Customer Reviews

Film Noir Double Feature (They Live by Night / Side Street)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"They Live By Night" and "Side Street" are film noirs in which ordinary, flawed men try to extricate themselves from a web of crime and deceit created by their own momentary foolishness. In both cases, the protagonist is pursued by both the law and the hoodlums. "They Live By Night" was shelved for 2 years before it could get a US release, but both films were made under the aegis of executive producer Dore Schary, first at RKO, then at MGM. They both pair actors Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell as sympathetic, if naïve, young couples hurting for money. Curiously, both films establish the narrative's sympathy for its acutely imprudent protagonist from the outset, by means of a prologue or voiceover. I wonder if that is Schary's political activism at work.

"They Live By Night" (RKO 1948) is based on Edward Anderson's novel "Thieves Like Us", adapted for the screen by director Nicholas Ray. Three "lifers" break out of a prison farm. The career criminals T-Dub (Jay C. Flippen) and Chickamaw (Howard Da Silva) bring Bowie (Farley Granger), an enthusiastic but naïve young convict, with them, intending that he be their driver on bank heists. The threesome take temporary refuge with T-Dub's brother and niece Keechie (Cathy O'Donnell). Keechie barely hides her distaste for the thugs but is attracted to the sweet and handsome Bowie. Bowie hopes that they can live well and in peace with his share of a bank job, and the couple run away together. But the police and his partners in crime have other ideas.

Some of the first shots in this film are of a car on a country road photographed from a helicopter. There are more aerial shots later in the story, also of a car. These may have the first helicopter shots to follow a particular object in a commercial film. The storyline is a basic "fugitive couple" variety, on the run with brief interludes of bliss. It has a Depression-era feel, as that's when the novel was written. But "They Live By Night" is distinguished by the extraordinary authenticity of the everyday life scenes and its compassion for two young people on the fringes of society. Rural, poor, not very bright, and from strange, isolated backgrounds, Keechie and Bowie are the extreme of Southern white trash and perhaps too ignorant to realize it.

"Side Street" (MGM 1950) gives the initial impression of a police procedural but is a thriller revolving around a genial mailman sucked into the world of thugs and floozies on account of one moral lapse. Joe Norson (Farley Granger) has recently lost his business and had to move his family in with his in-laws. Doing the rounds one day as a part-time mail carrier, Joe sees a man in a law office stash $200 in a filing cabinet. The next time he delivers mail to that office, he steals a file containing the money, hoping to save his pregnant wife (Cathy O'Donnell) the indignity of delivering their baby in a public clinic. But the file actually contains $30,000, the loot from a blackmail and murder scheme. Now the crooked lawyer's sociopathic henchman Georgie (James Craig) and the police are after him.

This film also opens with a helicopter shot, a breathtaking straight-down view of Manhattan. A car chase near the end of film is one of the few I've seen in New York City, also shot partly from a helicopter, and it is pretty spectacular. "Side Street" spends a lot of time on the streets of New York and is a wonderful document by cinematographer Joseph Ruttenberg of how the city looked mid-century. The style is docudrama. The title may refer to the archetypal, inconspicuous working class family that lives down many a street and whose frustrations engender Joe's predicament and the audience's sympathy. Joe doesn't begin in the underworld, but flees to the noir world of betrayal, dark alleys, nightclubs, and chaos in order to track that money down.

The DVD (Warner 2007): There are no scene selection menus. Both films have an audio commentary and featurette. "Side Street" also has a theatrical trailer. "They Live By Night: The Twisted Road" (6 min) interviews film critics, film noir scholars, and Oliver Stone about the film and its themes. The audio commentary for "They Live By Night" is by film noir historian Eddie Muller and actor Farley Granger. They discuss how the film made it to the screen, its delayed release, Ray's direction, the camera work. Granger shares his memory of making the movie. "Side Street: Where Temptation Lies" (6 min) interviews critics and others about Anthony Mann, the cinematography, and themes. The audio commentary for Side Street" is by Richard Schinkel, who discusses the photography, characters, actors, director, screenwriter, and story. Subtitles are available for both films in English SDH and French.

