Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan, and Wonders in the Dark readers…
WitD readers, I’ am so happy that Sam Juliano, so graciously, let me use his blog Wonders in the Dark as a platform to announce the give away of two autograph copies of authors Eric Beetner’s and J.B.Kohl’s just released mystery novel…“One Too Many Blows To The Head.”
I hope to return to Wonders in the Dark and post information about the contest shortly, but in the meantime, I was very fortunate to discuss with author Eric Beetner, which boxing films are his favorite(s) and which ones were most forgettable.
Therefore, Wonders in the Dark readers, as you wait for details about the contest…Please let author Eric Beetner, author J.B. Kohl, Sam Juliano, and Allan Fish know which boxing films are your favorites and which ones were forgettable.
One Too Many Blows to the Head Was Written by Authors Eric Beetner and J.B. Kohl… …And is a Mystery Novel and is published by Second Wind publishing’s Dagger Books series.
In order to view the book trailer just click on the words…BookScreening…Authors Eric Beetner and J.B. Kohl’s book…“One Too Many Blows To The Head” BOOKSCREENING…Author Eric Beetner and J.B.Kohl’s book “One Too Many Blows To The Head.”
Synopsis:Kansas City, 1939…… One story from two points of view: the hunter and the hunted. Ray Ward – seeking revenge for his brother’s death in the boxing ring. Detective Dean Fokoli – hot on a killer’s trail. Ray’s hunt takes him underground into Kansas City’s criminal nightlife. Dean Fokoli lives there full time but he’s on the run from his own troubles. Two men racing forward to collide like a knockout punch.A razor-edged story of revenge, redemption and what happens when you confront the ghosts of the past.
About the Authors: Author Eric Beetner 
Author Eric Beetner’s Hometown:Los Angeles About Me:I am a writer and film maker in Los Angeles. I have several short stories currently published on the web and two novels that I am shopping. I am also a staff writer for the Noir City Sentinel – the news letter of the Film Noir Foundation. I also administrate their myspace page so come on by.
Please Check out author Eric Beetner’s blog if you want to find out how to pick up several copies of his just released book “One Too Many Blows To The Head.”
Website:http://ericbeetner.blogspot.com/ Books And Authors I Like:Raymond Chandler, J.B. Kohl, Cornell Woolrich, Joe R. Lansdale, Eddie Muller, Megan Abbott, pretty much anything by Hard Case Crime, Jason Starr, Richard Powell, Scott Smith, Steve Brewer, Victor Gischler, Sara Gran, Donald Westlake, Ken Bruen, Elmore Leonard, Allan Guthrie so many more… Movies And TV Shows I Like:Film Noir.Visit the Film Noir Foundation myspace page which I run… myspace.com/filmnoirfoundation
Where to find my writing… All my online stories can be linked to from my website ericbeetner.blogspot.com and my novel One Too Many Blows To The Head (co-written with JB Kohl) can be found after October 1st at Amazon or any online book retailer or please, please order it from your local mom n’ pop bookstore.
To get it directly from the publisher go to secondwindpublishing.com Eric Beetner’s Blog Release party & signing!
—Release date for the novel! We have a due date for this little baby. On October 1st One Too Many Blows To The Head will be available for you to get your grubby little hands on.
Jennifer (my co-author) and I are SO excited to finally release the book on the world. We’ve already gotten some great feedback including this amazing blurb from the always fantastic Megan Abbott:“One Too Many Blows to the Head feels like… Continue
Author J.B.Kohl 
Kohl is an avid reader of all fiction, especially noir. She began writing professionally in 2006. Her first book, The Deputy’s Widow, is available at all online bookstores. In October of this year, she completed her first co-written novel, an urban crime story set in 1939 Kansas City. The book, entitled One Too Many Blows To The Head, was co-written with writer/producer, Eric Beetner, who lives and works in L.A. The sequel to The Deputy’s Widow, entitled A Finger Too Few, is near completion.
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan, Eric, J.B. Kohl, and WitD readers…
…As a rule I really do not like watching boxing films, but Eric and J.B. Kohl, here goes a few films with “boxing” as a theme that I did enjoy watching tremendously and they are:
1. Wise’s The Set-Up (1949)
2. Kubrick’s Killer Kiss (1955)
3. The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933)
4. The Harder They Fall (1957)
5. Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980)
6. Rocky (The first one)
7. Golden Boy and
8. Million Dollar Baby are on my list of boxing films to watch very soon!
DeeDee
Given my penchant for noir, my fave fight movies: Body and Soul (1947) , The Set-Up (1949), City for Conquest (1940), and The Harder They Fall (1956).
