1950
Directed by John Huston
I did seven of these today, not counting the 1940s Oscars. I am becoming more prolific than Nora Roberts, although hopefully I don't suck quite as much.
The thing about early crime movies is you always know how it is going to end. Because of the production code, you know the criminals can't not get away with it. So you are kind of just waiting for some horrible fate to befall them. It can still be interesting but there is really no intrigue or suspense.
If this film had been made post 1968 it could have been really awesome. As it is, however, it is merely so-so. This is a heist film but because people are greedy and unreliable, everything goes to hell. Huston really had a thing about greed, I guess. Anyway, as you can see from the above picture Marilyn Monroe has a part, though she is by no means the star. I always love seeing young actors before they were famous.
The movie has absolutely no balls, which is really not its fault but it stills suffers because of it. Still worth a watch.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Body count is only 4. Come on. I can't wait for Reservoir Dogs…
Total scoring is around five minutes.
For some reason I expected a bit more from this movie. Maybe because it is one of Huston's movies. It okay, but not great.
ReplyDeleteOh dear ... I'm out on my own on this one then (and surprised I'd not stuck my two penneth in before now)
ReplyDeleteOK, I will give you it's not 9 or 10 out of ten .. but a good solid 8..
(Which, on reflection .. Amanda, as you score out of 5, .. my adjusted to scale '4' only puts us one adrift ..)
.. but despite your valid point about predictability of ending, I still found gripping. As ever, it's all so brilliantly planned (or so it seems), it's the human flaws that cause the downfall.. and few more so than this. You may have gathered, I'm no great MM fan, but I thought she was great in this... At her ieal level I thought.
I adore the opening .. that 'wet city at night streets' stuff packs so much threat .. and then the patrol cars .. magic.
I will just voice some concern about your lamenting of body count, with the implication that 'Dogs' is better because it has more killing .. but I'm open to you saying that iss not really what you meant..
Haha I don't remember but I think I was kidding about the body count. Or I was just in a bloodthirsty mood.
ReplyDeleteI'm with yer, Ray. I won't let you stand alone.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was very good. I could well imagine it being remade as a ten-part TV series. I liked that it didn't lead to a big climax, that instead the gang got picked off one by one in different ways. Kind of more realistic.