Nicholas Ray's directoral debut, "THE LIVE BY NIGHT" (1948) is a poignant, noirish love story not unlike the much later "BONNIE AND CLYDE."

But the real gem in this double-feature DVD is Anthony Mann's "SIDE STREET" (1949), a gritty, compelling, crime drama that is a true film noir.

It follows the downward spiral of sympathetic, naive and desperate Farley Granger -- a letter carrier with a pregnant wife -- after he steals some money from a pair of very bad guys. Granger stashes the money with a "friend" and then decides to give it back -- but the friend has hit the road with the loot. The bad guys Granger stole from aren't amused. They are unrelenting in their pursuit of Granger.

The movie goes all the way with the premis. There's a terrific, extended, car chase that is strikingly photographed, perhaps a first of it's kind in a drama and clearly a model for the one in "BULLET."

This is a satisfying, taught film with beautifully composed, stark, BW location cinematography in lower Manhattan that perfectly matches the story. Location as metaphor! Highly recommended.

This is an excellent package, combining a true classic of the genre with a rarer piece with which it shares a lot of common connections.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is the first screen telling of the novel, THIEVES LIKE US, remade in the 70s with great skill by Robert Altman, This one has a more conventional style from the late forties, but both are totally effective depictions of a pair of young lovers on the lam.

Very moving, tragic. Well performed, all around. The Altman version is one of the best 70s films and this one is every bit as impressive. A lot has been made of its connections to BONNIE AND CLYDE, but unlike those outlaws, these two kids are total innocents, and the two actors are completely believable.

The commentary is good, although not extraordinary. The film historian brings up good points, but Granger doesn't really have many meaningful things to add. Still, it's worthwhile; I'm very glad they chose to have a commentary track.

SIDE STREET is an MGM "B" that had the same two actors, filmed in 1950, two years past NIGHT. It's very nice;
again the leads are totally innocent-types who end up in a maelstrom of trouble due to one false step. It was totally new to me, so I found it to be a perfect bookend to the earlier film. Commentary here was fine, too.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is an impressive film, even moreso when one considers that it was Nicholas Ray's directorial debut. It emphasizes romantic love, or perhaps the desperate, ill-fated attempt of romantic love to win out in a noirish universe. There isn't too much in the noir canon like it; at least nothing that springs readily to mind, perhaps bits of Frank Borzage's MOONRISE (1948). There was definitely no borrowing from MOONRISE though, as THEY LIVE BY NIGHT was actually completed in 1947, and left unreleased until 1949. It was held up because Howard Hughes was in the process of buying the struggling RKO.

The first scene Ray ever shot professionally, involved the ground-breaking use of a helicopter to capture an action scene. As the opening credits role, we see this scene. It depicts the three convicts (Bowie (Farley Granger), Chickamaw (Howard Da Silva), and T-Dub (Jay C. Flippen)) fleeing in a stolen car. And Ray was wise enough to insert a tender ethereal scene of the two young lovers (Bowie and Keechie (Cathy O'Donnell)), to begin the film. It emphasizes both the serenity of the first moments, and the movement and vitality of what follows.

The story revolves around Bowie, who was imprisoned at 16 for his part in a robbery that also involved a murder. He, and the much older Chickamaw and T-Dub have broken out of prison together. Bowie has an extremely weak character, and he is rather naive. Though he wants to clear his name, instead he gets into more trouble ... robbing banks, and being again involved with murder. He attempts to run away with Keechie; to flee from both the police and Chickamaw and T-Dub. But he finds that it isn't so easy to do.