Gotta love 1 and 2.
What a fabulous post Dee Dee!!!
Great having J.B. Kohl and Eric Beetner on hand.
I would have to agree with Tony and yourself Dee Dee on the pre-eminence of Robert Wise’s THE SET-UP among boxing films, and of course RAGING BULL. I think CHAMPION (1949) is also a major work in this genre, and can be count Dassin’s NIGHT AND THE CITY as a fil m that qualifies?
I will have more to say tomorrow.
Thanks again, Dee Dee
Hi! Tony,
As I touch my right temple with my right pointer finger and repeat these words:The City of Conquest (Which is listed over there on IMDB in the category of drama and film noir.)…
…This is the third film that you have recommended since last week inadvertently, but of course that I plan to purchase and watch for the first-time.
I have already purchased In the Valley of Elah and The Bela Lugosi boxset….(Oops! I know Sam Juliano, I should have waited until I talked to you, before purchasing the latter films.)
DeeDee
DEE-DEE-I don’t think there is such a thing as a BOXING movie. For sure, there are many movies made since the medium of film began that feature boxing as a pastime or a profession but, like any so-called SPORTS movie, the real center of the film has nothing to do with sport at all. BOXING films, traditionally, are mostly about hard-knock lives looking for that last chance at the brass ring or redemption for a failed life. Boxing might be present in the story and the main character may be a boxer, but rarely are the films about boxing. A film like CHARIOTS OF FIRE is really more a film about religious faith than running and PRIDE OF THE YANKEES is more a biography on Lou Gherig than it is on Baseball. RAGING BULL is often sited the greatest BOXING movie of all, but a real look at the film is a story about a human animal unable to connect with the people and the world around him. I have a hard time understanding what is meant by the term SPORTS movies, BOXING movies, etc…
Dennis, I see your point, but I do believe “boxing” as such, is a general categorization. It usually masks some other more important themes at hand as it does in both RAGING BULL and THE SET-UP for example.
Hey DeeDee. City for Conquest is pure melodrama and probably not considered great cinema by the likes of Allan, but it is a great “Hollywood” picture full of pathos and an essential decency and respect for the working people. Jimmy Cagney and Ann Sheridan are both sublime. A “weepy” full of integrity.
I love Arthur Kennedy in it, Tony, but for Cagney and Sheridan, I prefer Torrid Zone the same year.
Yes Allan, Kennedy is great too. I have to try and find Torrid Zone – must be over 30 years since I saw it.
It’s on R1 as a stand alone, Tony. It’s not great, but it is fun. Sheridan is smokin’
Since the first three posts covered any boxing film I would have mentioned, I must posit that boxing as a visual thing to me, is forever indebted to the career of George Bellows. Singularly, his ‘Stag and Sharkey’s’ is always in my mind when boxing is thought of or watched. It’s at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where I grew up and I must say it’s something to behold in person. Also his, ‘Both Members of this Club’ is mesmerizing.
Dennis to a degree you have a point, but the essential meaning here refers to movies that have boxing as the central metaphor, and one can very rightly talk about boxing movies.
Tony, I agree with you 100% here. You have such a great way with words and concepts.
Also, ‘Gentleman Jim’ (1942, d. Raoul Walsh) is a decent boxing film with Errol Flynn in the lead role.
Excellent addition there Jamie!
Love that film. No masterpiece, but God that scene with Flynn and Bond with the belt at the end was something to even bring a tear to my rotting carcass.
