I actually managed to watch all the Noir related films I had available from the period I'm working (1944-45). And as a result of the Noir lists this managed to be the my most Official Check blessed months in half-a-decade.
76. The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945, Phil Rosen) -
5/10
--- Edmund Lowe might have taken a break from Hollywood after The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945), but he showed he still had it in him. A haunting death scheme with a mysterious magician almost hypnotizing the viewer. Solid B-picture.
77. Detour (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) -
7/10 -
OFFICIAL CHECK (15 lists)
--- So I've finally come to Edgar G. Ulmer unlikely classic. The film which proved even the cheapest B-pictures could be great if you only had the right artistic eye for it. And Ulmer showed he had that. Snappy moving with the acting and mood in focus. Tom Neal showed his demons, and then Claudia Drake turns-up, and it got as raw as noir gets. I can't help think, if they had the budget for it, that tragedies would come in threes, with him finally meeting up with his love Ann Savage for the most tragic scene of all. But as we only got two.... still wonderfully tragic!
78. The Unseen (1945, Lewis Allen) -
5/10 -
OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- While very predictable, there weren't exactly many suspects to choose from, The Unseen (1945) was a fine little screamer. Two leading gentlemen in Joel McCrea & Herbert Marshall and a young lady Gail Russell with a serial killer loose in the back alley. Simple and effective.
79. Bewitched (1945, Arch Oboler) -
5/10 -
OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- Schizophrenian love story, Ends in death. I'm not sure it worked, but this is a Hollywoodian way to raise mental health awareness. Bewitched (1945) definitely created a different atmosphere with it's hypnotizing brainwash as evil takes over the mind. Phyllis Thaxter delivers a different kind of performance in which arouses curiosity. Becomes a little too educational toward the end, but this was a interesting take on madness.
80. The Spider (1945, Robert D. Webb) -
4/10 -
OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- The Spider (1945) is a remake of a 1931 film by the same name. Not as fun as the original, but I guess it can be entertaining regardless of being a standard low budget mystery. One of those films which in retrospect has gotten slapped on a film-noir label only because if was made in the era of noir. No different to any of the countless of murder mysteries done in the 30s which are not considered noir.
81. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945, Joseph H. Lewis) -
7/10 -
OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
--- My Name Is Julia Ross (1945) was very competently made by Joseph H. Lewis. A director who hadn't exactly impressed up to that point. He made solid programmers, but none of them had been anything remarkable. With this film he showed he was a director you could count on, for this was a tightly knitted thriller with Nina Foch kidnapped and posed as someone's mentally ill wife at a old dark house. This is only 65 minutes long, yet fits in all you need for such dark hostage dilemma. Not to mention elaborately shot. This really is a little gem.
82. The Brighton Strangler (1945, Max Nosseck) -
6/10
--- John Loder plays an actor who had starred in a successful stage play about The Brighton Strangler (1945). He decides he needs a break from the role, but while traveling gets a knock on the head and becomes The Brighton Strangler! Enchanting little killer story. Dark atmosphere and nice unsuspecting people in a serial killer's claws. Worked very well. Loved the applause twist!
PS: Oh, and this was the final film that featured Gilbert Emery before he died at the age of 70. He was one of the earliest grand old British gentlemen in Hollywood at the dawn of talking pictures. Got a few leads early on before he became a regular character actor.
83. Sensation Hunters (1945, Christy Cabanne) -
3/10
--- Sensation Hunters (1945) finally had something sensational going for it the final 30 seconds. But those 30 seconds were not enough to save us from the hour of boredom which came before it.
84. The Tiger Woman (1945, Philip Ford) -
4/10 -
FIRST CHECK!
--- A cheap crime flick from Republic Pictures. Not to be confused with the serial of the same name which came out the previous year, in 1944, which it has nothing to do with this one, also from Republic Pictures! Didn't they have people in the office keeping control of titles and stuff?!
It's a very talky crime flick. Economic for the studio that way. So don't go expecting a great cinematic experience with this B-movie, but Kane Richmond smooth tough guy talking managed to elevate the pedestrian experience some. Adele Mara had her moments too.
