Thursday Thirteen #225

THIRTEEN FILM NOIR CLASSICS

Literally, "film noir" means "black film." Today's cinemaphiles use the term to describe stylish crime dramas, usually in black and white, often with a femme fatale at the center of the action. Movies of this type were crazy-popular in the 1930s and 1940s. 

I am seeing some film noir classics with a movie-going group, so they're top of mind for me these days. And here are 13 that are considered classics of this genre. 

I've bolded the ones I've seen. Which ones do you know?

1) The Public Enemy. 1931. James Cagney and Jean Harlow.

2) Scarface. 1932. Paul Muni and George Raft.

3) The Thin Man. 1934. Myrna Loy and William Powell.

4) The Petrified Forest. 1936. Humphrey Bogart and Leslie Howard.

5) Angels with Dirty Faces. 1938. James Cagney and Pat O'Brien.

6) The Maltese Falcon. 1941. Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor.

7) A Woman's Face. 1941. Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas.

8) Double Indemnity. 1944. Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray.

9) Laura. 1944. Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews.

10) Mildred Pierce. 1945. Joan Crawford and Zachary Scott.

11) Gilda. 1946. Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford.

12) The Postman Always Rings Twice. 1946. Lana Turner and John Garfield.

13) Out of the Past. 1947. Robert MItchum and Kirk Douglas.

For more about the Thursday 13, 
or to play along yourself, click here.

Hope it's happy

Today is my best friend's birthday. This is the first time in 8 years I haven't made a big hairy deal of it. Of course, this is the first time in 8 years that we aren't talking on his birthday.

I do hope he's happy. I hope his family is making a fuss over him, as in years gone by he's felt a little neglected in that regard. I also hope he got the card I mailed on Sunday for a Monday AM pickup. (Monday - Wednesday/Chicago - Boulder sounds about right.)

He's 47 today. It's time he stop acting like an 8th grader. Usually when he sulks like this, I work hard to keep the lines of communication open. But not this time. I just don't feel like it anymore.

The Lads sing, "Pride can hurt you, too. Apologize." Only I'm feeling neither proud nor sorry. Just weary. I love him and honor in my heart all the wonderful things about him. That's why I sent the card (carefully chosen, actually; the front is a collection of pocket watches because I know how fascinated he is by timepieces). I do hope he has a happy birthday in every sense of the word.

I also hope he thanks me. But if not, well, it's his choice. I'm sad, but I'm good with this.

It's not easy to see but it still counts

I have a teeny-tiny project to do. It's due Tuesday. I'm happy.

Eh

The "eh" is for Lana Turner. I'm sorry, but I cannot muster up any enthusiasm for her. Last night, as part of our Meet Up series, we watched The Postman Always Rings Twice. It was my first time seeing this classic, start-to-finish, and I was underwhelmed.

Lana is beautiful and she was 25 playing 25. In many of her star turns in the late 1950s-early 1960s, she was a menopausal woman playing much younger and it didn't help her performances. But in this she was well cast. She just wasn't very interesting. And Cecil Kellaway, as her older husband, was warm and cuddly and not at all deserving of what he got. John Garfield was pretty neat, though, very contemporary and real among the showier performances.

I enjoyed the Meet Up, too. Not as much as last month, but then, the movie wasn't as much fun and it wasn't a new experience anymore. I still intend to go next month.

PS Last month, I discovered the moderator, Will, currently does work for the company that let my friend, Ed, go. Last night I learned he once worked with an old art director/partner of mine. What a small world!