CONTINUED… So Dee-Dee… If you’re looking for a brief list, then I am happy to ablige you. Robert Wise’s THE SET UP immediately comes to mind. I’d also rank ROCKY high up there as well (although the story is more about a redemption in life and a love story as well). SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME isn’t the greatest boxing film ever, but the central performance by Paul Newman is dazzling. I’ll say THE QUIET MAN by John Ford as its protagonist (John Wayne) is a retired fighter and the film boasts the greatest and most exciting fist-fight in film at the end. However, RAGING BULL takes the top slot. Scorsese’s paralyzing analysis of inner human combustion is legendary and Robert DeNiro’s spot on portrayal still haunts viewers old and new. Hope this is what you were after, Dee-Dee. Talk soon.. Smiles, Dennis
TONY-Oh, I know… But I had to get that out of my system. It just maddens me that films can be categorized BASEBALL or BOXING. Then again, if a film were ever made that is solely about a sport they’d have to hand out pillows at the ticket counter. Yes, there are genres. HORROR, DRAMA, SCIENCE FICTION, but they cover a wide girth of possibilities. BOXING or WRESTLING??? No such thing. If you wanna get technical. I know whatcha mean though, Tony. Thanx, Dennis
“…As a rule I really do not like watching boxing films, but Eric and J.B. Kohl, here goes a few films with “boxing” as a theme that I did enjoy watching tremendously and they are…”
Hi! Dennis,
Thanks, for the explanation…because as I stated earlier I usually do not watch films with “boxing as a theme.”
Dennis said, “Boxing might be present in the story and the main character may be a boxer, but rarely are the films about boxing.”
Dennis, I ‘am well aware of that fact, especially after reading Tony D’Ambra’s reviews on his blog site…and several film noir and mystery books that focus on the “psyche” of some doom laden protagonist in films and books with boxing as the central theme.
As a matter of fact, while discussing films with boxing as a theme with author Eric Beetner, he pointed out a documentary that I have never watched, but have heard about called…When We Were Kings’ which focuses on the sport of boxing…specifically.
Dennis, believe me if you “hang” around as many mystery writers, as I do you would know that I know that when the subject of boxing is present it is usually used as the catalyst that set the theme (The subject matter) in motion in films and books that deal with the darker side of human nature. By the way, did you watch the book trailer to Eric and J.B. Kohl book?
If so, you will see that the book is not only about boxing…per se, but the seedier, darker side of human nature too.
DeeDee
Tony said,“City of Conquest is
“pure melodrama”…
“full of pathos”
“an essential decency”
and “respect for the working people.”
Jimmy Cagney and Ann Sheridan are both “sublime…”
…A “weepy” full of integrity.”
Hi! Tony,
I guess those key “elements” are enough for me to seek this film (City of Conquest) out to watch very soon too.
Thanks, Tony
DeeDee
If there is a film solely about boxing and what its like to be a boxer, then I guess there is really only one film to mention: Stanley Kubricks documentary DAY OF THE FIGHT (1953?) Made when Stanley was still finding his way as a film-maker, it follows a day in the life of middle-weight fighter Walter Cartier. Kubrick had seen the young man bout it out while doing a photo piece for LOOK magazine (Kubrick was the youngest staff photographer in the magazines history, LOOK signed him up when he was only 16 years old), and his fascination with the sport and Cartier were deemed perfect subjects by Kubrick for a first film. If the film doesn’t whet the appetite for information on the sport, it will dazzle you with its amazing editing, sensational black-and-white cinematography and expert camera work during the fight moments (all designed and executed by Stanley himself). Its a hard to find film but worth it if your a fan of boxing or a fan of Kubrick. I love it because you can see Kubrick’s massive talent budding.
DEE-DEE, Duly noted. I wasn’t trying to step on your toes, nor was I trying to say that you didn’t know that BOXING films are rarely about boxing. I was merely stating that SPORTS as a genre in film is very widely girthed. SPORTS in general can mean deep melodramas where the SPORT is secondary to the plot or charater analysis. I was just defining my thinking on what the definition of BOXING or SPORTS is, pertaining to film. Anyway, above are my choices of my favorite BOXING films. I also swept a little dust off an old BOXING documentary by Stanley Kubrick, DAY OF THE FIGHT, that I thought you might find interesting. Hope your well. Your Friend, Dennis
Fair enough Dennis. I see what you are implying here.
SAM-dont know if you noticed… But, there is a spelling mistake in the TITLE card to this post. The title of the book is ONE TOO MANY BLOWS TO THE HEAD. Its not ONE TWO…
“DEE-DEE, Duly noted. I wasn’t trying to step on your toes, nor was I trying to say that you didn’t know that BOXING films are rarely about boxing.
Good-Morning, Dennis,
Oh! No, I didn’t think that you were being “patronizing”…not at all…
I’ am Just kidding around with you…
“…I was merely stating that SPORTS as a genre in film is very widely girthed.”
Dennis, I know exactly what you were trying to say…
…I was just was pointing out not only to you, but to all the readers, who read my comment(s) too that I’ am well aware of the fact that [some] films with boxing as the theme did not always focus on boxing “specifically” in the films.
