At the Egyptian Theatre on March 29th, the Film Noir Foundation put Noir City: Hollywood – The 21st Annual Los Angeles Festival of film Noir. Opening night was a sight to behold. With the theatre sold out, audiences watched two great films noir that pinpoint when noir started to go in a different direction. The theme for Noir City this year is noir in the 1950s, with films showcasing what a turbulent and paranoid time it was. There was an old time cop car out front for pictures, an intermission reception, and plenty of fedoras. Let’s get into the two films shown on opening night.
Trapped stars Lloyd Bridges as Tris Stewart, a counterfeiter that is offered a chance to get out of jail in order to help bring down a ring of counterfeiters and smugglers. He’s tapped by the feds to help out, but ultimately escapes and double-crosses them. He connects with an old flame of his named Meg Dixon (played by the beautiful and tragic Barbara Payton), as well as some old acquaintances to get back in the game. Little does he know that the U.S. Treasury Office plans to stay one step ahead of him once they learn just what he’s up to. What ensues is a gritty little B-picture with crackling dialogue and a few twists.
If this sounds familiar, then you may have seen the 1947 film T-Men, an A-noir picture about counterfeiting. Apparently there was a lot of concern about fake money in the middle of the century? Trapped was made in cooperation with the Treasury Department, as shown in the beginning of the movie with a voice over of what it is that their agents actually do, initially giving the film a docudrama feel.
Payton is a knockout in her first lead role. Her sultry performance as Meg leaves little room to wonder why Tris looks her up the second he is out of the big house. The chemistry is definitely there between them. In a rather slick performance as Treasury agent John Downey, John Hoyt uses his suave side to slide into Tris’ circle. The back-and-forth, the terse lines, and even some of the action make Trapped an essential viewing for B-noir completionists. The Film Noir Foundation has a wonderful restoration; it looks fantastic on the big screen.
Richard Fleischer, the director, gives the film a good sense of place and pacing. The actors are given enough space to convincingly deliver their lines and betray one another. At this point in his early career, Fleischer was cutting his teeth on noir. He had already made Bodyguard and would go on to make Armored Car Robbery and The Narrow Margin before he would diversify his portfolio. Trapped is a public domain film and can be found on Amazon, among other sites.
Classes could (and should) be taught on what Barbara Stanwyck did with her eyes (and the men who fell for it). The File on Thelma Jordan gives Stanwyck a lot of screen time to seduce whomever she wants–and that includes the audience!
Thelma Jordan shows up to the office of Cleve Marshall, an assistant district attorney. Amidst his drunken state, the two share a fun evening together. Cleve (Wendell Corey), a married man, continues to entertain what life with her might be like. She initially shows up to complain about burglars and prowlers, but Cleve wants to to uncover the mystery of who she is. Around this time, Thelma’s aunt is murdered. Cleve is called upon to help her. Without revealing too much, things get complicated with Thelma’s other relationship, the DA’s office, and of course, Cleve’s infatuation with Thelma. But it goes two ways. We get the sense Thelma is conflicted in her feelings and suffers emotionally at different points in the narrative.
Cleve is willing to go without his spine for a bit, willfully doing a Thelma’s bidding as he keeps his eye on the prize, which may or may not actually be there. The real star of the show, however, is Stanwyck. She is mysterious and alluring. Both Cleve and the audience want to know what’s really going on in her brain. This might not be a defining role for her, but it’s certainly not one to miss. She commits an act of violence in the final act that I won’t soon forget. Let’s just say it involves a cigarette lighter and someone’s eyeball.
Noir veteran Robert Siodomak helmed this one, cloaking it in enough shadows and doubts to give it the genuine noir feel. The File on Thelma Jordan is available to rent digitally on Amazon.
Noir City is a true gem. It brings noir to audiences around the world, shepherding lost films, restoring damaged pictures, all while showcasing one of the great art forms in cinema. If you’d like to donate to their efforts, you can do so here. Here’s a list of upcoming film noir film festivals. And here is some writing on film noir. Eddie Muller and his crew are doing some great work over at the Film Noir Foundation. I shudder to think what it would be like if we didn’t have them around.
If you’d like to learn more about Barbara Payton, check out You Must Remember This‘ podcast episode on her. It’s excellent (and quite sad).
