Criss Cross~ Classic Film Noir Starring Burt Lancaster & Yvonne DeCarlo

Criss Cross is undoubtedly one of the great classics of film noir, incorporating all the elements that comprise the genre-lighting,flashbacks, a heist, double crossing femme fatal etc. It is an early role for Burt Lancaster and Yvonne DeCarlo (who is best known to baby boomers for her role as Lili Munster). It is an even earlier role for Tony Curtis, who was cast as an extra (and can be seen briefly, dancing with DeCarlo in above clip). The music in this segment is provided by Cuban Flautist Esy Morales, performing Jungle Fantasy (in a rare on screen appearance). The song itself was a minor hit in the late forties and part of my record collection since I was nine years old. It can be heard on my Vinyl Meltdown Podcast Episode #16 "Jazz Impressions Of Film Noir".

Calling All Fans Of Film Noir

Steve-O is the editor of the Noir of the Week blog and administrator for the Back Alley Noir message board. I encourage everyone to subscribe to this blog-it offers in depth articles and great recommendations-Five Stars!

Jane Greer-Out Of The Past

Out Of The Past, starring Jane Greer, Robert Mitchum, and Kirk Douglas, is one of the quintessential film noir classics. It has all the best qualities of noir- great plot twists & payoff, beautiful chiaroscuro cinematography, music score by Roy Webb (one of my favorite film composers), not to mention top notch acting & directing (Jacques Tourneur).
“In 1991, Out of the Past was added to the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
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Harry Belafonte-Odds Against Tomorrow

This great bank heist-gone-wrong film from 1959 features Harry Belafonte as a down & out dead beat dad who plays the vibraphone in a local jazz combo. Directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Ryan, Shelly Winters, and Ed Begley, Odds against Tomorrow is a classic film noir from the tail end of the era.
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Jazz Impressions Of Film Noir

My latest podcast highlights Jazz Impressions & Big Band music from the Film Noir era. A MUST FOR ALL CINEPHILES & JAZZHEADS.
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Miles Davis-Elevator To The Gallows

Ascenseur pour l'échafaud is a 1958 French film directed by Louis Malle. It was released as Elevator to the Gallows in the USA and as Lift to the Scaffold in the UK. It stars Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet as criminal lovers whose perfect crime begins to unravel when Ronet is trapped in an elevator. The film is often associated by critics with the film noir style.
The score by Miles Davis has been described by jazz critic Phil Johnson as "the loneliest trumpet sound you will ever hear, and the model for sad-core music ever since. Hear it and weep."
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French Gangsters In Color

One of my favorite French films-Le Samourai, starring Alan Delon. Cool jazz score as well.Click here for the trailer.

Johnny Staccato-Private Eye

Johnny Staccato is a private detective series which ran on NBC from 1959 to 1960 for 27 episodes. Johnny Staccato, played by John Cassavetes, is a jazz pianist/private detective. The setting for many episodes is a jazz club belonging to his friend Waldo (played by Eduardo Ciannelli), in New York City's Greenwich Village. The show featured many musicians, such as Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Red Mitchell, Red Norvo, and Johnny Williams. The theme was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

Nighttime Noir

My sister Judith has recently launched a new radio program out of KMUN, Astoria, Oregon. Nighttime Noir, is a weekly half-hour program with stories for adults, featuring classics from Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Christopher Isherwood and others. Her current reading, “I Am Not Ashamed” by scandalous 1940s-50’s actress Barbara Peyton, is presented in six installations. This book is a juicy tell-all, chronicling the fast rise and fall of one of Hollywood’s most beautiful actresses. Click Here & Listen!

Touch Of Evil

Plas Johnson recently gave me an original copy of the Touch Of Evil Soundtrack to add to my vinyl collection. He was featured on the rock & roll tracks from this classic Orson Welles film, and shared some great memories of working closely with Henry Mancini on this, and several other projects including Peter Gunn, The Pink Panther, Charade, and The Party. If you haven’t seen Touch Of Evil, you’re in for a real treat. The opening credits are a piece of cinematic mastery and the music is outstanding , now available on CD.

Calling All David Lynch Fans!

The soundtrack for David Lynch’s latest film “Inland Empire” has recently been released on CD via Lynch’s own label, David Lynch Music Company. It was a pleasure participating in the film and I was happy to see one of my songs included in the playlist alongside Dave Brubeck, Nina Simone, Little Eva, and Beck.
Currently available through Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Inland-Empire-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B000VLPV5Wtarget="_blank"

The Killing-Classic Film Noir From Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick’s “The Killing” has to be one of my all time favorite noir films. It’s rich with plot line, great character actors, and some non-intentional kitchy moments.
Johnny Clay has a plan. After spending 5 years in Alcatraz, he decides that if he's going to commit crimes, the risk had better be worth the punishment. He then proceeds to mastermind a brilliant criminal scheme to steal $2,000,000 from a local racetrack in which "no one will get hurt." The only flaw in his plan is that he does not consider one of his co-horts' greedy, shrewish wife and her ruthless boyfriend. That's when something goes wrong...
I was pleasantly surprised to find the entire film posted on YouTube in eight parts.
Tune In & Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUwhEeEm7lU

Sweet Smell of Success

One of my favorite films of the 50's- You can't beat the dialogue,acting, and location shots. Also an amazing Jazz score featuring Chico Hamilton (who also appears on screen).
Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir , directed by Alexander Mackendrick ,starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman and Alexander Mackendrick from the novelette by Lehman. The film tells the story of a powerful newspaper columnist named J.J. Hunsecker (Lancaster) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems inappropriate. Lancaster's role is based on famed New York columnist Walter Winchell. Soundtrack composed by Elmer Bernstein