In addition, I’ am well aware of the fact, that the theme of boxing as mentioned in the aforementioned films [sometimes] played a secondary role in the plot development.
Take care!
DeeDee
I’ll have to go with “Raging Bull,” but “The Set-Up” would be a close second.
1 Raging Bull
2 The Set-Up
3 On The Waterfront (I believe this qualifies)
4 Fat City
5 The Champ (1932)
6 When We Were Kings
7 The Harder They Fall
8 Requiem For A Heavyweight
9 Million Dollar Baby
10. Rocky
Sorry to say I have not seen “City of Conquest”.
I must say Peter, you made some excellent choices there, though I’ll admit I have never been a fan of MILLION DOLLAR BABY nor CINDERELLA MAN myself.
Peter, I much prefer the later re-make of The Champ with Ricky Schroeder, directed by Franzo Zeffirelli.
Oh God, Sue, wash your mouth out.
Thank you so much for the mention of our book. I’m glad it sparked some discussion of boxing films. I am a Set Up fan but I, too, would like to include Night and the City at least on the outskirts. (not as many wrestling movies as boxing films)
I like the inclusion of On The Waterfront too. Good call.
I think anyone who likes a good boxing story, and a good detective tale, will like the book.
Thanks again for the attention. Good luck to people in the giveaway.
Eric Beetner
co-author One Too Many Blows To The Head
Eric, we are all honored here at WitD for having the opportunity to post this excellent endeavor. And thanks of course to Dee Dee, who is actually part of the site by any barometer of measurement. This turned out to be one fantastic post, and I’ll be sure to visit your site ASAP. Thanks so much.
Thank God someone mentioned FAT CITY, and though not a great THE GREAT WHITE HOPE deserves a mention. But let’s chuck a few in from left field. CITY LIGHTS, ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS and FIGHT CLUB.
Need another from left field? How about Buster Keaton’s 1926 ‘Battling Butler’, which is a very, very funny film. Like all the films with Buster Keaton…
Oh and Ken Burn’s decent ‘Unforgivable Blackness’ from 2004 about boxer Jack Johnson.
How about ‘Diggstown’ with Louis Gossett and james Woods from 1992? (Not that great sure, but it’s boxing heavy).
I’m ecstatic that no one has mentioned the putrid ‘Ali’ by M. Mann… I guess it’s a reminder to me why I come here; nothing but top notch film lovers here.
That Keaton, which I watched recently, is a fantastic choice Jamie! And DIGGSTOWN too!!!!
Hi! Author Eric Beetner and (author) J.B.Kohl,
Eric, Thanks, for taking time out of your schedule to stop by Sam Juliano’s and Allan Fish’s blog site Wonders in the Dark in order to thank them (Sam Juliano and Allan Fish) for being gracious host and featuring the unveiling of yours and author J.B.Kohl’s book and leaving such a kind and friendly, message to the readers here at Wonders in Dark.
Thanks,
DeeDee
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan Fish, and Wonders in the Dark readers…
Sam Juliano, Thank-you, for being so very accommodating and gracious when it comes to sharing blog time not only with your friends, but any or everybody who have a message that the want to get out in public.
Believe me I appreciate the kindness that you, have shown to not only me, but also all your fellow bloggers that you have met since you create Wonders in the Dark.
Sam Juliano and Allan Fish once again thank-you very much for showing me such kindness.
DeeDee
You are welcome Dee Dee. Your own kindness is always the inspiration.
Forgot about these: Someone Up There Likes Me (Paul Newman 1956), They Made Me a Criminal (John Garfield 1939), and Kid Galahad (Edward G Robinson 1937).
Regarding the debate around “boxing” movies, it is worth mentioning how Wise’s The Set-Up includes a commentary on boxing as a “spectator” sport: the arena is brilliantly filmed with focused and repeated shots on selected spectators, which portray not only the excitement, but also the unadorned mob brutality, that reaches fever pitch as the fighters struggle to a climactic finish. Also in Mark Robson’s The Harder They Fall (1956), Bogart in his last role also includes fight fans in a denunciation of the “sport”, telling the boxer Toro when trying to persuade him to throw his championship fight to avoid getting hurt: “What do you care what a bunch of bloodthirsty, screaming people think of you? Did you ever get a look at their faces? They pay a few lousy bucks hoping to see a man get killed. To hell with them! Think of yourself. Get your money and get out of this rotten business.” Another cynical touch is the scene where the mob “accountant” insists on itemising the “deductibles” from the million dollar take on a fight leaving the hapless boxer with $49.07 after “overheads”. And there is the sad real-life skid-row interview of the black brain-damaged ex-boxer, Joe Greb, which was not scripted or rehearsed.