SIDE STREET was made in 1950 by MGM. Apparently, the leads were reunited due to the success of the 1949 release of THEY LIVE BY NIGHT. Again, Granger's character (Joe Norson) gives in to weakness. Norson is a part-time mail carrier who, in a moment of temptation, breaks into a filing cabinet with an axe. He believes there are a few hundred dollars being stored there by a lawyer. But what he gets is $30,000. Unknown to Norson, it is a blackmail payment. When he tries to pay the money back, and fails to do so, the criminal element comes calling. By this time, the police also become aware of the situation, and it becomes a bit of a race to find Norson. A chase ensues, which culminates in one of the most exciting, and well-filmed (all on location in New York City by cinematographer Joseph Ruttenberg) finales captured on celluloid. A triumph for director Anthony Mann.

The films are a bargain on this single DVD, which can be purchased as a single or in the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4. My only complaint about the extras, which are plentiful, is that Farley Granger did not have more to say on the THEY LIVE BY NIGHT commentary. The image and audio are fine; they could use a future restoration, but are not bad enough to complain about, in my opinion.

This is a review for the film noir double feature DVD of
the movies THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT and SIDE STREET. Both films
star Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell in memorable performances.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is Nicholas Ray's film directing debut
and SIDE STREET is on of Anthony Mann's earlier lesser known films
but no less adroit than his famous film series with James Stewart.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is the more sensational of the two films, being
something of a Bonnie & Clyde-like movie but SIDE STREET certainly
has it's fine points and I'm glad that it is in print as well.

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT. (1949) concerns three convicted murders who escape from their rural prison
and go on a crime spree involving the no account brother of one of the cons along with his doe eyed daughter, played by Cathy O'Donnell,
who eventually gets romantically involved with the youngest of the convicts, played by Farley Granger. Neither one has any actual social experience and young love blooms on the run while each of the older convicts meets his fate. From then on THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is all about the youngest con who realizes way too late that his hope for a pardon escaped with the jail break.
Both Farley Granger and especially Cathy O'Donnell bring a lot of pathos to their roles because both their characters believe that what they are doing is their only chance to have a life for themselves.

Based on Edward Anderson's Depression era classic novel, "Thieves Like Us." A fine film, a fine book,
worth seeing and reading. With Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, Jay C. Flippen, Howard daSilva, Will Wright, Helen Craig.


SIDE STREET (1950) Joe Norson, played by Farley Granger, is a part time letter carrier who wants more money to pay for his pregnant wife's medical bills . When Joe comes across what he thinks is a file folder with $200 he steals it only to find out a little later that he has a folder with $30,000 in it. He quickly wraps it up to look like a gift and gives it to a local bartender to hold for him for a week or so.
Upon return Joe discovers that the bar has been sold, and they only have a package that looks like the one with the $30, 000. so Joe plays detective and searches for the bartender, former owner and gets into
an even bigger mess with the original "owners" of the $30,000, blackmailers and murders, climaxing in one spectacular shootout/ car chase
on the streets of New York City.

SIDE STREET is a really well done film, beautifully shot mostly on location in 1950 NYC with excellent performances by Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, James Craig, Paul Harvey, and especially Jean Hagen.
SIDE STREET boasts top flight direction from Anthony Mann and fine work by cnematographer Joesph Ruttenberg.

I can't recommend either film highly enough and give the whole package five stars
without hesitation..

Warner Home Video presents "THEY LIVE BY NIGHT & SIDE STREET" (1948/1950) (177 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- This classic film noir collection contains a double feature pairing RKO's They Live By Night and MGM's Side Street, both starring Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell.

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe Hollywood crime dramas that set their protagonists in a world perceived as inherently corrupt and unsympathetic -- Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s -- Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography, while many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression -- the term film noir (French for "black film"), first applied to Hollywood movies by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unknown to most of the American filmmakers and actors while they were creating the classic film noirs -- the canon of film noir was defined in retrospect by film historians and critics; many of those involved in the making of film noir later professed to be unaware at the time of having created a distinctive type of film.

