Tag: NYC

The Big Apple

#Noirvember: “State of Grace” (1990) starring Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, & Robin Wright

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A family ripped apart by violence. A love corrupted by betrayal. A friendship stained by blood. -A tagline for the movie

This is the month when ALL of us film noir fans celebrate the genre; I’m starting off w/ a neo noir which MANY won’t know about. A young Boston patrolman, Terry Noonan (Sean Penn), is recruited to go undercover in his old neighborhood (Hell’s Kitchen in NYC) and infiltrate the Irish mob run by the older brother- Frank Flannery (Ed Harris)- of his childhood best friend, Jack Flannery (Gary Oldman). To complicate matters further, Terry’s 1st love that he is still pulled toward- Kathleen (Robin Wright- in her early 20s)- is the younger sister of the Flannery brothers. Penn and Wright became a couple during the filming; they have good chemistry here. Several incidents in this movie are based on testimony given by captured NYC mobsters, incl. the meeting in the restaurant w/ the Italian mafioso and the dead man’s hand sequences.

I never heard of this film (shot partly inside one of Trump’s hotels) until recently; it was released in the same year as the (now mob classic) Goodfellas! Who could live up to that comparison!? The director, Phil Joanou, was in his late 20s (like some of his actors) when this movie was made. Though the (then up-and-coming) actors are hungry (and doing their best), the script is NOT very strong. As MANY experienced actors have commented over the yrs: “If it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage.” I stopped the movie 3x while watching it last weekend to do chores (which I hate doing – LOL); this proved that it lacked momentum. It is also too long- 2 hr. 14 mins. When this happens in a movie categorized as “action/crime/thriller,” it’s NOT a good sign.

Though Penn would go on to become a big name 1st, I was more impressed by Oldman (who has long-ish hair and a grungy look). His NYC accent is flawless and he seems to totally inhabit his volatile, hard-drinking character. In the few quiet scenes, Oldman gets to show the hidden insecurity/vulnerability of Jackie, such as when he and Harris share a hug. Oldman hails from an area of London which is known to be tough. Fun fact: Oldman fell in love w/ Uma Thurman while working on this film; she was the former gf of the director. I learned that Penn and Oldman performed a (fiery/dangerous) stunt themselves- yikes! Harris has long been a character actor that I admired; Wright is also good (as I expected), though early in her career. Look out also for John Turturro and a V young/skinny John C. Reilly in (smaller) roles. If you like neo-noirs, the ’90s aesthetic, mob movies, and/or the gritty side of NYC, then check it out (free for Amazon Prime subscribers).

“The Naked City” (1948)

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Jean Dexter, a 26 y.o. pretty/blonde model, is found murdered in her apt. by her maid. Two homicide detectives- a veteran of the force w/ a lilting Irish accent- Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald)- and young rookie- Jimmy Halloran (Don Taylor)- are sent to investigate. Suspicion falls on various characters who ALL have some connection w/ a string of burglaries in high-end apts. Then, a burglar is found dead who once had a partner named “Willie.” The climax is V fast-paced manhunt.

The film made history for its use of 100+ exterior locations. It was filmed (in a semi-documentary style) almost entirely on the streets of NYC! Most of these scenes were shot w/o the public’s knowledge; photographer William H. Daniels and his (uncredited) assistant, Roy Tripp, filmed using a hidden camera from the back of an old moving van. In some cases, a fake newsstand w/ a hidden camera inside was set up on the sidewalk to film the actors. The director, Jules Dassin, hired a juggler to distract the crowds from filming. In other cases, a man was hired to climb up on a light post and give a patriotic speech (waving the American flag) to get the crowd’s attention. This is one of the 1st films to list technical (non-acting) credits at the end; this has become the norm since the ’80s.

A young Stanley Kubrick was sometimes present on the set taking photos for Look magazine. Miss Dexter’s apt building is shown as “52 West 83rd Street;” the facade is actually the Lathrop, at 46 West 83rd St. (a short walk from Central Park). The police building shown after she is found was the NYPD police headquarters; the building is still there, located at Centre and Grand Streets (now luxury condos). NYPD’s 10th precinct (where the lead detectives are based) is in the same building at 230 W. 20th St, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The two young ladies outside the dress shop talk re: the Waldorf Astoria Hotel w/ Frank singing; this was likely a reference to Frank Sinatra (often seen at that famous hotel). Halloran’s family (doting wife and young son) lives in a rowhouse in Jackson Heights, Queens (where I lived for about 4 yrs).