Another interesting aspect of The Setup and Rossen/Polonsky’s Body and Soul (1947), is the radical treatment of race. In the The Set-Up there is a black boxer, who responds to Stoker’s friendliness, with a heart-felt wish of good luck, after winning his own fight. In Body and Soul, the black actor Canada Lee plays the sympathetically drawn ex-boxer Ben, whose death is a defining moment in the movie. A sad irony is the destruction of the careers of Polonsky, Garfield, and Lee by the HUAC witch-hunt only a few years later. Garfield died prematurely in 1952 at the age of 39 as the HUAC blacklist finally took its toll on his ailing health.
Superb and fascinating enrichment on THE SET-UP here Tony. (and BODY AND SOUL too) That is tragic what they did to Garfield.
PETER-ALLAN… UGH!!!!!!!! How could I forget ON THE WATERFRONT?????? Geez! Senility must be setting in or I caught it from Sam. CITY LIGHTS!?!?! What a wonderful film to be considered. The fight sequence is, arguably, one of Chaplins funniest and most amazingly choreographed. It truly dazzles. FIGHT CLUB-Right On!!!!! I’m so glad you brought this one into the spot. Aside from its themes on anarchy and fascism, its the core idea of man bringing himself back to his purest primortial state, through fighting and pain, that really rings poetic with this film. The fight scenes may also be the best created since RAGING BULL. Great choices guys!!!!
Oh we forgot another Brad Pitt vehicle, ‘Snatch’ which entire plot rests on the outcome of a boxing match! Endless films!
Hi! Peter and Tony,
@ Peter…Peter said, “Sorry to say I have not seen “City of Conquest.”
Peter *no worries* I know where I can get you a copy and send it on to Sam Juliano, in order for him to send it to you. (That is if it’s alright with you…)
@Tony…Torrid Zone, is available over there on amazon.com, but only as part of the James Cagney Signature Collection. However, if you want a single copy of the film…just let me know.
By the way, your very detailed description of what goes on after the lights goes down is what makes boxing not such a “glamorous sport,” but something almost akin to a “meat market”(body) and the selling of a man (woman…) (soul.)
DeeDee
Although I’m not a fan of boxing as a sport, I’ve found myself drawn by several films about boxing in the last few years, so was very interested to see this thread and read all the comments. I still haven’t seen ‘The Set-up’ but hope to before too long – must agree that ‘Body and Soul’, ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ are all very powerful and give disturbing pictures of the sport and the surrounding corruption.
I’m another fan of ‘City for Conquest’ and think it is definitely Cagney’s finest boxing film, but he did play boxers in a couple of others which are quite interesting too – ‘Winner Take All’, a very early and rather uneven comedy-drama where he has a fake nose for much of the movie, and ‘The Irish In Us’, no masterpiece but fun if you like seeing Cagney and Pat O’Brien together. He also plays an ex-boxer turned trading standards officer in the poverty row movie ‘Great Guy’, which I love – and he played a retired boxer in his very last movie, ‘Terrible Joe Moran’, which used some footage from ‘Winner Take All’, though I must admit I haven’t steeled myself to watch that one yet.
Some great choices Judy, and I well remember your terrific review of CITY OF CONQUEST! Cagney and O’Brien together is always a special treat, methinks.
My social life and schedule is scheduled according to and around boxing as necessary… no matter how pathetic that sounds, that’s how addicted I am to the sport. For a short stint a few years ago, I was actually covering the sport for an online boxing site and was able to cover some major title fights, which was a thrill. My top two boxing movies are very easy choices: RAGING BULL and BODY AND SOUL. Raging Bull I voted #1 in the 80s poll here and I have always thought that Body and Soul is my favorite John Garfield performance.
Dave, I never realized for were such a huge boxing fan! Well, as you and others note here there are more than a few outstanding entries in this genre.
I’ll go with Raging Bull at the top too, but I agree with Tony, Sam, Dee Dee and others that The Set-Up is near the top in this category. Cinderella Man is a good contemporary choice.