First up we have "THEY LIVE BY NIGHT" (1948) (95 min. B/W) -- Starring Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen & Helen Craig -- Directed by Nicholas Ray

In the '30s, three prisoners flee from a state prison farm in Mississippi. Among them is 23-years-young Bowie, who spent the last seven years in prison and now hopes to be able to prove his innocence or retire to a home in the mountains and live in peace together with his new love, Kitty. But his criminal companions persuade him to participate in several heists, and soon the police believe him to be their leader and go after "Bowie the Kid" harder than ever.

They Live by Night has since gained stature as one of the most sensitive and least-predictable entries in the film noir genre. The film was based on a novel by Edward Anderson, and was director Nicholas Ray's first feature.

BIOS:
1. Nicholas Ray [Director]
Date of Birth: 7 August 1911 - Galesville, Wisconsin
Date of Death: 16 June 1979 - New York City, New York

2. Cathy O'Donnell [aka: Ann Steely]
Date of Birth: 6 July 1923 - Siluria, Alabama
Date of Death: 11 April 1970 - Los Angeles, California

3. Farley Granger
Date of Birth: 1 July 1925 - San Jose, California
Date of Death: Still Living

Second on the double bill "SIDE STREET (1950) (82 min. B/W) -- Starring Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, James Craig, Paul Kelly, Jean Hagen, Charles McGraw, Adele Jergens, Harry Bellaver & Whit Bissell -- Directed by Anthony Mann

Joe Norson, a poor letter carrier with a sweet, pregnant wife, yields to momentary temptation and steals $30,000 belonging to a pair of ruthless blackmailers who won't stop at murder. After a few days of soul-searching, Joe offers to return the money, only to find that the "friend" he left it with has absconded. Now every move Joe makes plunges him deeper into trouble, as he's pursued and pursuing through the shadowy, sinister side of New York.

BIOS:
1. Anthony Mann [Director]
Date of Birth: 30 June 1906 - San Diego, California
Date of Death: 29 April 1967 - Berlin, Germany

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 177 min on DVD ~ Warner Home Video ~ (07/31/2007)

"They Live By Night" (1948) and "Side Street" (1950) feature the twin pairings of Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnel in early film noir. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, "film noir" refers to a film genre with certain stylistic (night shots, rain, shadow) and plot (femme fatale, ordinary person makes a bad choice, fatalistic ending) conventions. Film noir had its roots in German expressionism and films like "The Blue Angel" (1929) and "M" (1931) as well as American gangster films like "I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" (1931) and "Scarface" (1932). Following WW 2, American films reached France where the audiences had a chance to watch several films together. When they saw "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "Double Indemnity" (1944), "Laura" (1944), "Murder My Sweet" (1944) and "Window in the Window" (1944), they coined the term "film noir" to refer to films that highlighted the seamy side of life and carried a cynical message.

Farley Granger (1925 -) made his film debut in 1943 ("North Star") and is best known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock in "Rope" (1948) and "Strangers on a Train" (1951). He made dozens of films before transitioning to TV where he continued to work until 2001. In his autobiography he said "They Live By Night" was his favorite film along with "Strangers on a Train".

Cathy O'Donnell (1923-70) is little remembered today, but in the 40s and 50s she was a busy actress in films like "Detective Story" (1951) and "The Man From Laramie" (1955). I remember her best as the wife of the double amputee in "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) although she is celebrated for her 7 film noir roles.

"They Live By Night" is the prototype of the "couple on the run" films of which "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) and "Badlands" (1973) are the most famous. It is Nicholas Ray's (1911-79) first film as a director, and as such it probably has been reviewed more favorably than it deserves. Ray is best known for "Rebel Without a Cause" (1956) for which he received an Oscar nomination. He also received a Cannes Film Festival nomination for "The Savage Innocents" (1960) and Venice Film Festival nominations for "Bitter Victory" (1957) and "Bigger than Life" (1956). My absolute favorite Ray film is the western "Johnny Guitar" (1954). But none of Ray's considerable skills are on view in this 1948 film, although as a first effort it is impressive.

