THE DANMAN CAN

"Whoa now. The world's a pretty big place." "Made up of stupid little people." Much of what makes Gilda (1946) great (both the film and the character) and much of its legacy lives on the sex appeal of the bombshell-defined Rita Hayworth . The film is a very good noir as well—utilizing solid direction, lush cinematography, gorgeous gowns, and it's got the crime element, hard-biting humor, plus a ruthless love triangle—but it wouldn't be half of what it is without that particular "femme fatale" (though she isn't really). As well, there is an interesting (and uncommon, for the time) gay subtext running throughout this story of repressed desires, power dynamics, and the potent emotion that is hatred. To riff on the infamous introductory scene of the titular character, I don't know about "decent," but Gilda is definitely dazzling. Film Noir Feature Films Ranked

While it's a very enjoyable and brisk picture (and I do admit it's kinda fun to spot the edits ), I've always found  Alfred Hitchcock 's Rope ( 1948), with its heavy focus on cinematographic technique, a bit distracting as a movie, hence it sits smack dab in the middle of my Hitch rankings. I can see why this would make an excellent play , but for me it's "merely" a great film. Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

With its brisk pace, biting humor, and plenty of bullets spat,  Scarface   (1932) remains a landmark gangster flick. Despite an amusing studio-mandated prologue denouncing its protagonist (played with force by  Paul Muni  and loosely based on  Al Capone ),  Howard Hawks ' classic features a taut script by legend  Ben Hecht  and is filled with iconic imagery (including its  X motif ). While the lack of a score can be a bit jarring, the underutilization of  George Raft  (who makes the perfect mostly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and  Michelle Pfeiffer  made a more memorable impression as the love interest in  Brian De Palma 's  1983 remake  ( review ) than  Karen Morley  does in the 1932 one (though she is still good), there is much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage,  Ann Dvorak 's electric performance (simmering with sexuality, pre- Hays Code ), bold cinematogra...

With its brisk pace, biting humor, and plenty of bullets spat,  Scarface   (1932) remains a landmark gangster flick. Despite an amusing studio-mandated prologue denouncing its protagonist (played with force by  Paul Muni  and loosely based on  Al Capone ),  Howard Hawks ' classic features a taut script by legend  Ben Hecht  and is filled with iconic imagery (including its X motif ). While the lack of a score can be a bit jarring, the underutilization of  George Raft  (who makes the perfect mostly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and  Michelle Pfeiffer  made a more memorable impression as the love interest in Brian De Palma 's  1983 remake  ( review ) than  Karen Morley  does in the 1932 one (though she is still good), there is much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage,  Ann Dvorak 's electric performance (simmering with sexuality, pre- Hays Code ), bold cinematography, and the...

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While I don't tend to be big on "message movies," and while the ending of Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) is a bit heavy on the moralizing, it is undoubtedly one of the best gangster pictures and said finale is still very effective. James Cagney  is in top form and Pat O'Brien  is appropriately stoic as the strait-laced priest. Ann Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart both get short shrift here, especially considering how much screen time The Dead End Kids are awarded, but I find the latter bunch very watchable and even charming at times. It's particularly enjoyable to watch Cagney's interplay with the group of young actors. "Whadda ya hear! Whadda ya say!" I say this is a true classic. You can find my  Michael Curtiz Feature Films Ranked  list  here .

With its brisk pace, biting humor, and plenty of bullets spat,  Scarface   (1932) remains a landmark gangster flick. Despite an amusing studio-mandated prologue denouncing its protagonist (played with force by  Paul Muni  and loosely based on  Al Capone ),  Howard Hawks ' classic features a taut script by legend  Ben Hecht  and is filled with iconic imagery (including its  X motif ). While the lack of a score can be a bit jarring, the underutilization of  George Raft  (who makes the perfect mostly-mute coin-tossing sidekick) is a shame, and  Michelle Pfeiffer  made a more memorable impression as the love interest in  Brian De Palma 's  1983 remake  ( review ) than  Karen Morley  does in the 1932 one (though she is still good), there is much to appreciate. There's Muni's ruthless rampage,  Ann Dvorak 's electric performance (simmering with sexuality, pre- Hays Code ), bold cinematogra...

Much of what makes  Gilda   (1946) great (both the film and the character) and much of its legacy lives on the sex appeal of the bombshell-defined Rita Hayworth . The film is a very good  noir  as well—utilizing solid direction, lush cinematography, gorgeous gowns, and it's got the crime element, hard-biting humor, plus a ruthless love triangle—but it wouldn't be half of what it is without that particular "femme fatale" (though she isn't really). As well, there is an interesting (and uncommon, for the time) gay subtext running throughout this story of repressed desires, power dynamics, and the potent emotion that is hatred. To riff on the infamous introductory scene of the titular character, I don't know about "decent," but Gilda   is definitely dazzling. You can find my Film Noir Feature Films Ranked list here .

Notorious  (1946) is my favorite Hitchcock film and #12 in my Top 100 Films . I hadn't watched it in 10 years (!) and I skipped buying the previous 2012 MGM Blu-ray release, as I'd been waiting (very patiently, it seems) for The Criterion Collection  to upgrade their previous 2001 DVD release. It was worth the wait for their new edition because the new 4K restoration, wealth of supplements, and beautiful artwork finally give the film the home video treatment it deserves (hopefully Spellbound (1946) will receive the same upgrade soon). In my eyes the quintessential Hitchcock film, Notorious— without a single gunshot or punch, but certainly with its share of bravura shots (including an infamous Hays Code -pushing kissing scene)—combines technically impressive aspects with magnetic performances by Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant , and an excellent script by the prolific (and often uncredited) ace screenwriter Ben Hecht . Hitchcock is well known as "the Master of Suspen...

This was the third or fourth time I'd seen The Thing From Another World (1951) and the first time in almost 15 years. It didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered—some of the dialogue and performances left me cold (bad pun)—but it's still a solid Hawks ian thriller featuring his trademark rapid-fire overlapping dialogue delivered by a mostly good cast, assured direction, an eerie theremin-imbued score by Dimitri Tiomkin and some impressive action scenes for the time. While I do greatly prefer John Carpenter's bleak  1982 version of John W. Campbell Jr. 's story, there is no denying The Thing  '51's rightful place in sci-fi/horror film history.

Not a bad film, but definitely one of Hitchcock 's more unremarkable ones.

A perfect example of how a "remake" ( HIS GIRL FRIDAY ) greatly improved upon a solid film (this one) by switching one of its lead's gender, amping up the comedy and speed, and how much a top notch director  (and a crackerjack cast) makes a difference. A lot of the dialogue and scenarios are identical in both films but HGF is a classic and while THE FRONT PAGE  ( remade again in 1974 by Billy Wilder ) is a good film (with some pretty great camerawork), it doesn't hold a candle.

One of my top 5 comedies and one of my Top 100 Films . Brilliant performances, dialogue, and direction. Howard Hawks Films Ranked Classic Screwball Comedies Ranked