Saturday, March 12, 2016

vintage crime on film

If you enjoy vintage crime fiction there's a pretty good chance you enjoy vintage crime movies as well and I've reviewed some pretty good examples of the genre recently on my movie blog Classic Movie Ramblings.

The Key Man (1957) is a fine British crime B-picture with a definite hint of film noir.

You Can’t Escape (1956) is another low-key British suspense thriller B-movie that is well worth a look.

Christmas Holiday (1944) is a second-tier American film noir directed by the great Robert Siodmak. Worth seeing for Gene Kelly as a creepy and totally untrustworthy pretty boy anti-hero. It's also musical star Deanna Durbin's only film noir!

The Mirror Crack'd (1980) is a fun adaptation of the Agatha Christie with Angela Lansbury making a rather good Miss Marple. Plus it has delightfully high camp performances by Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak and Tony Curtis.

The House of Fear (1945) is one of the lesser Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies but it has its moments.

Partners in Crime (1961) is a very low budget British Edgar Wallace potboiler. Not a great movie but quite enjoyable.

Circle of Danger (1951) is a interesting Jacques Tourneur-directed British mystery thriller.

Guilt Is My Shadow (1950) is an understated but effective little British crime thriller.


7 comments:

  1. I am glad you summarized these in this post. I did check out The Mirror Crack'd. The others are totally unfamiliar and I will check those out too.

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  2. I love your blogs - always worth a read. Keep it up!

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  3. Any on the net? Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew too Much (1956) is and is wonderful - with a wonderful performance by Bernard Miles. Enjoy. https://www.google.ro/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=man+who+knew+too+much+movie&tbm=vid

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  4. I'll second that! And not just the most famous one, The Moving Toyshop. They're delightfully eccentric.

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