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| John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, ‘Force of Evil’ (1948). |
By Paul Parcellin
It might not come as news to you that noirs set in New York City look a lot different from the ones taking place in Los Angeles. The City of Angels is a sun bleached sprawl of low buildings between the ocean and desert. New York is a vertical jungle of high rises and red brick walk-ups, wrought iron fire escapes and wide avenues. It boxes you in with concrete, brick and glass that lets in just a few shafts of dusty light. Trains roar overhead on steel trestles with an insistent racket that drowns out the steady growl of street traffic.
Claustrophobic and murky even in daylight, the New York of noir seems to exist in a world that has broken free of its solar orbit. It’s a place to get lost in, but not a spot where you can hide for very long — its streets are teeming with snitches who’ll give you up in a heartbeat.
Here’s a sampling of films noir with a New York accent:
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| Allen Baron, ‘Blast of Silence.’ |
“Blast of Silence” (1961)
Hitman Frankie Bono (Allen Baron) returns to his hometown, New York, Christmas week but his visit is hardly festive - he’s there to kill another mobster. He coldly stalks his quarry, yet seeing the old neighborhood stirs up troubling memories.
“Cry of the City” (1948)
Hardened criminal Martin Rome (Richard Conte) is awaiting surgery after taking some slugs in a shootout with police. He may hold the key to a jewel robbery and murder, for which a man is on death row. His childhood friend, police Lt. Vittorio Candella (Victor Mature), is determined to get to the bottom of it all.
“The Dark Corner” (1946)
Art dealer Hardy Cathcart (Clifton Webb) jealously watches over his straying trophy wife Mari (Cathy Downs) and sparks a chain of events that put private eye Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) on the spot. Galt’s gal Friday, Kathleen Stewart (Lucille Ball), provides support.
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| William Challee, Bill Williams, ‘Deadline at Dawn.’ |
“Deadline at Dawn” (1946)
Sailor Alex Winkley (Bill Williams) and dancehall girl June Goffe (Susan Hayward) spend a long night trying to solve a murder. He woke up with a pocketful of cash he received from the victim. Now he's only got until daybreak to figure it out.
“Force of Evil” (1948)
Leo Morse (Thomas Gomez), a small timer in the numbers racket, is like a pressurized canister of hydrogen about to explode. His brother, crooked lawyer Leo (John Garfield), is the spark that sets him off. A two-fisted dramatic powerhouse.
“House of Strangers” (1949)
Banker Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) is in hot water with the authorities over his questionable business practices. His son, attorney Max Monetti (Richard Conte), defends Gino in court and watches his father's back as Max's siblings scheme.
“I Walk Alone” (1948)
The hootch business is unrecognizable to Frankie Madison (Burt Lancaster) after 14 years in the jug — it's gone corporate. Frankie wants his cut, but Noll “Dink" Turner (Kirk Douglas) ain’t paying. B-list Burt and Kirk, but still hard-boiled.
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| Jamie Smith, ‘Killer's Kiss.’ |
“Killer’s Kiss” (1955)
Stanley Kubrick's sophomore effort is about a boxer (Jamie Smith), a gangster (Frank Silvera) and a taxi dancer (Irene Kane ). The script isn't rock solid, but the film's atmospheric depiction of New York's seamier side makes up for it.
“Kiss of Death” (1947)
As delinquent psychopaths go, Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark) is the unabashed supreme leader in his field. Maniacal laugh? Got it. Unbridled cruelty to the infirm? You know it. It's a bone-rattling performance that elevates "Kiss of Death” to dizzying heights.
“The Naked City” (1948)
Veteran Det. Lt. Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) and his green partner Det. Jimmy Halloran (Don Taylor) investigate the murder of a former model. Along the way they discover a swindler and a rash of jewel thefts that may be related to the killing.
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| Harry Belafonte, Ed Begley, Robert Ryan, ‘Odds Against Tomorrow.’ |
“Odds against Tomorrow” (1959)
Racist ex-con Earl Slater (Robert Ryan) reluctantly agrees to knock over a bank with David Burke (Ed Begley) and Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte), who is black. But the undercurrent of hatred threatens to scuttle Burke's flawless plan.
“Phantom Lady” (1944)
It's a no-no to be seen in public wearing the same accessory as another. Identical chapeaus roil the waters in “Phantom Lady" (1944), a story of murder, gaslighting and fashion faux pas. The film also boasts one of noir's wildest jazz band scenes, to boot.
“Pickup on South Street” (1953)
Pickpocket Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) inadvertently swipes microfilm from a spy ring courier. Street peddler Moe (Thelma Ritter) can help G-Men recover top-secret information after she figures out that Skip is their man. But her info ain't free.
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| Joan Bennett, Edward G. Robinson, ‘Scarlet Street.’ |
“Scarlet Street” (1945)
Naive aging artist Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is putty in the hands of two sharpies, Kitty March (Joan Bennett) and Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea). New York, Milwaukee, and Atlanta banned the film in early 1946 due to its dark plot.
“Side Street” (1949)
When you think you're stealing $200 and it turns out to be 30 grand instead, that's good news … maybe. Not so for Joe Norson (Farley Granger), who snags a bundle of loot from a mouthpiece with some very bad cohorts.
“Sorry, Wrong Number” (1948)
Crossed wires allow Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck) to overhear talk of a murder plot. While faulty phone service can be a drag, being a target for murder is worse. And hubby Henry J. Stevenson (Burt Lancaster) has left her home alone.
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| Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, ‘Sweet Smell of Success.’ |
“Sweet Smell of Success” (1957)
Some would argue that "The Sweet Smell of Success" (1957) isn't noir. Balderdash! It's got the look, the feel of noir, plus it includes J. J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster), a ruthless gossip columnist who’s got sleazy press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) on the ropes.
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” (1950)
New York Police Det. Mark Dixon (Dana Andrews) finds that his family history can be like a noose around his neck. He violently lashes out at criminals because his father was one. Before long, that gets him into some very hot water.
“While the City Sleeps” (1956)
At the Kyne media syndicate, it's not enough to merely report the news, editors must solve a string of hideous crimes. In "While the City Sleeps" (1956), the "Lipstick Killer" terrorizes the city as the half-wit son running the news operation seems determined to fail.
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| Bobby Driscoll, ‘The Window.’ (1949) |
“The Window” (1949)
Young Tommy Woodry (Bobby Driscoll) witnesses his neighbors kill a drunken sailor, but no one believes him. When Tommy is left home alone the murderous neighbors pay him a visit. They aim to silence him for good, and he's left to fend for himself.
