Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954-1956 (9-Movie/3-disc Blu-ray Collection) [Avail. 7/16/19]
It’s time once again for film noir fans rejoice with 9 additional major studio film noirs, this time from the period 1954-1956: “Bait” (1954), “The Crooked Web” (1955), “The Night Holds Terror” (1955), “Footsteps in the Fog” (1955), “Cell 2455, Death Row” (1955), “5 Against the House” (1955), “New Orleans Uncensored”(1955), “Spin a Dark Web” (1955), “Rumble on the Docks” (1956)
Stalwart “noir” directors and casts highlight nine more hard to find features:
“Bait” (1954) dir/Hugo Haas cst/Cleo Moore, Hugo Haas, John Agar;
“The Crooked Web” (1955) dir/Nathan Juran cst/Frank Lovejoy, Mari Blanchard, Richard Denning;
“The Night Holds Terror” (1955) dir/Andrew Stone cst/Jack Kelly, Hildy Parks, Vince Edwards, John Cassavetes, David Cross;
“Footsteps in the Fog” (1955) dir/Arthur Lubin cst/Bill Travers, Ronald Squire, Finlay Currie, Belinda Lee;
“Cell 2455, Death Row” (1955) dir/Fred F. Sears cst/William Campbell, Robert Campbell, Marian Carr;
“5 Against the House” (1955) dir/Phil Karlson cst/Alvy Moore, William Conrad, Kerwin Mathews;
“New Orleans Uncensored” (1955) dir/William Castle cst/Arthur Franz, Beverly Garland, Helene Stanton;
“Spin a Dark Web” (1955) dir/Vernon Sewell cst/Faith Domergue, Lee Patterson, Rona Anderson, Martin Benson;
“Rumble on the Docks” (1956) dir/Fred F. Sears cst/Laurie Carrol, James Darren, Michael Granger
Approx. 750 minutes | B&W | 1.85:1 | Optional English subtitles
ActorsFrank Lovejoy, Arthur Franz, John Cassavetes, Kim Novak, Mari Blanchard, Jack Kelly, Vince Edwards, Hugo Haas, Beverly Garland, William Conrad, William Campbell, Richard Denning, James Darren, Guy Madison, Brian Keith, John Agar, Cleo Moore, Bill Travers, Faith Domergue, and more
Directed byHugo Haas, Phil Karlson, William Castle, Nathan Juran, Andrew Stone, Fred F. Sears, Vernon Sewell, Arthur Lubin
“Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954-1956 (9-Movie/3-disc Blu-ray Collection) [Avail. 7/16/19]”
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Forgotten Noir Vol. 1 – Portland Expose/They Were So Young
PORTLAND EXPOSÉ – In the 1950’s LIFE Magazine printed a blistering exposé on the rampant sin, crime and Teamsters-controlled corruption that at the time had a stranglehold on Portland, Oregon. Producer Lindsley Parsons seized upon the considerable publicity and assembled a cast of great character actors for the starring roles. Although the film crew was threatened with physical violence, the result is a dark and gritty filmed-on-location crime drama that contains considerable violence for a 1950’s movie, most notably a violent rape scene with the Frank Gorshin character and a teenage girl. 1957|72 min.|B&W|1.85:1/Widescreen|NR
THEY WERE SO YOUNG – Five beautiful European models arrive in Rio under contract to a fashion house secretly owned by a wealthy Brazilian (Raymond Burr), and quickly learn that their duties have more to do with “entertaining men” than modeling. Set in Brazil but actually shot in the swamps and jungles of Italy, “the film is extremely interesting scenically” (Variety). 1954|80 min.|B&W|1.85:1/Widescreen|NR
SPECIAL FEATURES: PORTLAND EXPOSE COMMENTARY by Assistant Director Lindsley Parsons, Jr.; Original Theatrical Trailers, Bios, Photo Gallery, Advertising Materials
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Forgotten Noir Collectors Set Vol. #3
9 movies/3 DVDs
DAVID HARDING, COUNTERSPY – Based on the popular 1942-1957 network radio series created by Phillips H. Lord. Howard St. John is the Washington DC-based David Harding, head of a covert counter-espionage organization, charged with preventing top-secret scientific information from reaching the hands of America’s enemies around the world, and trying to convince a hell-raising radio correspondent to join the fight. 1950|80 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
DANGER ZONE – When you deal with dames, you are in the Danger Zone, as the character of crime detector Dennis O’Brien (Hugh Beaumont) learns in his inaugural mystery-drama. The private eye first cracks a case involving smuggling ring, then tackles an assignment that involves blackmail, murder and film noir’s top bad guy, Tom Neal. 1951|57 min.|B&W|1.33:1:|NR
THE BIG CHASE – As his expectant wife (Adele Jergens) enters the hospital in anticipation of the blessed event, cop Glenn Langan is off to the races, trailing payroll robbers (including Jim Davis and Lon Chaney Jr.) on a mad chase that goes from cars to rowboat to motorboat to helicopter. The chase sequence, captured in all its bullet-to-bullet glory, comprises a third of the movie. 1954|60 min.|B&W|1.85:1|NR
MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (1947) –From Phillips H. Lord’s popular NBC radio series comes an intriguing “legal film noir” filled with double-crosses and unusual twists–starting in the opening reel when a woman is slain in her apartment to an escaped killer, and the paper prints that the alive-and-well girlfriend (Marguerite Chapman) of a local crime boss was the victim. 1947|81 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
