A Blueprint For Murder - 1953 - USA

A Blueprint For Murder - 1953 - 6/10

 
Uncle Cam hurries to the hospital where niece Polly is critical.
Doctors are baffled.  Then Polly recovers, only to die by dawn.
Just one of those sad things, I guess.
Until Cam’s friend, a pulp mystery writer, speculates about strychnine.
Sure enough.  Stranger still, Cam’s brother, Polly’s dad, had also died mysteriously.
Suspicion falls on the widow, the second wife, who stands to inherit – once little Bobby dies.
More mystery than Noir, neither lead is quite believable.

War Of The Worlds - 1953 - USA

War Of The Worlds - 1953 - 7/10 

 
“Everybody understands when you wave the white flag, you wanna be friends.”
“Hey, there! Open up!”
So declare the local welcome wagon trio in California.
Who become the first victims of a full-scale Martian invasion.
Exciting 1950’s SciFi is an effects powerhouse and remains thrilling decades later.
Not exactly faithful to Wells, but frighteningly close to Hawking’s predictions.

House Of Wax - 1953 - USA

House Of Wax - 1953 - 6/10

 
OK remake of Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933), noteworthy for the 3D effects.
The museum partners have a falling out.  The sculptor is an artist, the manager wants profits.
Before he is murdered by a mysterious assailant.
You can easily guess whodunit and where the plot is going.
Vincent Price, too often a charismatic ham, can make you forget Lionel Atwill.

Cat-Women Of The Moon - 1953 - USA

Cat-Women Of The Moon - 1953 - 5/10

 
The rocket lands on the far side and navigator Helen leads the men.
Beforehand, one of the men grabbed his pistol, while Helen took her cigarettes and matches.
After twists and turns, the crew discovers a two-million year old civilization.
Oxygen almost depleted, the surviving moon women plot to murder the men and steal the ship back to Earth.
Low-grade SciFi has the concept of a dying world, with survivors planning a soft invasion.
Good looking backgrounds, minimal effects, yet the overall cheapness hampers this.
Subsequently influential as an early feminist SciFi.

Donovan’s Brain - 1953 - USA

Donovan’s Brain - 1953 - 6/10 

 

The millionaire is badly injured when his plane crashes in the backwoods.
Luckily, a nearby scientist is experimenting on keeping brains alive.
Ever the eagle scout, Dr. Cory succeeds in keeping Donovan’s brain going in an aquarium.
What could go wrong?
Fun 1950’s SciFi all but invites heckling from the audience.
“Don’t do that!” – “Stop!” – “Dude, what are you thinking?”

The Robe - 1953 - USA

The Robe - 1953 - 7/10

 
Large Biblical epic finds Roman tribune overseeing the crucifixion.
Following the possession of Christ’s robe, he is transfixed, gradually turning into a believer.
Spectacle in every sense of the word with lavish costumes, wonderful sets, a magnificent score.
Burton and Simmons fine as ill-starred love interest.  Rest of the cast excellent (and I had no issue with Caligula).
Growing up, this was still quite popular, often airing as an Easter event on TV.
My parents owned the soundtrack, packed with memorable, rich themes by Alfred Newman.
Somewhat overlong, and impossible to imagine being remade today.

Dangerous Crossing - 1953 - USA

Dangerous Crossing - 1953 - 6/10

 
The new bride is jilted on her honeymoon cruise.
No husband.  In fact, no one has heard of the husband.
Ruth had booked under her maiden name.  But – but – and she faints.
Thank goodness the ship’s doctor is understanding, and handsome.
Old-fashioned mystery plays well in the tight corners of the ship.
Great use of fog and forced perspective.
Nonetheless, this feels padded.  Listen to the earlier “Cabin B-13” on Suspense instead.

The Bigamist - 1953 - USA

The Bigamist - 1953 - 6/10

 
Once Eve and Harry start the adoption process, the secret starts to emerge.
After all, there are deep background checks.
Salesman Harry, dividing his time between San Francisco and Los Angeles, has things to hide.
Hey, reference the title!
Narrative shows how Harry came to have two better halves.
Marked as Noir, this is not.  This has enough soap for a bubble bath.
Still, a good Ida Lupino film and, I think, the last feature she directed.

