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Post by wmcclain on Feb 12, 2020 13:39:14 GMT
I Wake Up Screaming (1941), directed by H. Bruce Humberstone. Aka Hot Spot. Three sporting gents (promoter, actor, columnist) sponsor and promote the career of a talented waitress, launching her singing career and sorrowfully waving goodbye when she gets a Hollywood contract. When she is murdered the men and her sister are all on the spot, menaced by a huge homicide detective who is... not quite right. In fact we suspect he is the pervy killer, which is definitely not good if he is out to frame someone else. This skates perilously close to the edge of the Code, which stated that police could not be villains. Laird Cregar is superb in the role. The way he and Victor Mature exchange glances in a darkened room while watching a screen test for Carole Landis: each knows what the other knows. Landis and Betty Grable play sisters, a combination they used in other films. Appealing as the women are, the film is dominated by the two tough guys. Victor Mature had no illusions about his acting depth, but when -- as here -- the role is right I think he gives a good performance. When reviewing early noir films this is always overshadowed by Huston's The Maltese Falcon (1941) from the same year. And yet Edward Cronjager's cinematography is more interesting in this film with its stark lighting and tilted camera angles. Cregar provides an unsettling menace not found in the other film. Heavy use of flashbacks and they slipped in Code-breaking sexual innuendo by making up dialogue on the day rather than submitting it in the script. Cyril J. Mockridge gets score credit but the music is mostly Alfred Newman's often-used "Street Scene" and a bizarre over-use of "Over the Rainbow". Remade as Vicki (1953) with Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters. Available on Blu-ray from Kino. Noir expert Eddie Muller provides his usual lively and informative commentary track.
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Post by mikef6 on Feb 12, 2020 15:21:16 GMT
There are three films are often considered the beginnings of the film noir genre/sub-genre/style/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. They are: The Stranger on the Third Floor released in August 1940, The Maltese Falcon released October 8, 1941, and I Wake Up Screaming released October 31, 1941. (A TRIVIA QUESTION I asked when I posted on the weekly thread: What actor appeared in all three of these movies? No peeking, now.).
Cinematographer Edward Cronjager was a 7-time Oscar nominee for Best Cinematography, including Best Picture winner Cimarron (1931) and Heaven Can Wait (1942), but not for I Wake Up Screaming.
A film noir essential.
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Post by wmcclain on Feb 12, 2020 15:29:42 GMT
^ Elisha Cook Jr is in two of them. I'll add The Stranger on the Third Floor to my queue; I don't remember seeing it.
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Post by marshamae on Feb 12, 2020 15:52:31 GMT
Remade as Vicki with Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters as the sisters, max Showalter ( can’t stand him) and Elliot Reid leading a much weaker cast. Always interesting to see how different actors handle the same material
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Post by mikef6 on Feb 12, 2020 19:40:44 GMT
^ Elisha Cook Jr is in two of them. I'll add The Stranger on the Third Floor to my queue; I don't remember seeing it. He is in the third, as well. He is the correct answer.
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Post by petrolino on Feb 15, 2020 22:01:13 GMT
This is such a cool film. Good to see it recognised.
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Post by london777 on Feb 16, 2020 3:25:29 GMT
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Post by teleadm on Jan 13, 2021 19:28:31 GMT
Well now I've seen it, it took some time, but now I've seen it. Thanks to you and all others who have recommended it over the years! It's truly a very good movie that tickles the mind and fools the viewer to look in other directions, I know that know when I know "who did it", even if i had my suspicions about "who did it", before it was revealed. The relatively short running time make every scene count and has a relevance to the story, even if some scenes at first glance only feels like a fill out. The evening swimming scene was apparently filmed here, the swimming pool at Nu Pike Amusement Park, Long Beach, CA.
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Post by kijii on Jan 13, 2021 20:02:09 GMT
^ Elisha Cook Jr is in two of them. I'll add The Stranger on the Third Floor to my queue; I don't remember seeing it. I just placed it in my queue too.
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