevah gonna forget. They ain't nevah gonna forget it... and neither will you, Counselor! Nevah!" - Max Cady

Why watch this? This is a law-abiding citizen's worst nightmare.

Plot Summary: Max Cady, an ex-convict, is released from prison and travels to a small town to seek revenge on Sam Bowden, the lawyer who testified against him. Cady begins a menacing campaign of intimidation, stalking Bowden and his family while exploiting the limits of the law to avoid arrest. With his family's safety at risk and the police unable to help, Bowden is forced to take matters into his own hands in a final confrontation.

Melville Productions, Talbot Productions;
Universal-International

Lie for it... cheat for it... drink to it... the sweet, sweet smell of success!

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner, Jeff Donnell, Sam Levene, Joe Frisco, Barbara Nichols, Jeff Donnell, Emile Meyer, Edith Atwater, David White

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I'd hate to take a bite outta you. You're a cookie full of arsenic." - J.J. Hunsecker to Sidney Falco

Why watch this? Lancaster and Curtis expertly portray two of the worst sleazebags in New York City.

Plot Summary: This film follows two men: J.J. Hunsecker, a successful promoter who controls all media for the rich and famous; and Sidney Falco, a press agent willing to do anything on his move up the ladder. Both are vicious monsters in a sea of monsters, yet they begrudgingly use each other as needed. Hunsecker's innocent, 19-year-old sister, Susan, lives with him, and he smothers her with his domineering, overprotective nature. When she won't stop seeing a local jazz guitarist, Steve Dallas (who is a decent man), J.J. enlists the help of the treacherous Falco to destroy the relationship by any means.

Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Prod., Norma Prod.,
Curtleigh Prod.; United Artists

Somewhere... somewhere there must be the right man!

Starring: Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone, Richard Robbins, Charles Cooper, John Heldabrand

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"No matter what you do, they've got it fixed so that it goes against you. No matter how innocent you are or how hard you try, they'll find you guilty." - Rose Balestrero

Why watch this? What would you do if wrongly accused something you did not do?

Plot Summary: A devoted New York musician, Chris "Manny" Balestrero's life spirals into a nightmare after being mistakenly identified as an armed robber. Despite his attempts to prove his innocence with the help of his lawyer, the legal system relentlessly processes him as the culprit. The harrowing experience takes a severe emotional toll on Manny and his family, especially his wife.

Alfred Hitchcock; Warner Bros.

It's thrilling... it's chilling... it's the most baffling mystery story in years!

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, James Burke, Elisha Cook Jr.

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it." - Sam Spade

Why watch this? Many call this the film that started Film Noir. It's dark and dangerous business.

Plot Summary: This classic tale features parties searching for the fabled Maltese Falcon statuette. Detective Sam Spade is approached by a prospective (and foxy) client Ruth Wonderly. She's looking for her missing sister. By the next day, his partner is dead and there's a trail leading to Spade for two murders. The real plot deals with the acquisition of a fabled bird artifact that involves Ms. Wonderly, a "Fat Man" named Gutman, and his two henchmen. Spade, however, is not to be suckered, and he plans on acquiring the statue and avenging his partner's murder.

Henry Blanke; Warner Bros.

The classic story of power and the press.

Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford, Everett Sloane, William Alland, Paul Stewart

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You don't care about anything except you. You just want to persuade people that you love 'em so much that they ought to love you back. Only you want love on your own terms. Something to be played your way, according to your rules." - Jedediah Leland

Why watch this? This is Rags-to-Riches 101. Charles Foster Kane. Rosebud.

Plot Summary: Following the death of a publishing tycoon, a reporter investigates his life by interviewing former associates to discover the meaning behind his enigmatic last word, "Rosebud." Through a series of flashbacks, the film reveals the rise and fall of a complex man whose ambition and wealth created a massive empire but resulted in personal isolation. The investigation paints a portrait of a narcissistic yet lonely man, ultimately questioning whether his power and possessions could ever compensate for what he lost in his youth.

Orson Wells, Mercury Prod.; RKO Radio Pics

A reign of violence sweeps the screen

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Fredric March, Arthur Kennedy, Martha Scott, Robert Middleton, Dewey Martin, Gig Young, Mary Murphy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I've got it in me, all right. YOU put it there!" - Daniel Hilliard as he holds a gun on Griffin

Why watch this? Bogey could play the good guy, but he's superb here as a ruthless killer.