If you’re a fan of police procedural dramas (such as “Law and Order,” then this film will definitely be of interest to you! Cops (w/ various quirks/accents) make funny quips, then pound the pavement tirelessly looking for clues. They face disappointment at times, then suddenly are faced w/ danger (of course- that’s the nature of the job). NYC is like another character in the story!

[1] The crime itself is not that interesting, but the style used to tell the tale (with a voice-over narration telling us at the conclusion that this is just one story in a city of millions) is what makes it far superior to most detective stories. That and the fact that New York City is given the spotlight for location photography that really hits the mark.

[2] This film is in many ways a good example of Film Noir–since it portrays a murder and its investigation, has a classic Noir-style ending and has some very “dark” story elements. However, unlike traditional Film Noir, the dialog and lighting are much more like a traditional film–less snappy dialog and more of an emphasis on conventional police work.


[3] The performances are adequate. Don Taylor is bland and doesn’t have any accent but he’s easy to identify with, at least for me, because he’s so pleasant and handsome. Barry Fitzgerald… his smile is almost a mile wide, a caricature of itself, a lovable guy.

[4] …the real star of The Naked City is 1948 New York… No accident that The Naked City won Oscars for black and white cinematography and editing.

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews

“I Walk Alone” starring Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Kirk Douglas, & Wendell Corey

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Two things I can handle baby… guns and dames! -A tagline for the movie

Frankie Madison (Burt Lancaster- one of my faves since I was a kid) returns to NYC after 14 yrs in prison. Noll Turner (Kirk Douglas), Frankie’s former partner in bootlegging, is now a successful nightclub manager/owner. Frankie is expecting him to honor a verbal “50-50” agreement they made before he was caught; Noll luckily got away. The two men’s friend, Dave (Wendell Corey), is the bookkeeper at the club. The club’s singer is Kay Lawrence (Lizabeth Scott); she is also Noll’s L/T gf. Mrs. Alexis Richardson (Kristine Miller) is the society lady w/ her eye on Noll.

Alexis: You know, you’re quite an attractive man.

Frankie: Keep goin’.

Alexis: How far do you want me to go?

Frankie: I’m at the plate. You’re doing the pitching.

This movie has great dialogue; the screenplay was written by Charles Schnee from a play by Theodore Reeves (The Beggars Are Coming to Town). Some viewers have called it a BIT “too wordy.” Schnee also wrote the screenplay for a must-see film noir, The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), which also starred Douglas. The director, Byron Haskin, worked his way up from commercial movie photographer to cameraman, then became an assistant director (AD) at Selznick Pictures. Haskin was a cinematographer in the silent era; he helped develop the tech that brought sound to the film industry. He began directing in the late 1920s at Warner Bros. Haskin made Disney’s 1st live-action film, Treasure Island (1950).

Alexis: [in Noll grabbing her by the arm] You’re hurting me.

Noll: And you love it.

As the hosts on Out of the Podcast commented: “You can tell everyone is young and hungry in this one.” This is Lancaster’s 5th film at age 33; the actor (6’2″ tall/classically handsome) started out as an acrobat, which explains his strong physical presence. He can fight (and make it look believable), as we see in this movie! Douglas (5’9″ w/ a striking face) came from the theater world and studied The Method; this is his 4th film at age 30. It MAY seem strange to some viewers to see Douglas as a villain; this was the case in his early roles. This is the 1st of 7 movies that Lancaster and Douglas made together; they also became close pals.

Noll [to Kay]: Sure, that’s why men take women to dinner – to have someone to talk about themselves to.

The husky-voiced Scott (who is NOT the most confident/versatile actor) raises her game here, perhaps b/c she is cast opposite (future) Hollywood heavyweights. Scott acted w/ Lancaster and Corey in Desert Fury (a weird movie, BUT may interest noir-istas). Frankie and Kay have strong romantic chemistry; Lancaster looks at Scott in a sweet/gentle way. Kay’s songs were NOT sung by Scott; her voice was dubbed. I loved ALL of Kay’s outfits (chosen by Edith Head); they are classy and seductive. Check this movie out!

[1] It’s the kind of movie where the stars are more memorable than the story.

Scott and Douglas, for example, really shine. Scott does some of the best acting of her career as the conflicted glamour girl. But I especially like Douglas’s slimy version of a smooth-talking mastermind who’s so self-assured, you can’t wait to see him get what he’s got coming.

