By David in TN
Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 10:00:00 P.M. EDT
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:30 a.m. ET (and 10 a.m. ET Sunday Morning) is Nobody Lives Forever (1946), directed by Jean Negulesco, written by W.R. Burnett.
Nobody Lives Forever stars John Garfield, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Walter Brennan, Faye Emerson, George Tobias and George Coulouris.
Film Noir Guide: “Recently discharged from the Army because of wounds sustained in combat, con man Garfield returns to New York expecting to find his torch singer girlfriend (Emerson) waiting for him and his money earning interest. He discovers instead that Emerson has found herself a new man and has given him Garfield’s dough to start a business. After ‘persuading’ the man to return his fifty Gs plus interest, Garfield kisses Emerson goodbye, slaps her hard across the face and heads for California with his henchman (Tobias) for rest and recuperation. Once there he hooks up with his old mentor (Brennan) who’s selling peeks at the moon through a telescope for ten cents and lifting wallets from drunks. Coulouris, Garfield’s archrival in the confidence game, convinces him to finance his latest sting—ripping off a rich widow (Fitzgerald). But when Garfield meets the gorgeous mark, he begins having second thoughts. Garfield is terrific, as usual, and Emerson is first-rate as the blonde femme fatale.”
Let’s see if Eddie moans again that Garfield was a victim of the “Witch Hunts.” Will he recognize Walter Brennan as one of the most right-wing actors of all time, as well as an all-time great character actor?
TCM's Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Midnight ET (and 10 am ET Sunday Morning) is Woman on the Run (1950). Ann Sheridan stars, along with Dennis O'Keefe, Robert Keith, Ross Elliot, directed by Norman Foster.
ReplyDeleteFilm Noir Guide: "Sheridan is a wife searching for her husband (Elliott), an artist who witnesses a vicious murder and is hiding from the police and the killer. The two haven't been getting along very well lately, but Sheridan begins to discover long-lost feelings for her missing man. O'Keefe is a reporter who seems eager for the exclusive story, and Keith is the detective who has big problems keeping Sheridan in line. Sheridan does a great job as the tough, wisecracking protagonist, who always manages to stay one step ahead of the cops. There are some terrific daytime shots of San Francisco's hilly streets, a scene or two that will make you jump out of your seat, and a climactic fight during a nighttime roller coaster ride. This minor film noir succeeds thanks to clever plot twists and an excellent cast."
Woman on the Run had been a "lost" film that was "found" and restored by our friend Eddie Muller. Ann Sheridan had left Warner brothers, tired of being the "Oomph girl." She hoped this role, which fit her perfectly, would recharge her career, but it didn't make much of a stir at the time.
Woman on the Run is a favorite of mine. Lots of story and action in a 77-minute running time.