For Classic Movie Fans

[cinderella]

Hey guy, how about The Naked City - one of the best film Noir of 1948. I love this film, not only because it's great, but it reminds me of my childhood in the lower East side of Manhattan in the 50's. I know those streets, I walked them as a child. This film has very special meaning for me - everytime I see it, it's like looking back into my past...

Originally Posted by Ol' Jet

Four Big Prison Films!
Four True Stories!
Four Golden Decades of Classic Hollywood!

I Am a Fugitive From A Chain Gang,1932
Call Northside 777, 1948
Carbine Williams, 1952
Birdman of Alcatraz, 1962

Summaries

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, 1932
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a pre-Code crime/drama in which Paul Muni stars as a wrongfully convicted convict on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. The film was written by Howard J. Green and Brown Holmes from Robert Elliott Burns's autobiography, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang that was serialised in True Detective magazine. It was directed by Mervyn LeRoy. In 1991, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

More on the real Robert Elliot Burns
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Elliott_Burns

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Call Northside 777, 1948
Call Northside 777 is a film noir directed by Henry Hathaway. It is based on the true story of a Chicago reporter who proved that a man who has been in prison for murder, was wrongly convicted 11 years before. James Stewart stars as the persistent Chicago journalist who proves Wiecek's innocence. This is a captivating story. Richard Conte plays the imprisoned Frank Wiecek, a character based on Joseph Majczek, who was wrongly convicted of the murder of a Chicago policeman in 1932, one of the worst years of organized crime during the Great Depression.

More on the real Joseph Majczek
http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wron...ekSummary.html

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Carbine Williams, 1952
Carbine Williams is a biography directed by Richard Thorpe, starring James Stewart. The film follows the life of David Marshall Williams (James Stewart), who invented the semi-automatic M1 Carbine used in World War II. Williams was found distilling illegal moonshine, and was held responsible for the death of a federal officer during a raid on his still. He was sentenced to thirty years Hard Labor. He cycled through the prison system, until a firm, but compassionate warden, H.T. Peoples (Wendell Corey) allowed him to work in a prison tool shop. There he invented the gas system for his famous rifle, and eventually was released from prison in 1929 and worked with Winchester Firearms on development of the M1 Carbine. It's amazing to see how someone incarcerated, at a time the prison system was neandrathal, could develop and patent an advanced firearm used in war.



More on the real David Marshall "Carbine" Williams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Marshall_Williams

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Birdman of Alcatraz, 1962
Birdman of Alcatraz, directed by John Frankenheimer, stars Burt Lancaster. It is a fictionalized version of the life of Robert Stroud, a federal prison inmate known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" because of his life with birds. In spite of the title, much of the action is set at Leavenworth prison where Stroud was jailed with his birds. When moved to Alcatraz he was not allowed to keep any pets.

The film was adapted by Guy Trosper from the 1955 book by Thomas E. Gaddis. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Burt Lancaster), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Telly Savalas), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter) and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. Stroud was never allowed to see the film. The movie is told in flashback, narrated by Gaddis (O'Brien), the author of the book upon which it is based.

More on Robert Stroud
http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/stroud.htm

YouTube- I AM A FUGITIVE FROM CHAINGANG

YouTube- The Birdman of Alcatraz

YouTube- Call Northside 777 - Chiamata Nord 777 (1948) Trailer

See ya at the movies....

[Jet]

I love the Naked City. and along those gritty dark lines, DOA

[cinderella]

Love DOA, own it, and watch it whenever it's on TCM. Edmond O'Brian looks just like an interior design instructor I had at FIT - I told him so, and he agreed...

Another great Noir film is Asphalt Jungle - love the grittiness, and absense of music in some crucial scenes in this film. It's the kind of film one doesn't forget that easily. Sam Jaffe was excellent in this, as was Sterling Heyden.

Originally Posted by Ol' Jet

I love the Naked City. and along those gritty dark lines, DOA

[cinderella]

correction - my post #194
I confused Northside 777 with The Front Page, my apologies.

In Northside 777 the magnification and enhancement of the front page of a newspaper to reveal a date (instrumental in proving the defendant's innocense, and thereby acquiting him), was such a major and important aspect of this film, that I always confuse the title and think of it as The Front Page, which is another movie entirely.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by cinderella

correction - my post #194
I confused Northside 777 with The Front Page, my apologies.

In Northside 777 the magnification and enhancement of the front page of a newspaper to reveal a date (instrumental in proving the defendant's innocense, and thereby acquiting him), was such a major and important aspect of this film, that I always confuse the title and think of it as The Front Page, which is another movie entirely.

I actually saw The Front Page at the theatre in Buenos Aires when it came out. I really enjoy Billy Wilder films too.

Opposite of Altman, very controlled.

[cinderella]

HEADS UP ALL WWII AFFICIONADOS!!

Starting on Sunday, March 27 (not sure of the time, check your local schedules), HBO will present a 10-part mini-series: The Pacific. It is all about the Pacific theatre, and all the incidents pertaining to it.
It is a joint-production effort between Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Those of you who are fans of WWII history, will love this. Just thought you might want to know.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by cinderella

HEADS UP ALL WWII AFFICIONADOS!!

Starting on Sunday, March 27 (not sure of the time, check your local schedules), HBO will present a 10-part mini-series: The Pacific. It is all about the Pacific theatre, and all the incidents pertaining to it.
It is a joint-production effort between Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Those of you who are fans of WWII history, will love this. Just thought you might want to know.

Thank you! That's so cool! Can't wait.

[Martina]

Originally Posted by cinderella

HEADS UP ALL WWII AFFICIONADOS!!

Starting on Sunday, March 27 (not sure of the time, check your local schedules), HBO will present a 10-part mini-series: The Pacific. It is all about the Pacific theatre, and all the incidents pertaining to it.
It is a joint-production effort between Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Those of you who are fans of WWII history, will love this. Just thought you might want to know.

Thanks!! i didn't know that. i will check it out. i just read an article in The New Yorker about a journalist who covered the B-29 firebombing raids of Japan that preceded the nuclear strike. i had never heard about them. It was fascinating stuff. It also makes you think that the nuclear strike was not necessary if these runs could wreak this much damage.