Released - August, 1953 

Directed By - Joseph M. Newman

Starring – Jeanne Crain (Ruth Stanton Bowman), Michael Rennie (Dr. Paul Manning), Max Showalter (Jim Logan), Carl Betz (John Bowman).

Description – Ruth and John Bowman board the SS Monrovia in New York for a honeymoon cruise to Europe. They will occupy cabin B-16.

They arrive at their cabin to find stewardess Anna Quinn arranging some flowers. Shortly after, John tells Ruth that he has to leave some money with the purser and will meet her in the bar in fifteen minutes.

Ruth heads for the bar and as the time passes there is no sign of her husband. She approaches the purser and asks if her husband has been to see him. The purser says no, and when checking the passenger list can find no record of a John Bowman.

The purser also states that Ruth has checked in under the name Ruth Stanton and her cabin is B-18. Believing this to be a mistake, Ruth goes back to cabin B-16 only to find the door locked. After asking a steward to open the door for her she finds the cabin empty.

Ruth’s confusion and mounting fear cause her to faint. When she awakens, she is with ships Doctor Paul Manning. Aware of her claims, Dr. Manning asks Ruth if anyone has seen her with her husband and can substantiate her claims.

Ruth tells him that yes she and her husband were seen on the gangplank when boarding the ship and by the stewardess in cabin B-16. However, when this information is investigated by the ships Captain and Dr. Manning the gangplank officer says he did see Ruth, but she was alone, and stewardess Anna Quinn says she was never in cabin B-16.

No one believes her story. Confused and frightened, Ruth receives a mysterious late night phone call from her husband John telling her to trust no one and that they both are in a great deal of danger.

What’s going on and why? Is any of this real, or has Ruth gone mad?

NOTABLE: Dangerous Crossing was shot on the same set used for the films Titanic, Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, and A Blueprint For Murder. 

Buy Here Dangerous Crossing (Fox Film Noir)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - June, 1953 

Directed By - Samuel Fuller

Starring – Richard Widmark (Skip McCoy), Jean Peters (Candy), Thelma Ritter (Moe Williams).

Description – The subway was crowded, and she was an easy mark for a skilled pickpocket like Skip McCoy. Taking the purse of Candy was the easy part; things will get a whole lot more difficult from here.

Unknown to Skip, inside Candy’s purse was a piece of top-secret microfilm that was to be passed by Candy to a Communist agent. Candy was just doing a favor for her ex-boyfried and didn’t know just what it was, or how important it is.

Also unknown to both Candy and McCoy was the fact that Government agents were watching her every move, knew of her destination, and saw McCoy take her purse.

When McCoy learns of the importance of just what he is in possession of he starts to get ideas. Meanwhile, Candy learns of McCoy’s whereabouts through Moe Williams, a police informer, and sets out to get the microfilm back through seduction.

Her efforts bring on another complication as she finds herself falling in love with McCoy. As for McCoy, he now has the Government agents, and the Communists agents hot on his trail. Personally, he has no favorite and hopes to give the microfilm to the first party to come up with $25,000.

However, this pickpocket may have bitten off more than he can chew.

NOTABLE: Pickup On South Street received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter).

Director Fuller turned down a number of more famous leading ladies for the role of Candy. They included Marilyn Monroe, Ava Gardner, Shelly Winters, Betty Grable, and initially Jean Peters. However, while having lunch in the studio’s commissary and metting Peter’s once again, Fuller realized she was perfect, He liked her intelligence, spunkiness, and her ability to play different roles convinceingly.

The initial script was ruled as unacceptable by the Production Code due to “excessive brutality and sadistic beatings, or both men and women.” Script revisions were necessary to get approval.

The entire film was shot in 20 days.

Personal Note: A great job by Director Samuel Fuller and the excellent cast. This is a very good Film Noir, suspenseful, tough, and violent. 

Pickup on South Street – Criterion Collection

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - April, 1953 

Directed By - Ida Lupino

Starring – Edmond O’Brien (Roy Collins), Frank Lovejoy (Gilbert Bowen), William Talman (Emmett Myers).

Description – Buddies Roy Collins and Gilbert Bowen are off on a fishing trip to Mexico. Along the way they come across a stranded motorist who is trying to hitch a ride.