Plot Summary: This taut thriller focusing on a suburban family whose lives are thrown into chaos when three escaped convicts invade their home. Led by the ruthless Glenn Griffin, the criminals hold the Hilliards hostage while awaiting a crucial cash delivery. The family patriarch, Dan Hilliard finds himself in a desperate battle of wits and resilience to protect his family and survive this terrifying ordeal.

William Wyler; Paramount Pictures

A senseless and vicious crime is investigated.

Interviews: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyōko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Isao Kimura, Takeshi Katō, Yutaka Sada, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Takashi Shimura

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'm not interested in self-analysis. I do know my room was so cold in winter and so hot in summer I couldn't sleep. Your house looked like heaven, high up there. That's how I began to hate you" – Ginjirô Takeuchi, medical intern

Why watch this? Crime doesn't just exist in America. This is an education on Japanese police work.

Plot Summary: This story centers on a wealthy industrialist whose plans to take over his company are jeopardized when a man calls claiming to have kidnapped his son. The situation takes a dramatic turn when it is revealed that the kidnapper has mistakenly abducted the chauffeur's child instead. The film then becomes a gripping police procedural as authorities work to locate the perpetrator and bring the child home safely.

Kurosawa Films, Toho

They called him "Fast Eddie"... He was a winner... He was a loser... He was a hustler.

Starring: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Myron McCormick, Murray Hamilton, Michael Constantine, Stefan Gierasch, Clifford Pellow, Jake LaMotta, Vincent Gardenia

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Just win, win, you said, win, that's the important thing. You don't know what winnin' is, Bert. You're a loser. 'Cause you're dead inside, and you can't live unless you make everything else dead around ya." – Fast Eddie

Why watch this? It is the story of a conman and his redemption in an ugly world.

Plot Summary: "Fast" Eddie Felson, an arrogant but talented small-time pool hustler, travels to New York to challenge the legendary player "Minnesota Fats". After losing his initial high-stakes match due to his self-destructive attitude, Eddie becomes entangled with a lonely woman and a ruthless gambler who exploits his talent for personal gain. Ultimately, Eddie seeks a rematch with Fats, realizing that the victory he desires is more about personal integrity and self-respect than just winning the game.
 

Dad's Preview: Yes - this is the granddaddy of all pool films. It has it all... Minnesota Fats... Fast Eddie Felson... Seedy gambling in smoke-filled back rooms. What it possesses that surprised me was how real is all felt. Newman, as the film's main focus, is great at pool, but he's a horrible, selfish person. Much of this can be attributed to a tough life populated with bad choices. Eddie, however, is a survivor; a master hustler swimming in a sea of sharks. He trusts no one and is emotionally shut off. He sees pool, and the respect it gets him, as the only way to finally escape. This film seeps mood and noir. It's a dank universe of wise-guys and shysters; conmen and cooks, all set to big city jazz. Newman, Laurie and Gleason shine throughout, but George C. Scott, as the manipulative professional gambler, chews up every scene he's in. So chalk up your cue and break!

Rossen Enterprises; 20th Century-Fox

The Strangest Vengeance Ever Planned!

Starring: Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, Marlene Dietrich, Joanna Moore, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, Valentin de Vargas, Mort Mills, Victor Millan, Lalo Rios, Harry Shannon

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"An old lady on Main Street last night picked up a shoe. The shoe had a foot in it. We're gonna make you pay for that mess." – Police Capt. Hank Quinlan

Why watch this? This film noir masterpiece was Orson Welles' last, great cinematic effort.

Plot Summary: This dark tale of grimy greed and corruption takes place on the American-Mexican border. The two main characters are Mike Vargas, a Mexican drug enforcement official (and his stunning American wife, Susan); and rotund Police Sgt. Hank Quinlan. When an American business owner's car is blown up, an investigation begins. Quinlan, a monstrous, grotesque beast of a man (portrayed by Welles himself), seems immediately content to jail a Mexican young man. Mr. Vargas discovers that the boy is being framed by Quinlan. This starts an internal war between the two men and it's going to get ugly.

Albert Zugsmith; Universal-International

The screen dares to open the strange and savage pages of a shocking bestseller!

Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry, Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling, Frank Faylen, Mary Young

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Ever have the DT's?... You will, brother... After all, you're just a freshman. Wait 'till you're a sophomore. That's when you start seeing the little animals. You know that stuff about pink elephants? That's the bunk. It's little animals!" - Bim Nolan

Why watch this? ... when does a person hit the point where enough is enough?