[2] There’s a lot to like in the film- particularly the acting. In addition, the camera-work is great, as is the beating scene… The street scenes late in the film had a great use of shadows- a film noir trademark.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Force of Evil” (1948) starring John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, & Marie Windsor

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Harvard-educated lawyer, Joe Morse (John Garfield), wants to consolidate the small-time numbers-racket (gambling) operators into one (big/powerful) operation, on behalf of his (racketeer) boss, Ben Tucker (Roy Roberts). However, Joe’s older brother (nearly 50 y.o. w/ heart issues), Leo (Thomas Gomez), is one of the small-time operators who wants to stay that way, preferring NOT to deal w/ the gangsters who dominate the big time. These brothers share a volatile/guilt-ridden relationship; Leo raised Joe for some years after their parents died. To complicate matters, Tucker’s bored/unhappy wife, Edna (Marie Windsor- in the femme fatale role), has her eyes on Joe. Leo is concerned for those who work for him, esp. secretary, Doris Lowery (Beatrice Pearson; in her 1st/sole film role at age 28), who is the “good girl.”

Edna: You’re wide open, Joe. I can see into you without looking.

Joe: Don’t bother; besides it’s not nice to do.

Edna: More interesting than when you have a rock for a husband like mine. He’s a stone, that man. Whole world are rocks and stones to him.

Joe: Why tell me? Tell him.

Edna: Never tell him anything. Makes me feel unnecessary.

Joe: If I make you feel NECESSARY then I’m making a mistake.

Force of Evil was selected to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress in 1994. It is included among AFIs 1998 list of the 400 movies nominated for the Top 100 Greatest American Movies. This film is predicts the legalization of the numbers racket into state-run lotteries. It also involves wiretapping technology- innovative at that time. Critic Thom Andersen identified this as an example of film gris, a suggested sub-category of film noir incorporating a left-wing narrative. Force of Evil was a major influence on Martin Scorsese; it was the 1st movie he remembers having watched as a boy. Scorsese explained that it showed NYC the way he knew it to look in real life. As a young filmmaker, he studied it frame-by-frame; Scorsese said that you can see the influence in Mean Streets, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas.

Edna: A man could spend the rest of his life trying to remember what he shouldn’t have said.

This film is a tour de force for Garfield; it was released by MGM, but produced by Enterprise Productions (co-founded in 1946 by the actor and producers David L. Loew and Charles Einfeld). After Garfield’s contract w/ Warner Bros. ended, he wanted more creative control over his films. The (1st time) director and noted screenwriter is a childhood pal of Garfield’s- Abraham Polonsky. He collaborated w/ Ira Wolfert, the author of the source novel- Tucker’s People. In order to show cinematographer George Barnes how he wanted the film to look, Polonsky gave him a book of Edward Hopper’s Third Avenue paintings. The art director (AKA production designer) was Richard Day; he worked on Dodsworth, The Grapes of Wrath, and How Green Was My Valley. The musical score is by the David Raskin (Laura) and suits the movie well. Below are some lines from my fave scene; this dialogue is gold!

Joe: If you need a broken man to love, break your husband. I’m not a nickel, I don’t spend my life in a telephone! If that’s what you want for love, you can’t use me.

Edna: You’re not strong or weak enough.

“The force of evil here is capitalism itself, according to the author- Polonsky,” as Eddie Muller (TCM) commented. I saw this movie (free on YouTube) this week; the run time is only 79 mins. You may have to see it 2x, b/c they pack in a LOT at a fast pace. There are MANY character actors who add flavor to the story. As one astute viewer wrote: “see for a slightly more polished and sophisticated view of the noir world.” Though he comes from “the slums” and grew up poor, Joe now wears fancy 3-piece suits and has a spacious office. He admits to Doris that he decided to work for Tucker for the money.

Joe [to Doris]: I didn’t have enough strength to resist corruption, but I was strong enough to fight for a piece of it.

Have you seen actors in person? I’ve seen a few (esp. when commuting/walking in my NYC days); they’re usually a BIT shorter/slimmer than they appear onscreen. Garfield (5’7″) stood on an apple box for a scene between him and Windsor; the curvy/statuesque actress was several inches taller. Windsor said he had no ego about it though. Of course, she couldn’t wear high heels- LOL! Notice how they bend and shift so they’re usually sitting near each other, NOT standing. I wanted to see a BIT more of Windsor; she gets to wear some great outfits. Check this movie out!

