ASK EDDIE - May 9, 2024

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this episode, we discuss Gloria Grahame’s best noir performances, “The Wrong Man”, anti-communist film noirs, Howard Hughes, and more. Anne answers a viewer’s question, “Which Columbo villain do you most wish would have gotten away with it?” We wind up with a discussion of the noir series ”Sugar” and “Ripley” as well as Patricia Highsmith. On the cat front, Emily and Charlotte are background players.
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This week’s questions:
1. What do you think is Gloria Grahame's best performance in a noir? I think the finalists are “In a Lonely Place” (1950), “Sudden Fear” (1952, poor title), and “The Big Heat” (1953). You might have others.-Bernie
2. Will TMC air “Angels with Dirty Faces”? Also, in the ending where Rocky is executed, do you think he acted or was he really hysterical?-Vincent
3. I recently watched the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Wrong Man" on Noir Alley TCM and was slightly perplexed, there was no murder in the movie, doesn't the definition of Film Noir hold that there must be a murder in the movie which gives the film higher life and death stakes and consequences? And what other films are considered Noir films that don't have a murder in them?-Greg, Lake Charles, Louisiana
4. The 1951 noir film “I Was a Communist for the FBI”, based on a series of articles in the Saturday Evening Post written by the real-life undercover protagonist played by Frank Lovejoy in the movie, is a straight-out propaganda piece. Since, as Eddie says in his book Dark City, “…every studio was making one…,” was this Hollywood’s gesture toward appeasing HUAC which had attacked so many actors, writers and directors? What are some of the other similar anti-Communist noirs from the same period?-Michael, Post Falls, Idaho
5. Last night, we watched “His Kind of Woman” with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. It was a wild ride. We looked up Eddie’s 2019 intro to the film and the after-film comments which filled in a lot of gaps and was so interesting. It occurred to me that Howard Hughes was the Elon Musk of his time. Rich, micromanages businesses, causes extra money to be spent, with the outcome dubious. Hughes was vindictive, such as blacklisting women who rejected him, like Jane Greer. The parallels can go on and on. Thoughts?-Joan
6. I became a fan of Jane Russell after seeing her in the two film noirs she did with Robert Mitchum, “His Kind of Woman” and “Macao”. I finally got to see “The Las Vegas Story”, her third film. A side story common to “Woman” and “Las Vegas” involves a young couple who get into trouble and are then helped by the protagonist. In both movies, the young bride thanks the protagonist by kissing him on the lips, with the consent of her groom and in front of Russell’s character. For both movies the scenes avoid being too cringey and yet seemed awkward for their inclusion. Was it just a movie cliché of the time period to make the protagonist seem more heroic and attractive to a younger woman? I know that Howard Hughes produced all three movies and was notorious for his meddling and I wondered if he had a hand in it. What are your thoughts? Are you aware of any interesting behind the scenes trivia for these movies you can share? -Jon & Margy , Claremont, CA
7. In 1948 Joseph L Mankiewicz directed “Escape” with Rex Harrison and Peggy Cummins. As I understand it Mankiewicz saw this film as a stepping stone on his way to become a real auteur, which he achieved with “Letter to Three Wives” the following year. I guess this explains why “Escape” has been so overlooked, or do you have any other explanation? But he saw the film he directed before “Escape”, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”, the same way, and that film is often considered one of the best films to have come out of the Hollywood studio system and is loved by many fans of classic Hollywood films. Both “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” and “Letter to Three Wives” have been released on DVD in some editions, but not “Escape”. All other noirs or noirish films by Mankiewicz were released on DVD around 2005-2006 in the Fox Film Noir series, but not “Escape”. Is it the same old story with the rights to the book that has stopped this, in this case the heirs to James Galsworthy?-Janne, Stockholm
8. Noir or not: “That Darn Cat!” (1966)-David
9. I have a Columbo question for Anne: which Columbo villain do you most wish would have gotten away with it? (I got Johnny Cash just ahead of Trish Van Devere)-Joe from San Francisco

[@michaelligue3842]

I will attest to the fact that Eddie was run ragged at the festival . I will say the interview with Andy was the best interview I saw all festival . He is a great personality and seemed so genuine .