1. The Woman in the Window (1944, Fritz Lang) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (7 lists)
2. Guest in the House (1944, John Brahm, John Cromwell, André De Toth & Lewis Milestone) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
3. The Falcon in Mexico (1944, William Berke) - 4/10
4. The Falcon in Hollywood (1944, Gordon Douglas) - 5/10
5. Lady in the Death House (1944, Steve Sekely) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
6. Voice in the Wind (1944, Arthur Ripley) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
7. Murder My Sweet (1944, Edward Dmytryk) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (6 lists)
8. The Mask of Dimitrios (1944, Jean Negulesco) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
9. Experiment Perilous (1944, Jacques Tourneur) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
10. Mordets melodi [Murder Melody] (1944, Bodil Ipsen) - 4/10
11. The Whistler (1944, William Castle) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
12. The Mark of the Whistler (1944, William Castle) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
13. When Strangers Marry (1944, William Castle) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
14. Strangers in the Night (1944, Anthony Mann) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
15. Seven Doors to Death (1944, Elmer Clifton) - 3/10
16. Shake Hands with Murder (1944, Albert Herman) - 4/10
17. Dark Waters (1944, André De Toth) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
18. The Suspect (1944, Robert Siodmak) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
19. Destiny (1944, Reginald Le Borg & Julien Duvivier) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
20. Bluebeard (1944, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
21. Christmas Holiday (1944, Robert Siodmak) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
22. The Hairy Ape (1944, Alfred Santell) - 5/10
23. Dangerous Passage (1944, William Berke) - 3/10
24. Dark Mountain (1944, William Berke) - 4/10
25. Port of 40 Thieves (1944, John English) - 4/10
26. Hotel Reserve (1944, Lance Comfort, Mutz Greenbaum & Victor Hanbury) - 5/10
27. The Scarlet Claw (1944, Roy William Neill) - 7/10
28. The Pearl of Death (1944, Roy William Neill) - 7/10
29. Crime by Night (1944, William Clemens) - 4/10
30. Enter Arsene Lupin (1944, Ford Beebe) - 5/10
31. The Missing Juror (1944, Budd Boetticher) - 5/10
32. Address Unknown (1944, William Cameron Menzies) - 6/10
33. One Mysterious Night (1944, Budd Boetticher) - 4/10
34. The Falcon in San Francisco (1945, Joseph H. Lewis) - 5/10
35. Confidential Agent (1945, Herman Shumlin) - 7/10
36. Circumstantial Evidence (1945, John Francis Larkin) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
37. Dangerous Intruder (1945, Vernon Keays) - 3/10
38. The Man in Half Moon Street (1945, Ralph Murphy) - 4/10
39. Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion (1945, Arthur Dreifuss) - 4/10
40. Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (1945, Arthur Dreifuss) - 5/10
41. Pillow of Death (1945, Wallace Fox) - 5/10
42. The Great Flamarion (1945, Anthony Mann) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
43. Escape in the Fog (1945, Budd Boetticher) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
44. Two O'Clock Courage (1945, Anthony Mann) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
45. Cornered (1945, Edward Dmytryk) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
46. Dillinger (1945, Max Nosseck) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
47. Crime, Inc. (1945, Lew Landers) - 4/10
48. Apology for Murder (1945, Sam Newfield) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
49. Johnny Angel (1945, Edwin L. Marin) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
50. The Power of the Whistler (1945, Lew Landers) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
51. Voice of the Whistler (1945, William Castle) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
52. Hangover Square (1945, John Brahm) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
53. Danger Signal (1945, Robert Florey) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
54. Spellbound (1945, Alfred Hitchcock) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (8 lists)
55. Leave Her to Heaven (1945, John M. Stahl) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (9 lists)
56. Mildred Pierce (1945, Michael Curtiz) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (14 lists)
57. Main Street After Dark (1945, Edward L. Cahn) - 3/10
58. Strange Illusion (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
59. Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945, Robert Hamer) - 6/10
60. Scarlet Street (1945, Fritz Lang) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (9 lists)
61. The Phantom of 42nd Street (1945, Albert Herman) - 4/10
62. The House on 92nd Street (1945, Henry Hathaway) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
63. The House of Fear (1945, Roy William Neill) - 7/10
64. Fallen Angel (1945, Otto Preminger) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
65. The Lost Weekend (1945, Billy Wilder) - 8/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (16 lists)
66. The Lady Confesses (1945, Sam Newfield) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
67. Allotment Wives (1945, William Nigh) - 5/10
68. Dick Tracy (1945, William Berke) - 5/10
69. Jealousy (1945, Gustav Machatý) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
70. The Fatal Witness (1945, Lesley Selander) - 4/10
71. Grissly's Millions (1945, John English) - 4/10 - FIRST CHECK!
72. Midnight Manhunt (1945, William C. Thomas) - 3/10
73. Lady on a Train (1945, Charles David) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
74. Conflict (1945, Curtis Bernhardt) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
75. The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945, Robert Siodmak) - 6/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (2 lists)
76. The Strange Mr. Gregory (1945, Phil Rosen) - 5/10
77. Detour (1945, Edgar G. Ulmer) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (15 lists)
78. The Unseen (1945, Lewis Allen) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
79. Bewitched (1945, Arch Oboler) - 5/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
80. The Spider (1945, Robert D. Webb) - 4/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
81. My Name Is Julia Ross (1945, Joseph H. Lewis) - 7/10 - OFFICIAL CHECK (1 list)
82. The Brighton Strangler (1945, Max Nosseck) - 6/10
83. Sensation Hunters (1945, Christy Cabanne) - 3/10
84. The Tiger Woman (1945, Philip Ford) - 4/10 - FIRST CHECK!