Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) – Film-Noir

Posted on November 6, 2013 by 4 Star Films

*May Contain Spoilers
Starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney with Karl Malden and director Otto Preminger, this film follows a ruthless police detective. Mark Dixon is notorious for his strong armed tactics and he is given orders to cool it. That same evening a mobster holds a crap game and things blow up when Tierney’s estrange husband fights the man on a lucky streak. The police catch wind of it and arrive finding the man dead with the husband gone. Dixon finds the husband and tries interrogating him but instead he accidentally kills the man. He must elaborately cover his tracks and when the police gather evidence it all point to Tierney’s amiable father. Dixon knows the truth and as he falls for Tierney’s character he tries to help her father’s case. In a last ditch effort he writes a letter of confession and tracks down the mobster to face death and close the case. However, he gets out alive and everything turns out fine except for his conscience. He has the letter opened and the truth comes out. Andrews and Tierney were paired again after Laura and I have to say I really enjoyed this film because of the tragic hero Andrews portrays.

4/5 Stars

Laura (1944) – Film-Noir

Posted on November 6, 2013 by 4 Star Films

If you have never seen Laura, I would first advise you to watch it and then look at my review afterwards. I do not usually do this but with Laura I think you should watch it beforehand. Enjoy!

*Contains Spoilers

Directed by Otto Preminger and starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, along with Judith Anderson, this is a great film-noir. With its voiceover narration, flashback, close-ups, shadowy atmosphere, plot twists, and hard-boiled detective, Laura is intriguing. From the beginning, this recently murdered woman who has a portrait on the wall, fascinates us. We follow the detective (Andrews) as he questions the columnist who helped make Laura succesful (Clift), and the playboy she was going to marry (Price). Soon Andrews finds himself also falling for this woman. However, everything changes when Laura reappears with seemingly no knowledge of any murder. After this development Andrews tries even harder to get at the truth with much difficulty. On a hunch he seems to crack the case however Laura is still in danger. In the final climax all is right again with the conflict over Laura.

5/5 Stars

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Posted on August 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Directed by William Wyler, the film chronicles the lives of three men as they return from World War II. They feel joy and then angst trying to integrate back into society with lives that are strangely different from when they left. They face various struggles like finding a job, holding a marriage together, to just trying to get used to a disability. Although they each have their own lives which we get to see first hand, they are still intertwined. Together these three men find it within themselves to make these the best years possible. Full of both highs and lows, this movie is extremely touching and leaves you with a smile. The cast is superb including Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Harold Russell (real life amputee), Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and of course Hoagy Carmichael. This film is great because it does not try to glamorize and it stands the test of time in my mind.