Ray was consumed with the theme of love and especially young love, and equally enthralled by the role of the rebel. One can view "They Live By Night" as a darker version of "Rebel Without a Cause".

"They Live By Night" was inspired by a 1937 novel called "Thieves Like Us" (a re-make of this film by Robert Altman in 1974 used the original title). That novel, in turn, was inspired by the true life story of Bonnie and Clyde, which launched its own series of films.

The cast of characters includes Howard Da Silva and Jay C Flippen.

Howard DaSilva plays a one eyed psychopath. He appeared in more than 60 films, and gave memorable performances as Ben Franklin in "1776" (1972), FDR in "Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover" (1983), and Khruschev in "The Missles of October" (1974).

Jay C. Flippen appeared in nearly 100 films, often with James Stewart ("Winchester 73", "Strategic Air Command", "The Restless Breed") and John Wayne ("Jet Pilot", "Hellfighters"). In the 60s he turned to TV where he appeared in dozens of westerns.

The sparse production can be credited to John Houseman who learned economy working with Orson Welles. Houseman had been heavily involved in several Orson Welles' productions and learned how to spend frugally. Following World War 2 Houseman turned his attention to production and made nearly 20 films, including "The Blue Dahlia" (1945), "On Dangerous Ground" (1952) also directed by Ray, "Julius Caesar" (1953) and "Lust for Life" (1956).

George Diskant is the cinematographer. Diskant worked with Houseman and Ray in 1952's "On Dangerous Ground". Diskant has several film noirs to his credit, including "Port of New York" (1949), "The Racket" (1951) and "Beware my Lovely" (1952). He turned to TV in the 50s and worked on Peckinpah's "The Westerner" as well as "Rifleman."

The NY Times' Bosley Crowther called it A commonplace little story... told with pictorial sincerity and uncommon emotional thrust." He praised the "good, realistic production and sharp direction by Nicholas Ray" and said that Granger "gives a genuine sense of nervous strain and is wistful and appealing."

Although Farley Granger lists "The Live By Night" as one of his favorite films, and while it has been praised by Francois Truffaut as Ray's best movie, I'm at a loss to see what they see. The film skates the boundaries of film noir, but never really settles in. The cinematography is interesting, but never really challenges you. There is a motley cast of characters, but they are generally on screen for too short a time to make much of an impact. All things considered, this is a good film for a first time director, but beyond that, it has limited appeal.

"Side Street" features Granger and O'Donnell in a film directed by Anthony Mann and produced by Sam Zimbalist.

Granger plays a gas station attendant who steals $200 from a lawyer's office to pay for the new expenses for his pregnant wife (O'Donnell), but it turns out he stole $30,000 which is part of a scheme involving extortion and a sex scandals. This sets in motion a series of events involving multiple murders, double crosses, femme fatales, and a relentless police investigator.

The cast includes Paul Kelly, King Donovan, and Harry Bellaver.

Grim Paul Kelly (1899-1956) plays the detective. He started in the silent film days and made more than 100 films between 1911 and 1957. He's best known for playing Warden Duffy in "Duffy of San Quenton" (1954) which is kind of curious since Kelly served 2 years for manslaughter (1927-9), but I remember him best as the determined man in "The High and the Mighty" (1954).

Harry Bellaver (1905-93) plays a cab driver, a role he also played in "The House on 92nd Street". Bellaver started in films in 1938 and made dozens of films. He's best remembered as Detective Frank Arcaro from "Naked City" (1958-63).

Square jawed James Craig (1912-85) plays an ex con.He appeared in more than 50 films and was most popular in the 40s when he appeared in "Kitty Foyle" (1940), "The Human Comedy" (1943), and"Kismet" (1944).

