ASK EDDIE - July 20 2023
In case you missed Thursday’s Facebook stream of ASK EDDIE.
FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this episode, we discuss “Pier 23” and its connection to the radio program “Pat Novack for Hire”, staircases in noir, “Quiet Please, Murder”, “Desire Me”, “Stolen Face”, familial noir, the noir credentials of “Sin City”, and more. Eddie weighs in on what the last film noir of the classic era was and the first neo-noir. Plus, we discuss the newly coined phrase homme stupide. We wind up the show with a discussion of teen noir. On the cat front, Charlotte does not appreciate the question about the cutest cat in film noir. Want your question answered in a future episode? We solicit questions from our email subscribers in our monthly newsletters. Sign up here. Everyone who signs up on our email list and contributes $20 or more to the Film Noir Foundation receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year. Donate here.
This week’s questions:
1. Was the Stanford Theater ever considered to host a NOIR CITY Film Festival? What film ranks in your mind as the most important yet to be restored? —Richard
2. My wife Linda enjoys watching film noir. She particularly gets a kick out of the sap who makes poor judgments after succumbing to the “charms” of a femme fatale. She calls such a dope an homme stupide. She was wondering if you have encountered this anywhere else or if she has coined a new noir phrase. —Michael, Post Falls, Idaho
3. I recently watched a 58-minute, B noir programmer titled PIER 23, featuring Hugh Beaumont as Dennis O’Brien. I also saw ROARING CITY another under-an-hour picture with two more cases. Spartan Productions also released a third Beaumont/O’Brien flick, DANGER ZONE - with the same format, all based on stories apparently recycled from old scripts for the radio program PAT NOVACK FOR HIRE. Have either of you seen any of the films or listened to the old Pat Novack program? —Michael, Post Falls, Idaho
4. Do you have any comments or opinions on QUIET PLEASE, MURDER? —Liz
5. Any thoughts on DESIRE ME? —Dennis James from Champlain, NY
6. I don't remember either of you mentioning STOLEN FACE which I think of as a precursor to VERTIGO. Thoughts? —Joe from Suffolk County
7. Don't you think the kitten in THIS GUN FOR HIRE is the cutest cat in film noir? I thought I read that Hitler invited about Veronica Lake and two other beautiful Hollywood starlets to visit his castle in the 1930s and that they went. Have you ever heard of anything like this?—Arlene
8. Is it accurate to claim that the multi-story staircase shot we see so often in Noir is an example of German Expressionism? —Bob, Woodland, CA
9. Have you heard of the Netflix series BABYLON BERLIN? If so, what are your thoughts on it? —Adam from Indiana
10. I consider Frank Miller's SIN CITY and SIN CITY A DAME TO DIE FOR Noir's on steroids. Your opinion, please. —Chris
11. My question concerns one of my favorite films, 1978's FINGERS. Can you think of any other examples of "familial noir," where characters' lives are dictated by their parents or siblings or ancestors? —Kevin, Salt Lake City, UT
12. Do you consider, as some people do, that Welles’ brilliant TOUCH OF EVIL is the last noir film of the classic era? And what do you consider the first “neo noir”?—Bill Stewart of Winnipeg, Manitoba
13. With the 2021 NIGHTMARE ALLEY and now MARLOWE, I wonder if the current picture business is starting to find interest in reviving old noirs. To me, it seems that to cater to a modern, jaded audience, directors have been making these noirs quite violent. There's considerably less censoring -- and more technology -- in filmmaking, but do you envision any noirs being brought back today in a non-R-rated fashion, or would noir have been a more violent genre in the 40's if the production code and technology allowed for that? —Neil
14. I have a question about a small but important detail re: two of my absolute favorite remarks in Film Noir. They are both spoken in the crackling dialogue in OUT OF THE PAST. I have always attributed these great lines to the fine screenwriter, Daniel Mainwaring, who wrote the book and screenplay for this movie. But some time ago, Eddie, I thought I heard you mention that another screenwriter came up with these ‘gems’. If you have the answer, please let me know. —Craig from Carlsbad
15. As I understand, OUT OF THE PAST was released in the UK under its original title: BUILD MY GALLOWS HIGH. I was curious if either of you have ever seen a UK print with that title and if there were any other differences in the UK prints? —Dennis, Champlain, NY.
16. In a recent episode, Eddie said that he hates teenagers and hated being one.