I am not a fan of your third choice there Frank, but I know I am in the minority.
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan, and WitD readers…
…How very apropos that this is the year of actor Robert Ryan’s 100th Anniversary since his birth and since somewhat of a consensus has been reached that director Robert Wise’s 1949 film The Set Up…
…is one of the favorite boxing film among the readers here at Wonders in the Dark…Here goes a little information about him (actor Robert Ryan) and his films…
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk25/darkcitydame_2008/CaughtMagnum.jpg
Below is a very interesting article that I discovered on a film noir message board focusing on that film noir icon Robert Ryan…
…By the way, this month on TCM they will be featuring some of actor Robert Ryan’s films…in honor of his centennial…100th Anniversary,
THE LINK TO THE ARTICLE…
FILM NOIR ICON ROBERT RYAN DAUGHTER SHARES MEMORIES OF HER FATHER
November 08, 2009 (FILM NOIR)
8:00 PM House of Bamboo (1955)
An Army investigator infiltrates a Tokyo crime syndicate to solve a colleague’s murder. Cast: Robert Ryan, Robert Stack, Shirley Yamaguchi. Dir: Samuel Fuller. C-103 mins, , Letterbox Format
November 10, 2009
6:00 AM Her Twelve Men (1954)
A dedicated teacher turns around the troublesome students at a boys’ school. Cast: Greer Garson, Robert Ryan, Richard Haydn. Dir: Robert Z. Leonard. BW-91 mins, TV-G, CC
8:00 AM Nick Ray’s Born To Be Bad (1950) FILM NOIR ?!?
An ambitious girl steals a rich husband but keeps her lover on the side. Cast: Joan Fontaine, Robert Ryan, Mel Ferrer. Dir: Nicholas Ray. BW-90 mins, TV-PG, CC
Born To Be Bad…You Can Watch The Film In its Entirety Over There On YouTube…
10:00 AM Best Of The Badmen (1951)
A band of notorious outlaws help a friend against a corrupt federal agent. Cast: Robert Ryan, Claire Trevor, Robert Preston. Dir: William D. Russell. C-84 mins, TV-PG, CC
11:30 AM Back From Eternity: (If I’am not mistaken I think that this is the third of three remakes of this film.) (1956)
When an airliner crashes in the jungle, the repaired plane can only hold five of the survivors. Cast: Robert Ryan, Anita Ekberg, Rod Steiger. Dir: John Farrow. BW-97 mins, TV-PG, CC
1:30 PM Racket, The (1951) (FILM NOIR)
A tough cop has to fight his superiors in order to battle the mob. Cast: Robert Mitchum, Lizabeth Scott, Robert Ryan. Dir: John Cromwell. BW-89 mins, TV-PG, CC
3:00 PM On Dangerous Ground (1951) (FILM NOIR)
A tough cop sent to help in a mountain manhunt falls for the quarry’s blind sister. Cast: Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Ward Bond. Dir: Nicholas Ray. BW-82 mins, TV-PG, CC
4:30 PM Beware, My Lovely (1952) (FILM NOIR)
A widow discovers her handyman is an escaped mental patient. Cast: Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Taylor Holmes. Dir: Harry Horner. BW-77 mins, TV-PG, CC
6:00 PM Clash By Night (1952) FILM NOIR
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe. Dir: Fritz Lang. BW-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
Note: Wise’s 1949 film “The Set-Up” is not being featured in the line-up
The 1949 film The Set-Up
O.M.G.
This is a sensational post. Utterly spectacular and overwhelming!!!!!!!!!
Hey DeeDee. Born To Be Bad (“It’s just a sex attraction”) is an unusual Nick Ray film and is not really a noir. It is more a classy melodrama. In a savoury twist Robert Ryan and Zachary Scott play the saps to Joan Fontaine’s charming gold-digger, who gets away clean in a new sports sedan with a pile of furs on the back seat. Me, I have a crush on the luminous Joan Leslie as the good girl. Fluid cinematography from Nicholas Musuraca, sumptuous art direction by Albert S. D’Agostino, and Friedrich Hollaender’s elegant score add value.
Hi! Tony,
I agree with you wholeheartedly, when you say…“it is not really a noir.
Personally, I really do not know what category to place this film in… For instance, author Spencer Selby, list it as a film noir in his book Dark City: The Film Noir (On Page 133) and over there on IMDB it received a 6.9 rating out of 10 and categorized as a Drama/Film Noir.