RINGSIDE – Middleweight boxer works his way up to a title fight, and loses it and his eyesight when the champion seeing that his opponent is blind in one eye goes to work on the other one! His brother decides to avenge him by taking up boxing himself and…and eye for an eye? 1949|63 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
HI-JACKED – Parolee/ truck driver Jim Davis now wants to stick to the straight-and-narrow, but finds himself riding a highway of terror when his truck is hijacked and police suspect him because of his past record. The hijackers will stop at nothing to frame him–and even frame his wife! — unless fugitive Davis can deliver them to justice himself. 1950|61 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR – Cesar Romero stars in this Hammer Films mystery as a Yank newspaperman in London who sets out to solve a murder, American style. The rest of the typically tangled plot includes assaults, a mysterious tape recording, a visit to an asylum and even a plot to steal an inventor’s secrets! Lois Maxwell, the James Bond series’ “Miss Moneypenny”, co-stars. 1952|73 min.|B&W:1.33:1|NR
PIER 23 – Two more “brushes with crime” for ace private detective Dennis O’Brien (Hugh Beaumont). In the first, he gets mixed up with a crooked wrestling referee, an equally corrupt arena owner and murderous grappler Mike Mazurki. Next is a case involving a murdered cop and film noir’s ultimate femme double-crosser, the unforgettable Ann Savage (Detour). 1951|59 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
THE CASE OF THE BABY-SITTER: Jewel thieves, operating in the guise of a Duke and Duchess, hire the Ace Detective Agency to “baby sit” the infant they are using as a blind for their thefts. A rival mob dopes the detective’s dumb aide and make off with a valuable diamond. 1947|43 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
SPECIAL FEATURES: LORD OF THE RADIO (Jean Lord Greenlaw interview, with Richard Roberts), SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR – Featurette by Joel Blumberg, PAT NOVAK FOR HIRE (Radio program and source for PIER 23), , MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY – RADIO PROGRAM, THE BIG CHASE (Robert L. Lippert Jr. interview with Tom Weaver – reenactment), and Trailers.
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Forgotten Noir Collectors Set Vol. #1
A 3 disc six-pack of forgotten film noirs that you won’t want to miss. Murder, Mystery and Scandal…it’s all here!
PORTLAND EXPOSÉ – In the 1950’s LIFE Magazine printed a blistering exposé on the rampant sin, crime and Teamsters-controlled corruption that at the time had a stranglehold on Portland, Oregon. Producer Lindsley Parsons seized upon the considerable publicity and assembled a cast of great character actors for the starring roles. Although the film crew was threatened with physical violence, the result is a dark and gritty filmed-on-location crime drama that contains considerable violence for a 1950’s movie, most notably a violent rape scene with the Frank Gorshin character and a teenage girl. 1957|72 min.|B&W|1.85:1/Widescreen|NR
THEY WERE SO YOUNG – Five European models arrive in Rio de Janeiro and become trapped in a white slavery ring. An exciting crime melodrama with Raymond Burr at his villainous best! 1954|80 min.|B&W|1.85:1/Widescreen|NR
LOAN SHARK – Tough ex-con George Raft is hired by a factory owner and a union leader to help smash a loan-sharking mob preying on their employees. To obtain the necessary evidence, Raft puts his life on the line by joining the gang. 1952|74 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
ARSON INC. – A Bureau of Fire Investigation agent goes under cover to confront a ruthless arson ring that has left a trail of bodies, burned out buildings with various and sundry carnage! 1949|64 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
SHADOW MAN (Street of Shadows) – A saloon owner falls in love with the abused wife of a heavy gambler. He is snared into a web of intrigue when an ex-girlfriend is found murdered in his apartment. 1953|76 min.|B&W|1.33:1|NR
SHOOT TO KILL – A tale of plotting and counterplotting commences after the new district attorney and an escaped gangster are killed in a car crash! 1946|63 min.|B&W|NR
SPECIAL FEATURES: PORTLAND EXPOSÉ Commentary by Assistant Director Lindsley Parsons Jr.; LOAN SHARK Audio Commentary by Richard M Roberts; INSIDE LIPPERT as told by Robert L Lippert Jr, SHOOT TO KILL Schedule and Luana Walters Wardrobe Plot, Day Player and Stuntman Contracts, Original Script – Sample pages with Director’s Notes; Movie Trivia; Posters; Trailers; Photo and Advertising Gallery
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Blackout (Murder by Proxy)
Down-and-out Canadian Dane Clark is soused in a London club the night he’s approached by a beautiful stranger (Belinda Lee) offering him £500 to marry her. The too-good-to-be-true offer turns sour when Lee goes missing and her wealthy father is found murdered. With only hazy memories of that unusual night, Clark doesn’t know himself if he is the killer. From Hammer Films.
1954|88 mins|B&W|1.37:1|NR
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