Plot Summary: Don Birnam is an aspiring writer whose struggle with alcoholism consumes his life. As his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen try to support his recovery, Don evades their efforts and descends into a destructive four-day drinking binge. The film explores the harsh realities of addiction, showcasing the impact on his relationships, his writing ambitions, and his physical and mental health.

Charles Brackett; Paramount Pictures

Laugh... or I'll blow your lips off!

Starring: Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, George Gaynes, Reni Santoni, Carl Reiner and special appearances by Alan Ladd, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, Burt Lancaster, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart to name a few noir stars.

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 100 #93 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

"Carlotta was the kind of town where they spell trouble T-R-U-B-I-L, and if you try to correct them, they kill you." - Det. Rigby Reardon

Why watch this? This Steve Martin comedy stands alone for its incredible creativity.

Plot Summary: Hardboiled private eye Rigby Reardon is hired by a beautiful woman to investigate the suspicious death of her scientist father, who was killed over a secret cheese recipe. While navigating 1940s Los Angeles, Reardon uncovers a sinister plot involving lists of friends and enemies, encountering various suspicious characters along the way.

Aspen Film Society; Universal Pictures

The scenes... the story... The stars... BUT ABOVE ALL - THE SUSPENSE!

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Billy Chapin, Sally Jane Bruce, Shelly Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, Peter Graves, Don Beddoe, Gloria Castillo

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Not that you mind the killings! There's plenty of killings in your book, Lord..." - Rev. Harry Powell, praying to God

Why watch this? Unique. Nightmarish. Visually Stunning. Ahead of its time. That's why.

Plot Summary: During the Great Depression, the imprisoned, self-proclaimed preacher finds out that his cellmate robbed a bank, taking $10,000, then hiding at his house in West Virginia. When the cellmate is executed, Powell thanks The Lord for this opportunity to woo the vulnerable wife, and get the two children, John-age 9 and Pearl-age 4, to confess where the loot is stashed.

Paul Gregory Productions; United Artists

It's Love and Murder at First Sight!

Starring: Fred McMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Byron Barr, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanova, John Philliber

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"It's just like the first time I came here, isn't it? We were talking about automobile insurance, only you were thinking about murder. And I was thinking about that anklet." - Walter Neff, to Phyllis

Why watch this? This noir uber-classic gave an almost B-level genre some real, quality gravitas.

Plot Summary: An insurance salesman, Walter Neff, becomes entangled in a dangerous plot with a married woman, Phyllis Dietrichson, seeking to murder her husband and claim a large insurance payout. Their meticulously planned crime arouses the suspicion of a seasoned claims investigator, leading to a tense investigation into the supposed accident. As the deception unravels, the participants navigate a web of secrets and betrayals with severe consequences for everyone involved.

Joseph Sistrom; Paramount Pictures

Notorious Woman of many Desires! Fateful Fascination! Bold Intrigue!

Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Leopoldine Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel, Moroni Olsen

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Every time you look at me, I can see it running over its slogans: "Once a crook, always a crook", "Once a tramp, always a tramp". Go on. You can hold my hand. I won't blackmail you for it afterwards." – Alicia Huberman

Why watch this? The building suspense within this film is quietly palpable.

Plot Summary: U.S. agent Devlin recruits Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy, to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding in Rio de Janeiro. Alicia agrees, but her mission becomes complicated when she falls in love with Devlin while being tasked with seducing a prominent Nazi named Alexander Sebastian, who was previously infatuated with her. This arrangement forces her into a difficult position, testing her loyalties and potentially putting her life in danger.

Vanguard Films; RKO Radio Pictures

Hunted by men...Sought by WOMEN!

Starring: Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Orson Welles, Paul Hörbiger, Ernst Deutsch, Erich Ponto, Siegfried Breuer, Hedwig Bleibtreu, Bernard Lee, Wilfrid Hyde-White

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"If you want to sell your services, I'm not willing to be the price. I loved him. You loved him. What good have we done him? Love. Look at yourself. They have a name for faces like that." – Anna Schmidt

Why watch this? The cinematography alone... and its impact on the noir, seedy films that followed.

Plot Summary: Pulp fiction writer Holly Martins travels to post-war Vienna at the invitation of his old friend, Harry Lime, only to discover upon arrival that Lime has died under mysterious circumstances. Martins becomes obsessed with investigating his friend's purported death and uncovers a conspiracy involving a dangerous black market ring, all while navigating the shadowy streets and sectors of occupied Vienna. As he delves deeper into the investigation, Martins finds himself entangled with Lime's enigmatic lover, Anna, secrets about his friend's life.

London Films; Selznick Releasing Org.