…one of the most audacious and subversive movies of its era. […] In the cab, when Joe gives Doris a ride, Polonsky gives free range to an extraordinary flow of dialogue- unnatural language that seems to emerge straight from the character’s subconscious. From this scene, Force of Evil is unique, each scene coming at the viewer from slightly left-of-center, both artistically and politically. -Eddie Muller, host of Noir Alley (TCM)

[1] Of course the fact that the film was shot totally on location in scintillating black and white noir in New York City, gave it a dimension that no other noir films have, save possibly Night and the City, which was also shot on location (in London).

[2] There are many more levels to this complex film and discussion of them all could fill many pages. Above all, it is a beautiful movie, expertly directed with tremendous black and white imagery. The dialogue combines snappy patter with almost poetic sensibility. And the performances of all concerned are top notch. This is truly a treasure of cinematic art. Be prepared to think deeply when you watch it.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Nobody Lives Forever” (1946) starring John Garfield & Geraldine Fitzgerald

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G.I. Nick Blake (John Garfield), a successful con man in pre-military life, has just received an honorable discharge from the Army. Rather than return to his old life, he plans to settle down in NYC (his hometown) w/ his blonde/glamorous/singer gf, Toni Blackburn (Faye Emerson; also daughter-in-law of FDR), and the money he amassed before WWII: $50,000. When that plan doesn’t pan out, Nick decides to head to LA w/ fellow con man/pal, Al Doyle (George Tobias- the comic relief), and live it up at the beach for a while. He is informed by Pop Gruber (Walter Brennan), his aging former mentor (now running small street cons in L.A.) of a potential big mark. A former associate, Doc Ganson (George Coulouris- one of Orson Welles’ Mercury Players in Citizen Kane), has found a Midwestern widow worth $2M vacationing in town, Gladys Halvorsen (Geraldine Fitzgerald; also Laurence Olivier’s wife in Wuthering Heights). Doc doesn’t have either the bankroll or the charms to carry out this con himself. Nick agrees both to bankroll and carry out the con, negotiating 2/3 of the take for himself, leaving Doc and his 2 associates w/ a minimum of $30,000. Doc doesn’t like the conditions, but he accepts the offer, being desperate for a score. The con becomes complicated as Nick must also deal w/ Gladys’ business manager, Charles Manning (Richard Gaines), gets recognized by people from his past, and grows to genuinely like Gladys (who is young, kind, and pretty).

Unlike in The Postman Always Rings Twice (which was also released in 1946), the romance here is more demure. […] The bad guys have more mirth than menace. -Eddie Muller, host of Noir Alley (TCM)

Garfield (as filmmaker Sydney Pollack commented) was a Method actor and a bridge between the classic Hollywood studio actors and those actors who changed acting forever- Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and James Dean. This is one of Garfield’s lesser-known films (a blend of noir and romance). Nick is a charmer who lies effortlessly; it’s easy for him to ingratiate himself into Gladys’ lonely life. They swim at the beach, eat fine meals, and share some convos. I esp. liked their day trip to the mission (a historical church w/ beautiful grounds); Nick is filled w/ regret and reveals some truth about his past. Despite thinking he won’t change, he does end up in love w/ Gladys and can’t bring himself to steal her money. The actors have nice chemistry, though it’s more sweet than steamy.

The screenplay is by W.R. Burnett, who also wrote a number of film crime classics, incl. Scarface, Little Caesar, High Sierra, and The Asphalt Jungle. Burnett’s dialogue is sharp and tough, and he displays insight (and even sympathy) for the criminal mind. Director Jean Negulesco knows how to create a mood. Cinematographer Arthur Edeson (Casablanca; Frankenstein) make this mood memorable and visually appealing. Though it lags at times, if you like the noir genre, it’s worth watching!

[1] Many films from the mid-40s deal w/ men struggling to readjust to their civilian lives after their wartime service. This film offers a twist: the hero’s pre-war career was as a successful con artist. He doesn’t have any trouble getting his job back, but does he still want it? WWII is a source of anxiety and moral confusion in many postwar noirs, but this film (set during the war) suggests that a stint with Uncle Sam can straighten out a crooked guy.

[2] The stars are lovely together, and the film has a rich atmosphere throughout, each setting clearly defining the moment. The nightclub scenes evoke the ’40s postwar feeling, the California scenes are bright and sunny, and the scenes on the pier are spooky and dense with fog. A very good film.

[3] The movie contains many elements of noir, as well as the fine cast. Despite these positive elements, Negulesco’s slow, deliberate pacing is more consistent with a romantic or psychological approach than with a crime drama.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews