Customer Reviews

Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume Five (Cornered / Desperate / The Phenix City Story / Deadline at Dawn / Armored Car Robbery / Crime in the Streets / Dial 1119 / Backfire)

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

 

 

While I can't vouch for any of the movies in this set I'm sure they're up to the usual Warners standard. The last set had 10 films all with commentary. The below description is taken from Turner Classic Movies website and does not list all of the special features but does give a description of the films (all are in glorious black & white):

Cornered (1945):
From England to continental Europe to Buenos Aires, ex-RCAF pilot Dick Powell stalks the Nazi collaborator who murdered his bride. But one fact constantly surfaces during his quest: no one can describe the mysterious man. Joining Powell in the film shadows are the director and other key talent behind Murder, My Sweet of the year before.

Special Features: Cornered trailer.
Runtime: 102 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 4x3 1.37 standard aspect ratio
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

Desperate (1947):
Desperate is the first of seven atmospheric noirs directed by Anthony Mann. Steve Brodie is a postwar every man who accepts what he thinks is an honest trucking job, only to find he's the driver in a botched heist that puts Brodie and his bride (Audrey Long) on the run from the cops and the cons who planned the job (including chief thug Raymond Burr).

Runtime: 73 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 4x3 1.37 standard aspect ratio
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

The Phenix City Story (1955):
Corruption, brutality and vice plagued Phenix City, Alabama, for 100 years, so who would dare to change it? Based on real-life events and filmed on location in what was called Sin City USA, director Phil Karlson's semi-documentary tells the jolting tale of those who risked their lives to bring the burg's syndicate of thugs and murderers to justice.

RT: 100 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 16x9 Widescreen 1.77
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

Dial 1119 (1950):
An asylum inmate escapes to the city, where he takes hostages at a local dive, guns down a bar employee and warns authorities his captives will be next if the doctor whose testimony first put him away doesn't arrive within the hour. A bit of casting irony goes with the movie's then-novel use of TV news coverage: actors Marshall Thompson, William Conrad, Keefe Brasselle and Leon Ames would have significant career ventures in television.

Special Features: Includes Dial 1119 theatrical trailer.
RT: 75 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 4x3 1.37 standard aspect ratio
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

Armored Car Robbery (1950):
Richard Fleischer directs this brute-force milestone about a deadly heist and the battle of wits and firepower between a fugitive gangster (William Talman) and his stripper moll (Adele Jergens) and a bulldog cop (Charles McGraw), out to avenge his partner's death, who uses hidden microphones, lab work and his own well-honed instincts to close the net.

RT: 68 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 4x3 1.37 standard aspect ratio
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

Crime in the Streets (1956):
Following a turf rumble with a rival group, a street gang leader (John Cassavetes) tells his gang to do what they've never done before: kill a snitch. Reginald Rose wrote and Don Siegel directs a jazz-riffing screen version of a tale first seen on TV and co-starring James Whitmore and Sal Mineo.

RT: 91 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 16x9 Widescreen 1.77
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

Deadline At Dawn (1946):
A gangster's sister lies dead. All clues point to sailor Bill Williams as the murderer. Slated to depart for duty at dawn, the swabbie, aided by good-hearted dime-a-dancer Susan Hayward and affable cabbie Paul Lukas, has mere hours to prove his innocence. The tangy Clifford Odets script is based on a novel by William Irish (pseudonym of Cornell Woolrich).

RT: 83 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 4x3 1.37 standard aspect ratio
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

Backfire (1950):
Vincent Sherman directs this gripping yarn about recovering war veteran Gordon MacRae's quest to prove pal Edmond O'Brien innocent of murder. Aiding him is his resourceful nurse Virginia Mayo. And a secretive doctor, a lively undertaker, a desperate gambler, a dying witness and a haunting Viennese melody all lead them to a shocking climax.

RT: 91 minutes
Rating: NR
Film Specs: B&W 4x3 1.37 standard aspect ratio
Language: English Mono
Subtitles: English

While I'm always happy to see the release of more film noirs on DVD, many films are being sold under that black umbrella that do not fit the category. Criminal activity alone does not make a film noir as in the case of "Crime in the Streets." It's a good film about juvinelle delinquents but like some of the others here lacks the fundamental basics of noir which is "The protagonist is f*#ked" Think "Double Indemity" "Out of the Past" "The Postman Always Rings Twice" "The Killers" "Detour". Three films here,'Deperate" "Cornered" and "Armored Car Robbery" fit the category. Don't get me wrong, these are fine crime films and Warners always does a good job with the extras and clean prints. I would recommend this set to anyone who enjoys tales from the dark side of the street. I will be buying it myself.

There are no commentaries to any of these noir flicks. It is extremely sad because people like Alain Silver, Eddie Mueller,Roger Ebert ,etc. add other information and insights that you could not possibly get by just watching the movie.This is the first Warner set that does not have this added feature and I truly feel cheated. Being the first review I have ever written and most likely my last, I was really looking forward to watching these great movies again with a film historian discussing little known facts and interesting aspects of each movie that would never be uncovered with just another viewing. C'est la vie!!

Well, I know I'm going to get some comments about how I'm being OCD and anal retentive and should find better ways to spend my time than writing reviews on Amazon about the packaging of/extras on DVDs. But...I have to say that it's somewhat frustrating that Warners can't make up its mind about how to package and present this series in a cohesive way across the volumes. Those of us spending the bucks on these volumes are COLLECTORS and as such would appreciate Warners choosing one plan of action regarding packaging style and generosity of extras and staying with it. Those who don't care can rent these films on Netflix whenever they want. For volumes 1 and 2, we had the choice of buying the complete amray case box set or picking which films we wanted to buy individually. For volume 3, the packaging changed to slim cases and the films were not offered for sale individually. For volume 4, the movies were packaged as amray case double features and not sold individually, and for volume 5 we now go to the box set slipcase format, which of course precludes invidual sale of the movies entirely. In addition, the extras have been inconsistent across the series, with no commentaries on the films for volume 5 being an especially disappointing new development for us rabid noir fans (and who else frankly cares about these lesser known noirs, really?). If I had to choose, I'd say Warners did their best and most generous job with volume 4, offering amray case double features of 10 films with loads of extras, including - most importantly - expert commentaries from known noir experts. Will the above issues about packaging/content keep me from buying volume 5? Probably not, because the films aren't available elsewhere, but I haven't been in a hurry. So...go ahead with the anal comments if you must likewise spend your time less than productively, but packaging IS part of what makes me buy a product on Amazon or elsewhere, and Warners just seem to be unable to make up their mind about how to handle this great series (of films, I mean) with any sense of continuity or understanding of their fan-driven audience. As for the films, I won't quibble about what films count as purely "noir" or not - all of these films are worth a look and as usual are well-presented in terms of picture and audio quality (I have viewed, but not yet bought for myself, volume 5, so I'm not just reviewing the product without checking it out). But...consistency in this series (and if someone is going to use that hobgoblin quote in a reply, get it right) would be nice.

I don't think most of the reviewers have actually watched the films, or they wouldn't be passing out 4 or 5 stars. When you watch them you realize that less than half of them are even close to film noir and even the best films here are only mediocre. Cornered, Desperate, Armored Car Robbery,and Phenix City Story are fairly good films that are noirish in nature. The other four are poor films with ridiculous storylines that have no place ever being released again. They're just filler I guess. The reason there are no commentaries is because no one would have much to say about most of these films. All this for almost $40 is too much. I own the first four volumes in this series and they are vastly better than these.

The film noir genre emerged right after World War II and flourished into the early 1950's. French for "black film," movies of this type were usually low-budget, shot in black and white, featured seamy characters from the underside of life, and were set in dark streets, cheap hotel rooms or boarding houses, and back alleys. Although they were made largely as programmers to fill the bottom half of a double feature, many have stood the test of time because of their edginess, vivid characters, and gritty plots.

"The Film Noir Classic Collection, Volume 5" is a four-disc box set containing eight film noir pictures. Though all are decent movies with strong plots, vivid characters and better-than-average performances, they don't quite live up to the term "classic," despite the title of the collection.

"Cornered" (1945) stars Dick Powell -- who had made the transition from musical juvenile to more dramatic fare the year before in "Murder My Sweet" -- as an ex-RAF pilot stalking the Nazi collaborator who murdered his bride. One fact constantly surfaces during his search: no one can describe the elusive man.

"Desperate" (1947) stars Steve Brodie as a post-war Everyman who accepts what he thinks is an honest trucking job only to discover he's the driver in a foiled heist that puts him and his bride on the run from both the cops and the convicts who planned the job. Raymond Burr plays the chief thug.

In "Armored Car Robbery" (1950), director Richard Fleischer ("Fantastic Voyage," "Tora! Tora! Tora!") serves up a tale about a deadly robbery and the battle of wits and firepower between a fugitive gangster (William Talman) and his stripper moll (Adele Jurgens) and a tough cop (Charles McGraw) out to avenge his partner's death, who uses hidden microphones, lab work and his own well-tuned instincts and intuitions to close the net on the perpetrators.

"Crime in the Streets" (1956) focuses on the aftermath of a turf rumble between two gangs. One of the leaders (John Cassavetes) orders his gang to do what they've never done before: kill a snitch. Reginald Rose (TV's "The Defenders") wrote and Don Siegel ("Dirty Harry") directed this screen version of a story that first aired on TV with James Whitmore and Sal Mineo starring.

The other movies in the collection are "The Phenix City Story" (1955), a tale of corruption in the deep South; "Dial 1119" (1950), about an escaped insane asylum inmate on the loose; "Deadline at Dawn" (1946), featuring a young Susan Hayward as a goodhearted dime-a-dancer; and "Backfire" (1950), which follows a recovering war veteran's quest to prove his pal is innocent of murder. The only bonus extras are theatrical trailers for "Cornered" and "Dial 1119."

I`m glad to see that this series is continuing, though I got a feeling that the number of commentaries (if any) are less than the last set. I`ll miss Eddie Muller`s engaging insight. I am familiar with a couple of these titles. The old RKOs..."Cornered" and "Deadline At Dawn". I like "D-A-D", because of the feel of one looong night on the streets of mid 40s Manhattan, and it keeps you in the dark till the very end. A good mystery, if not a strict noir, however, I would say that in each of these films there are characters that will meet their doomed ends. These titles come from such a deep vault. To the powers that be, I would like to recommend some old RKO titles that could possibly come out on future sets. Such as; "The Locket", "Stranger On The Third Floor", "They Won`t Believe Me", "Second Chance", "Road Block", "Strange Bargan", "Sued For Libel", "Destination Murder", "The Threat", "The Velvet Touch", "Nocturne", "Race Street", "Follow Me Quietly", and "The Window". Also of note "Berlin Express", and "Split Second", have already come out on Warner Archives. And "The House Across The Bay", has also been released elswhere. Thank you Warners.

Since I already own and enjoy the previous four volumes of the Warner Brothers Film Noir Classic Collection, this fifth volume was eagerly anticipated. Well, I've watched all eight films twice and the set turns out to be a decidedly mixed bag. As others have said, not all of these films are true noir and a couple of them were actually fairly lame. Here's what I like from first to worst:
1) Armored Car Robbery: This is the cream of the crop. Excellent noir, hardbitten characters, and no sentimental nonsense that interferes. Good story, great locations, strong performances.
2) The Phenix City Story: Not true noir but a gripping tale about city openly corrupt and controlled by a vicious cabal of ruthless criminals quick to murder anyone who seriously opposed them and to randomly thrash anyone suspected of thinking about it. It takes a few courageous men led by a crusading lawyer to finally bring real law and order to a town that had suffered under the criminal syndicate for a century. Best of all, the basic story is a true one. The lead-in interviews are distracting and obnoxious but the movie itself is a winner. Note black characters in sympathetic and even heroic roles, very unusual for the times. The protagonists and the antagonists play their roles to the hilt!
3) Desperate: Another good noir that has Raymond Burr in fine form as the ruthless head of a gang that tricks a truck driver into participating in a warehouse burglary that goes sour when a cop stumbles on the scene and is killed. The gang-leader's brother faces the death penalty and Burr wants the truck driver to take the rap...or else! The ending is sweet vindication for the driver and for justice.

Here's where it gets harder to choose...which is worst?
4) Dial 1119: Though hardly noir, I kind of enjoyed this tale of an escaped mental ward patient who seeks to kill the doctor who had him committed. He has no compunction about killing anyone who stands in his way because he believes his imagined war-time experiences have given him the right to kill. The lead man here does a credible job of acting deranged and will keep the viewer wondering who will be next to reap his wrath until finally the tables are turned on him.
5) Cornered: A convoluted tale of a man seeking the Nazi collaborator who killed his wife during the war. And the trail leads...to Argentina! Hard to follow at times, this film will take several viewings to figure out who is who and what is what.
6) Backfire: More of a romantic mystery with noirish touches, this movie has its share of odd twists but some of the goofy touches keep it from being the kind of movie it could be were it better written.
7) Deadline at Dawn: Unbelievably silly tale of a sailor, a dime-a-dance girl, a meddling taxi driver and a dead body. There is an element of romance here, but the sailor is hapless and hopeless and the taxi driver a pontificating fool. Where'd they dredge this one up?
8) Crime In the Streets: An almost unimaginably hokey tale of juvenile delinquency that threatens to blossom into outright criminality. Full of stock characters including the inevitable crusading do-gooder. The gang fight that opens the film is a joke and the film goes rapidly downhill from there. Give this rubbish one star.

Despite my misgivings about a couple of the films, overall I found the set enjoyable. But for the price, extras could have been provided. Commentary by industry insiders often elucidates that which seems dense and impenetrable. I am already looking forward to Volume 6. But please, Warner Brothers, make it a noir!

All the previous sets had commentary and I expected the same with this set. I wasted money in buying this set because except for Phenix Story, I have all the films, recorded in sharp black and white on dvd from TCM... and a few include an intro and some background from the host of that program. I look forward to knowing how a film came to be, the locations, actors, other people involved, etc. so I'm extremely disappointed.

I enjoyed re-watching the eight titles on DVD. Alas, there are only a couple of trailers and no commentaries. They should have hired Eddie Muller to discuss all eight. The two weakest titles in the collection are not film noir at all but merely crime-related titles, the myopic "Dial 1119" and the stagey "Crime in the Streets." Of the others, "The Phenix City Story" is particularly tense. The DVD includes "Phenix's" protracted documentary prelude.