By David in TN
saturday, october 7, 2023 at 12:38:00 a.m. edt
TCM’s Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at 12:15 and 10 a.m. ET is Irving Rapper’s Deception (1946), with Bette Davis, Claude Rains, Paul Henried, John Abbott and Benson Fong.
Film Noir Guide: “A New York pianist (Davis) runs into former lover Henried, who she thought had died in Europe during the war. The out-of-work cellist suspects that something isn’t quite right when he sees the luxurious lifestyle that Davis is enjoying and grills her about it.
“Knowing that he can be violently jealous, Davis allays his suspicions, explaining that she’s been teaching music to wealthy clients. She sidetracks him further by suggesting that they get married, which they do, and rather quickly, before Davis’ sugar daddy (Rains) returns to town.
“Rains, a famous composer, offers Henried the opportunity to play his latest composition during a recital, and the unemployed musician enthusiastically accepts. But Davis knows her former lover, who has a mean streak a mile long, only too well and expects him to pull the rug out from under Henried at the last minute, replacing him with a stand-by cellist (Abbott).
“But what Rains has in mind is even worse, and somebody will be killed as a result. Fong, a semi-regular on TV’s Bachelor Father and Kung Fu in the 1960s and 1970s, plays Rains’ butler. Rains’ excellent performance makes this slow-mover worth watching.”
Saturday, October 07, 2023
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TCM's Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Midnight and 10 a.m. ET is Robert Stevens' The Big Caper (1957) with Rory Calhoun, Mary Costa, James Gregory, Robert Harris, Corey Allen, Paul Picerni.
Film Noir Guide: "This is definitely one of the weirder heist films. A small time hood (Calhoun) talks his reluctant boss (Gregory) into pulling a bank job that will net them a cool million."
"Calhoun and Gregory's moll (Costa), posing as husband and wife, purchase a gas station and set up house for four months to stake out the bank. Ironically, they begin to enjoy the 'straight' life--playing scrabble with the neighbors, attending Neighborhood barbecues and babysitting kids. It isn't long before Costa starts wishing that she and Calhoun could make this lifestyle a permanent one. The rigid Calhoun, once fiercely loyal to his boss, begins to soften under her influence."
"Other members of the team include a psychopathic muscleman (Allen), a pyromaniac (Harris) and ladies man (Picerni). Nothing special, but enjoyable camp. Calhoun went on to star in TV's The Texan, Picerni co-starred in The Untouchables and Gregory played Inspector Frank Luger in Barney Miller."
TCM's Film Noir of the Week Saturday Night-Sunday Morning at Midnight and 10 a.m. ET is Casque d'Or (1952) with Simone Signoret and Serge Reggiani.
David In TN: Eddie Muller this week picks a French film I've never heard of set in 1900s Paris.
Earlier Saturday at 6:30 p.m. TCM shows Anthony Mann's Side Street (1950), a pretty good Noir set in Manhattan, New York City. It has one of the first car chases.
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