However, in his book The Lost World of Film Noir: Dark City author Eddie Muller, described director Nick Ray’s film as a ” tired soaper.” (On page 187.) (I shrug my shoulders…
)
DeeDee
I’ve counted ‘Born to be Bad’ as one of the one or two Ray’s I’ve haven’t seen (he’s a personal favorite), but now DeeDee has provided a link where I can at least watch it on youtube. A million thank yous to you!
I saw his ‘Johnny Guitar’ on the big screen this weekend. I have seen it three times before but never like that, I glided home my feet never hitting the pavement.
Tony said, “Joan Fontaine’s charming gold-digger, who gets away clean in a new sports sedan with a pile of furs on the back seat.”
Personally, I think that she lost the most important things that should have mattered in her life…her Aunt, her Uncle friendship and trust, (it seems like…forever).
Her husband actor Zachary Scott’s and all the material things in life that she acquired after marrying him, but most importantly, the man she truly was in love with.
Who told her “she could not have him and her husband’s money” and in end she even lost her portrait.
By the way, author Spencer Selby, referred to her (actress Joan Fontaine) as a femme fatale in his book.
DeeDee
DeeDee, my take is of course different.
Christabel loves no-one, she loves money and social position, and her every action is calculated to those ends. She is coldly manipulative and narcissistic. She cares not a fig for her aunt or anyone else – even when she knows her Aunt is dying she has no compunction in using her as a cover for an illicit tryst. She is a close cousin of Eve of All About Eve. The only man she is almost honest with is the artist Gobby who is dispensable as he has no money and is gay.
It is not a film noir. No crime is committed, and Christabel does not use surrogates in her schemes, which are not criminal in intent. As she admits to Nick, her relationships with men that don’t have any dough are are just “sex attraction”. She is a female “heel” who uses men like many men use women, and which has been the stuff of melodrama since the term was invented, but she is no femme-fatale. As for Spencer Selby, I have disagreed with him before…
Hi! Jamie,
You’re very welcome!…It appears as if the person who uploaded or posted the videos for the film Born to Be Bad over there on youtube posted the film in its entirety from 1-9…
DeeDee
Hi! Tony,
Tony said, “She is a female “heel” who uses men like many men use women, and which has been the stuff of melodrama since the term was invented…”
Of course, you are correct in your evaluation of Christabel…
…Which I agree with 100%…I was just pointing out what should have really mattered in her life, but after rewatching the last two videoclips over there on youtube …I would venture to say that your summation of actress Joan Fontaine’s character Christobel is…correct.
“but she is no femme-fatale…”
Maybe, you are correct in stating that Joan Fontaine’s character Christobel isn’t a femme fatale, but after a little (and I do mean very little research I discovered these four categories of a femme fatale courtesy of Wikipedia…)
The phrase femme fatale is French for “deadly woman”… and I reached the conclusion
…that Joan Fontaine’s Christabel, and Windsor’s Sherry Peatty in Kubrick’s “The Killing,” could easily fit into category one.
Category 1.
A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, and sexual allure.
Typically, she is exceptionally well-endowed with these qualities. In some situations, she uses lying or coercion rather than charm.
Personally, I believe that both Joan Fontaine and Marie Windsor’s characters exhibited some of these traits in “the Ray’s” “Born To Be Bad” and Kubrick’s “The Killing” respectively,…I would also venture to say that Ava Gardner’s Kitty from Hemingway’s “The “Killers,” would fit easily into this category also…
Category 2.
…She may also be (or imply to be) a victim, caught in a situation from which she cannot escape; actress Rita Hayworth in “The Lady from Shanghai (a 1948 film noir)” giving one such example and Lana Turner in “The Postman Ring Twice…perhaps.”
Category 3.
Rita Hayworth in “Gilda” although I wouldn’t refer to her character as villainous.
Although typically villainous, femmes fatales have also appeared as antiheroines in some stories, and some even repent and become heroines by the end of the tale.
Category 4.
The femme fatale, that tortures her lover in an asymmetrical relationship, denying confirmation of her affection. She usually drives him to the point of obsession and exhaustion so that he is incapable of making rational decisions…I would venture to say that actresses…
…Barbara Stanwyck, in Double Indemnity…Ava Gardner in The Killers and Jane Greer in “Out of the Past” would probably fit into this category.
DeeDee