[@classiccinemagal]

Eddie your introduction of White Heat was one of my top moments of the festival.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Another great episode! Way to go, Anne & Eddie!

[@belasco2]

I definitely thought of the Columbo with Ruth Gordon as someone you’re rooting for to get away with it.

[@ry.online]

Great episode!

[@MarkDillon-wm8bh]

Hey guys. Great episode as always. Regarding the scene in Ripley by the viaduct, most of it was indeed shot on location. I think when they take the color out it just looks unreal, but it was real. You can read all about it in my feature in American Cinematographer that comes out in July.

[@willieluncheonette5843]

What a great story about Don Siegel. What a talent he was!! The Lineup is one of my 8 all time favorite noirs and Invasion of the Body Snatchers one of my 3 all time favorite sci fi's.

[@azohundred1353]

Between Sugar, Ripley, and Monsieur Spade, it's interesting how popular tv noir is nowadays. If only the majority of people that watch these streaming shows actually watched classic film noir so they would understand the genre a lot more, instead of only hearing about cliches and parodies that they've seen in other media. I do appreciate that groups like Film Noir Foundation, TCM, and Criterion have given this genre the attention it deserves and have gotten new classic film fans over the decades, including me some years ago now. Virginia Mayo was great in The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (1947) with Danny Kaye. I highly recommend that to anyone that hasn't seen it. Of course, then she became an amazing film noir actress in White Heat, and also Colorado Territory, a perfect noir western with Joel McCrea(it's a remake of High Sierra).

[@maartenlemmens8628]

How about programming Zodiac for the next TCM festival? You can invite David Fincher again plus it,s an San Francisco movie.

[@ry.online]

I can watch a whole episode of Anne and Eddie talking sociopath/psychopath psychology of noir characters 🍿🍿🍿

[@ScottsCollection]

I saw Eddie and Anne at the TCM Film Festival, but didn't get a chance to talk to either.

[@eon57]

Columbo villains you wanted to get away with it - Johnny Cash by a country mile. And Ruth Gordon, of course.

[@slc2466]

At the TCM festival, I caught a peek of Eddie this year in the book signing room (have seen him before at screening events in L.A.)- he did appear to be fairly mobbed, attesting to the "run ragged' status he mentioned. Saw the nitrate print of "Annie Get Your Gun," "In Cold Blood," "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "The Model and the Marriage Broker" (from 1951) encore on Sunday.

[@belasco2]

Speaking of weird kisses, in “The Thin Man”, Maureen Sullivan’s character kisses Nick Charles, with Nora’s permission lol

[@colettem.7064]

Look forward to Dark City Dames!✍️🌟🎬

[@johnsweet8508]

Agreed on the "disguise" in Ripley. Please. That was as bogus as it gets.

[@KPainter-o5s]

Jim Caveziel, rhymes with Weasel

[@morrisyork6133]

And yours rhymes with Loser.

[@darkdial]

I enjoyed The Man in the Back Seat more than Strongroom. I thought some of the cutting between the vault and the robbers' plight was a bit fatty around the edits. There's no fat in 'Back Seat' - there's no time for it! You'll find some cyclical stuff (I use that word instead of "repetitive") but that's part of its panic. It was my favorite first time watch last year.

[@maartenlemmens8628]

1:00:00 Rumor has it that Christopher Nolan is going to do a movie version of The Prisoner.

[@janolofalroth598]

There doesn't have to be a murder in a noir, but usually some kind of crime. There are a few exceptions: I don't remember any crime in Woman On The Beach (it has been a long time since I saw it). In Wicked Woman they talk about murdering Richard Egan's wife in the movie, but no crime is actually comitted. Then there are some noirs where the protagonist commits suicide, which nowadays is not considered a crime (by most people): The Seventh Victim and Girl With Hyacinths.