The Black Vampire - 1953 - Argentina

The Black Vampire - 1953 - 6/10
AKA - El Vampiro Negro

 
No bats, no bloodsuckers in this imaginatively shot Argentinian Noir.
Another child victim surfaces, and the police arrest the man who finds the body and notifies them.
The cops know he is innocent, yet public panic surges as more children are killed.
Innovative retelling of M, adds a low-life nightclub, possibly dealing narcotics.
Chief prosecutor is inflexible and self-righteous, not one for leniency or compassion.
The Underworld in this outing is the Subterranean world: homeless, castoffs, scavengers, beggars.
One cam view this for the cinematography alone.

Pickup On South Street - 1953 - USA

Pickup On South Street - 1953 - 7/10  

 
Candy is just supposed to deliver an envelope.
Doesn’t know what it contains, doesn’t care.
Doesn’t even know Federal agents are watching her.
One even sees her purse get pickpocketed long before she is aware.
Three time loser Skip is identified, but he refuses to cooperate.
If the Feds want it so bad, someone will be willing to pay large.
Tough Noir packed with thick skinned types.  Richard Widmark leads, and he never bends so much as an inch.  Even when you assume he is about soften, the cynical calculation emerges.
Thelma Ritter heartbreaking as the downtrodden, world weary Moe.

Dracula In Istanbul - 1953 - Turkey

Dracula In Istanbul - 1953 - 5/10  
AKA - Drakula İstanbul'da

 
Young lawyer travels to Romania to help reclusive count buy kiosks in Istanbul.
Gloomy castle, one wife, aroused and thirsty, rooms forbidden entry into.
For thirty minutes, the plot is fairly faithful, until the scene shifts to Istanbul.
The lawyer’s wife, Güzin, is a cabaret dancer, while her sister, Sadan, is a sleepwalker.
Dancing, dancing, more dancing, coupled with declining health, and red-eyed bats.
Final act brings back Count Drakula, as well as his enemies, led by Dr. Nuri.
Curiosity got the better of me – again.

Girl On The Run - 1953 - USA

Girl On The Run - 1953 - 5/10

Barebones outline finds Bill and Janet on the run from the cops and a powerful boss.
The charge?  Murder.  They are followed into the traveling carnival where the couple try to hide.
Janet joins the cooch show, Bill takes up boxing.
As far as plot, you got it.  There ain’t much here.
Nonetheless, this gem is all kinds of fun for bad film aficionados.

 
The pace rolls quick.  Diversions include fisticuffs, several cooch shows, and the exotic Gigi.
Renee De Milo as Gigi struts and gyrates and slinks through every scene.
The rest of the dance troupe vary substantially in appeal.
No one can act, even on high school level.
Not that you hunt down a sleazy, carny exploitation flick for acting.

The Glass Wall - 1953 - USA

The Glass Wall - 1953 - 6/10

 
Stowaway Peter escapes Immigration, and although badly wounded, heads into Times Square.  
There he is befriended by Maggie, another persona non gratis.
If caught and deported, Peter returns to Communistic Hungary and certain death.
Noir has docu-drama feel, and is a time-capsule for looking at the marquees.
Also to catch a session with Jack Teagarden and Shorty Rogers.
Gloria Grahame gives a luminous, raw performance.

It Came From Outer Space - 1953 - USA

It Came From Outer Space - 1953 - 5/10

 
I last saw this in the 70’s, in 3D (yes, the theater provided glasses) and remember being unimpressed.
Aliens land in the remote Arizona desert and start to mind control the locals.
Fortunately there is a nearby astronomer, with fiancée, who recognizes strange goings on.
A few equate this with Invasion Of The Body Snatchers except this predates that film by a few years.  
Theremin music is fairly eerie.  The 3D effects?  I was not wearing glasses (and I wasn’t stoned) so they don’t come across as well.  I keep remembering that I jumped in my seat years ago.
Not a complete miss for me, might be better if you are in the mood.