Anthony Mann (1906-67) was nominated 3 times by the DGA ("El Cid", "Men in War", "The Glenn Miller Story"). He directed 44 films between 1939 and 1968 and is best remembered for his work in film noir and in western, especially the ones he made with Jimmy Stewart in the 50s. Many of Mann's film have a strong tendency toward sadism.

Joseph Ruttenberg (1889-1983) was nominated for an Oscar 10 times and won 4 times - "The Great Waltz" (1938), "Mrs. Miniver" (1942), "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1952), and "Gigi" (1958). Personally I preferred "Gaslight" (1944).

The NY Times called it "a fair enough crime picture" and praised Granger "who makes a vividly terrorized lad," but said "it can only be fully recommended to those who have a deep and morbid interest in crime." The film is notable for its on location shooting in New York and a chase scene that remains one of the screen's finest.

There are a plethora of film noir movies from the late 40s and early 50s. My personal favorites are "DOA" (1949) with Edmund O'Brien, "The Killers" (1946) with Burt Lancaster in his film debut, "Sorry Wrong Number" (1948) with Barbara Stanwyck, Nic Ray's "In a Lonely Place" (1950) with Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, "Angel Face" (1953) with Jean Simmons and Robert Mitchum.

The packaging of these two Granger/O'Donnell films may not be the best representatives of the film noir of this period, but it is interesting to see the two actors paired in the same genre so close to each other.

These 2 films are clear as the day they were shown in the theatres.... however they are definitely (B) movies the entertainment value is not much... However I can enjoy an old movie with no apparent plot just for the ambience of the time.... I love old Black & White movies and there are less and less people around to appreciate this lost art.

****1/2 1948. THEY LIVE BY NIGHT is an adaptation of Edward Anderson's Thieves Like Us. Co-written and directed by Nicholas Ray. An escapee falls in love with a young girl, marries her and tries to reach a place where he could start a new life. Nicholas Ray's first movie is a one of a kind film noir that should be in every movie lover's library. The director is more interested in the description of the relation between Cathy O'Donnell and Farley Granger than in the usual film noir clichés; for instance, note that none of the two bank heists are shown to us. Indispensable.

According to Silver and Ward's encyclopedic "Film Noir", MGM bought Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell together again in "Side Street" to capitalize on the success of "They Live By Night". The two films are distinctly dissimilar. TLN is dark and gloomy, shot in rural locations, often at night, with the ending predictable. SS is better lit, accents distinct New York City daytime locales and maintains suspense to the end. While both feature the vulnerable young couple (Granger and O'Donnell), TLN is highly emotional. SS is strangely detached, even including a police narration (!) with an air of a semi-documentary. In both O'Donnell and Granger are 2 good people in a distinctly hostile world where young folks get few breaks. Both releases feature tough criminals but the black hats in TLN are harder cases. In each film, Granger commits a foolish crime when the viewer "knows" he is not a hardcore bad guy. Nicolas Ray maintains a more even pace over 95 minutes in TLN while Anthony Mann forces a frenetic atmosphere over just 83 minutes for SS. Mann also includes 68 (!) characters. Why? There are key scenes: TLN has that scene in the bus station diner that is pure genius. SS shines when a desperate Granger tries to return the stolen loot only to find he can't! One movie has a vastly happier resolution than the other, but a good review would never divulge! One complaint: How does Granger seem so clean in SS just after being beaten up? Didn't his scars heal rather quickly? This reviewer recommends both releases to noir fans but gives the nod to "They Live By Night". Mr. Ray simply maintains a more consistent motif. This reviewer believes that Mr. Mann could have let "Side Street" safely run 90 minutes, allowing the viewer to stay even with the action rather than racing to keep up with it. SS ends with a wheeling police chase through lower Manhattan, ending at the Stock Exchange. Natives will recognize that it was timed for an early Sunday or holiday morning when no one was in the streets. It would have been a trip for Mann to shoot that during a busy weekday!