[@joebeatty7961]

The Model and the Marriage Broker is a 1951 film.

[@georgeulrich3823]

TCM showed "Smart Girls Don't Talk" last year.

[@janolofalroth598]

I think super heroes can be noir, if it's a made in a more down to earth-form than usual. Frank Miller's Daredevil is a good example, as is the TV series Daredevil, at least the first season, that is all that I have seen. Perhaps Jessica Jones too.

[@eckesg2]

I thought Plesance killed him by knocking him over the head and then put him in the fridge to mess with the time of death

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

5. Why is someone so interested in caring about moguls and the drama around them, positive OR negative? Essentricity is one thing, but crimes against humanity is another.

[@MM-qm9ld]

Its a bit alarming that you dont take issue with the AI title cards in that movie you brought up. Its a shortcut for production and, as an artist, its a very real way artists are losing work currently. The impact of AI "art" has been swift and felt drastically already, mostly bc people "see no problem with it", not realizing "small" art jobs are 99% of artists' work. So yeah, see no problem with it, until this affects you and your livelihood directly. I suppose people are mostly just ignorant and complacent about these things and thats how AI will continue to supplant itself as convenient and easily argued for, while simultaneously occupying a huge chunk of an already small pie that was there for real illustrators. Most images people will see, from now on, will be an algorithm of generated/collaged imagery which by any human standards is basically plagiarized but bc of "machine learning" it will obfuscate the argument in its favor. The problem with AI is the position on it, from the public, is to accept it by default until something "wrong" happens, creating a paradox where AI usage supplants itself as convenient, useful and integral before the discussion has even been had. This is an example of that, with the complacent attitude here towards it. You'll be singing a different tune in like 10 years when it's already far too late, the art surrounding you will be fleeting and the people that needed help securing the future of it are now gone or ambivalent bc they weren't listened to by so called appreciators of art. Either you appreciate art or you don't. Condoning AI art in any way is antithetical to what this channel is. I suppose this is all on brand for the noir vibes here. Severely disappointed in the views on that here. Surprised me. Detestable to me as an artist. This isnt like oh just a new industrial revolution, the wheel of progress yada yada, this is about human expression and ideas now. If youre fine with that being monopolized and algorithmically tailored now by the likes of Warner Bros. and Disney, good fukn luck getting me to listen to you whine about this later in 5 or so years. They wont even be legally obligated to tell you when something is artificially generated. Think about that. Its ine thing to CHOOSE to live in an artificial reality, its another to be placed there WITHOUT your own knwoledge of it or consent. Thats literally the war thats being lost right now. Sorry for the rant, but that non artists haven't even thought about this at all is extremely unsettling.

[@morrisyork6133]

Could you two stick to movies and skip the loony politically based lies? But what can one expect from people who doggedly refuse to apologize for the noirish far-fetched Russia hoax. Eddie, since you made a movie short, why not innovate your genre with one that takes place in a homeless hive, and get Gavin to promote it for you?

[@Buffalonie]

The butthurt right-winger chimes in!

[@morrisyork6133]

All I want is an apology from your ilk for putting the country through the Russia conspiracy, destruction of businesses and jobs during the Covid dictatorship, bailing out murderous and pyromaniacal BLM and Antifa, welcoming10 million illegals=Biden ballots, promoting the castration of children, 30% purchase price increase at the cash register and double at the gas pump since Trump's time in office, flooding the workpool with DEI incompetents rather than qualified people, but why go on, since psychiatry here seems to be indicated for you and your enabling media re ABC, NBC, CBS PBS, CNN, MSNBC, who doubtless will continue with that original RED IV drip that totally dilutes all future mention of ballot-harvesting and unlawful registration, resulting in complete Orwellian zombification.

[@MarkDillon-wm8bh]

Hey guys. Great episode as always. Regarding the scene in Ripley by the viaduct, most of it was indeed shot on location. I think when they take the color out it just looks unreal, but it was real. You can read all about it in my feature in American Cinematographer that comes out in July.