Despite having read praise for his work in the Film Noir & Western genres over the years,I have somehow never got round to seeing any titles by director Anthony Mann,with the only Mann title that comes to mind being Spartacus-where he was replaced by a director called Stanley Kubrick. (whatever happened to him?!)With my dad having enjoyed seeing The Falcon movies last Christmas, I was pleased to stumble upon a Falcon-style Film Noir by Anthony Mann,starring Falcon lead Tom Conway, (aka Tom Sanders-George's brother) which led to me setting my clock,for a morning shot of courage.
The plot:
Walking around a street with blood dripping down his face,a man in a pin-stripe suit bumps into a taxi.Thinking that the guy is a drunk,cab driver Patty Mitchell tells the guy to get in the cab so she can drop him off home.Driving round,Mitchell is shocked to discover that along with the guy not being able to remember his name,that he is also unable to recognise his own face.
Checking his pockets,the man finds nothing but 2 ticket stubs and $500.Suggesting to the man that the police may be able to help him track down his ID,Mitchell heads to the police station.Getting out the car,Mitchell and the man catch a snippet from a near-by radio that the police are after a murderer who has $500 on him,and was last seen wearing a pin-stripe suit. Believing that the man does not have the face of a murderer,Mitchell vows to drive the man to clear his name.
View on the film:
Keeping his "unofficial" remake of the 1936 Film Noir Two In The Dark to a trim 68 minutes,director Anthony Mann and cinematographer Jack MacKenzie give "the mans" stage world a glamorous appearance,which has darkness bubbling underneath,as Mann and MacKenzie show the elegant gowns & posh night clubs to be a cover for the double-crossing and lying that its inhabitants take part in.As "the man" and Mitchell gets closer to uncovering his identity,Mann wraps the title round a Film Noir thread,with Mann superbly using over-lapping shots to create an uneasy atmosphere,as "the man" starts to remember.
Crossing a light Comedy touch into Film Noir territory,the screenplay by Robert E. Kent, Gelett Burgess and Gordon Kahn strikes a fine balance of keeping Mitchell & "the mans" exchanges hilariously quick-witted,whilst making sure that the corrupt world they find themselves entering is correctly treated with a harsh manner.Keeping the movies plot moving at an excellent pace,the writers display a real procession in revealing the mans troubled past piece by piece.
Staying close together for most of the film,Ann Rutherford and Tom Conway both give splendid performances,with the pretty Rutherford curling Mitchell's lips round every sharp one-liner,whilst Tom Conway (who sounds just like his brother!) brilliantly shows his unknown past to rest heavy on his shoulder,as the man finds the courage to unlock his dimly-lit Side Street past.
The plot:
Walking around a street with blood dripping down his face,a man in a pin-stripe suit bumps into a taxi.Thinking that the guy is a drunk,cab driver Patty Mitchell tells the guy to get in the cab so she can drop him off home.Driving round,Mitchell is shocked to discover that along with the guy not being able to remember his name,that he is also unable to recognise his own face.
Checking his pockets,the man finds nothing but 2 ticket stubs and $500.Suggesting to the man that the police may be able to help him track down his ID,Mitchell heads to the police station.Getting out the car,Mitchell and the man catch a snippet from a near-by radio that the police are after a murderer who has $500 on him,and was last seen wearing a pin-stripe suit. Believing that the man does not have the face of a murderer,Mitchell vows to drive the man to clear his name.
View on the film:
Keeping his "unofficial" remake of the 1936 Film Noir Two In The Dark to a trim 68 minutes,director Anthony Mann and cinematographer Jack MacKenzie give "the mans" stage world a glamorous appearance,which has darkness bubbling underneath,as Mann and MacKenzie show the elegant gowns & posh night clubs to be a cover for the double-crossing and lying that its inhabitants take part in.As "the man" and Mitchell gets closer to uncovering his identity,Mann wraps the title round a Film Noir thread,with Mann superbly using over-lapping shots to create an uneasy atmosphere,as "the man" starts to remember.
Crossing a light Comedy touch into Film Noir territory,the screenplay by Robert E. Kent, Gelett Burgess and Gordon Kahn strikes a fine balance of keeping Mitchell & "the mans" exchanges hilariously quick-witted,whilst making sure that the corrupt world they find themselves entering is correctly treated with a harsh manner.Keeping the movies plot moving at an excellent pace,the writers display a real procession in revealing the mans troubled past piece by piece.
Staying close together for most of the film,Ann Rutherford and Tom Conway both give splendid performances,with the pretty Rutherford curling Mitchell's lips round every sharp one-liner,whilst Tom Conway (who sounds just like his brother!) brilliantly shows his unknown past to rest heavy on his shoulder,as the man finds the courage to unlock his dimly-lit Side Street past.