Invaders From Mars - 1953 - USA

Invaders From Mars - 1953 - 6/10

 
Only young David sees the flying saucer land in nearby sand dunes.
Later,  no one believes him when he tries to warn adults that people going to the site, come back strange.
Altered – or possessed.  Even his own parents!
I watched this as a child (the perfect audience) and it gave me nightmares.
Kids are never believed, we knew that.  And angered parents are sheer menace.
15 years later, I rewatched as part of a 1950’s SciFi marathon.  The movie theater was packed, amidst a fog of marijuana smoke.  We watched in rapt anxiety.
Even last night, while analyzing and dissecting techniques and effects, the childhood unease was there.

Split Second - 1953 - USA

Split Second - 1953 - 6/10

 
Pair of convicts break out of prison, greet a confederate, and hit the road.
Enroute waits a stash of loot and south of the border passage.
First - car, hostages, and a hideout.
What better place to hide than an abandoned mining town, half mile from an atomic bomb test site?
“No one will hunt for us here.  Especially since there is a test tomorrow at 6:00 AM.”
Part Noir, part Playhouse drama.
Eye candy includes luscious Jan Sterling (bad girl with the good heart), and Alexis Smith (bitter wife, bored and oh-so easy).
The real star, though, is Stephen McNally, the head con.  Tough, unflinching, he can and does kill in a heartbeat.
Smartest man in the room.  Yet being a Noir, things can go wrong, even for smart guys.

This was Dick Powell’s first directorial film and I could not get over the nuclear bomb angle.
Three years later, he would direct The Conqueror on Utah’s atomic testing grounds.
That movie, an atrocious John Wayne vehicle, is notorious for the heavy death toll, stars and crew, from cancer.

City That Never Sleeps - 1953 - USA

City That Never Sleeps - 1953 - 5/10

 
The city, in this case Chicago, may not sleep, but this was a snoozer for me.
Marked as Film Noir, it is not.  This is a cop drama as a stolid cop contemplates turning in his badge.
An entrenched kingpin has offered him a hefty retainer to punish an uppity minion.
The copper, Gig Young, is sour on the uniform, the citizens, the whole night-in night-out.
His wife even makes more money than he does!  Plus, a dancer (burlesque) has the hots for him!
Well, forget Officer Sad Sack.
William Talman, in an edgy villainous role, owns the screen as the aforementioned underling who harbors berserk fury.
The Reaper could not have recruited a better soldier.

Desperate Moment - 1953 - UK

Desperate Moment - 1953 - 6/10

Postwar Germany, a Dutch man falsely confesses to killing a British soldier.
Once sentenced and locked away, he realizes he may have been set up.
During a security lapse, he escapes and begins searching for the real killer.
Authorities pursue, and his face is brandished about.
He can only rely on his girl, and hope she does not betray him.

 
A few years earlier, there was an essay in Noir City Annual on “rubble Noir.”
This definitely qualifies, as most of the exteriors are in bombed out Berlin.
Cat and mouse angle is done well, if somewhat predictable.

99 River Street - 1953 - USA

99 River Street - 1953 - 7/10

 
Ernie lands a devastating right hook and the champ slumps to the canvas.
Like the resurrected, the champ survives the ten count, and in the next two minutes, the prize fight sours for Ernie.
Two years later, he’s a washed up pug, a hack driver, married to a bitter scold with a roving eye.
A slick haired sugar daddy stirs the wife’s honey pot, slowly, persuasively, until she’s sopping wet and helps him yank a bag of ice from a pair of clutching dead hands.
Then the setup, the dimwitted husband, driving his taxi, chasing fool pipedreams and hopes.
Well shot Noir is outstanding example of how to create wonders with a minimal budget.
The script is packed with crosses and double-crosses, unexpected treachery, hard fists.
No matter how hard the ex-boxer fights, there is always the corpse stuffed in the back seat of his taxi.
A seething John Payne is perfect casting, whether resigned or about to detonate.

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday - 1953 - France

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday - 1953 - 8/10

 
I try to watch this French classic every year once Summer begins to fade.
Mister Hulot goes to the coast for a week, and has a series of misadventures.
Gags, too numerous to mention, include the shark boat, the tennis match, the white horse with a grudge.
Almost completely wordless comedy, in the best tradition of Chaplin and Keaton.
Tati's best film.