The pair decide to help the stranded motorist out and pick up the hitch-hiker. However, this is not your ordinary hitch-hiker. It’s Emmett Myers, an escaped convict, sociopath, psychotic murderer. These are not the only good Samaritans to cross the path of Myers in his efforts to elude authorities. The others are dead.

Myers is working his way to a ferryboat in Baja, California to complete his escape, and right from the start he lets Roy and Gilbert know that they will both be dead before the end of the trip. Myers takes great delight in threatening and sadistically taunting the men along the way.

For Roy and Gilbert, their only hope is to stay alive long enough to attempt an escape of for the Mexican authorities to find them.

NOTABLE: In 1998, The Hitch-Hiker was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

The film is based on the true story of psychopathic murderer Billy Cook who in California in 1950 murdered a family of five along with a traveling salesman. Cook then kidnapped two prospectors and took them to Mexico to kill them. He was captured before being able to carry out this plan.

This motion picture is the first American made Film Noir to be directed by a woman.

The films general release tagline was “When was the last time you invited death into your car?”

Personal Note: A suspenseful little Film Noir thriller. Good acting by the lead trio, especially the work of William Talman. If you ever wondered where the expression to “sleep with one eye open” came from, this has to be it.

A great job by Talman as the creepy, brutal killer who never closes his right eye – even when sleeping.

The Hitch-Hiker

The Hitch-Hiker (1953) [Remastered Edition]

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - January, 1953 

Directed By - Henry Hathaway

Starring- Marilyn Monroe (Rose Loomis), Joseph Cotten (George Loomis), Jean Peters (Polly Cutler), Max Showalter (Ray Cutler).

Description- After a long delay, Ray and Polly Cutler finally go Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. Upon arriving they find that the cabin they reserved in already occupied by George and Rose Loomis.

Politely, the Cutler’s accept another cabin and begin to get acquainted with George and Rose who seem to have an unhappy marriage. Rose is a beautiful woman and is quite a bit younger that George. Her beauty seems to be part of the problem as George is very jealous and definitely has anger management issues. Their is some hint that he has just been released from a mental hospital.

George may indeed have something to worry about as Polly witnesses Rose kissing a younger man. Rose has not attracted this younger man just for fun. She plans on using him in a plan to murder her husband Ray. Say hello to infidelity and greed.

Her plan is carried out, with big one problem. It’s not George who ends up dead, but rather the young man.

Rose now fears for her own life, Polly recognizes the dead man as the person she saw kissing Rose, and just what does George now have planned?

NOTABLE: Niagara, along with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How To Marry A Millionaire are the films that solidified Marilyn Monroe’s status a a legitimate box-office draw.

Although having a co-starring role, Marilyn Monroe was still under contract with 20th Century Fox as a stock player. For this film she received a smaller salary than her make-up man.

Unlike a traditional Film Noir, Niagara was filmed in Technicolor and proved to be one of the 20th Century Fox’s biggest hits of the year.

Niagara

Marilyn Monroe Special Anniversary Collection (The Seven Year Itch / Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Niagara / River of No Return / Let’s Make Love / Marilyn – The Final Days)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store

Released - August, 1952 

Directed By - David Miller

Starring – Joan Crawford (Myra Hudson), Jack Palance (Lester Blaine), Gloria Grahame (Irene Neves), Bruce Bennett (Steve Kearney).

Description – Successful Broadway playwright Myra Hudson is looking for a “romantic leading man” to star in her next production. Ambitious actor Lester Blaine badly wants the role, but is rejected by Myra for not having the right look for the role.

In an effort to prove her wrong, Lester meets up with Myra on a train bound for San Francisco and sets out to romance her. Not only does his plan work, he totally sweeps Myra off her feet and after a brief courtship she marries him.

After the marriage, Lester learns of Myra’s plans to draw up her will leaving most of her fortune to a foundation. In an effort to stop this, and maintain himself as the primary beneficiary, Lester and his mistress Irene Neves plan to murder Myra.

Myra discovers their plan and comes up with a plan of her own. However, she is unable to carry her plan out and leaves her life hanging in the balance. 

A suspenseful film of blind love, disillusionment, and fear.

NOTABLE: This motion picture was nominated for four Academy Awards; Best Actress in a Leading Role (Joan Crawford), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Palance), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.

Sudden Fear

Film Noir – The Dark Side of Hollywood (Sudden Fear / The Long Night / Hangmen Also Die / Railroaded / Behind Locked Doors)

Enjoy browsing the Hollywood Movie Memories Film Store