Criss Cross, 1949 Original Half Sheet
Criss Cross, 1948
Directed by Robert Soidmak
”All woman are bitches,” I said. She smiled at me. Her eyes were deep and black. “All woman are cheats and liars and bitches,” I told her.
“I’m not,” she said. “I’m a whore.”
“You’re different,” I said. “I mean real women.”
Criss Cross, 1934 by Don Tracy
Spicy.
Don Tracy’s double-crossing armed robbery caper about a down on his luck, love-struck, ex-boxer and his trampy ex-wife gets the “Hollywood” treatment by Soidmak in 1949.
The Dark Mirror, Original Vintage Half Sheet
The Dark Mirror, 1946 Directed by Robert Soidmak
Olivia de Havilland. Forever embedded in our collective mind as the blindingly loyal, doe-eyed Melanie Wilkes– future role model for wronged political wives worldwide–seemed destined to play the dull damsel forever.
Determined to show that she could play an Oscar-worthy bitch, in 1943 Olivia began turning down all the sniveling parts she was offered until she was suspended. She sued and won. (You must read all the details elsewhere, The de Havilland Law is a landmark case).
Fly By Night, 1942 Original Half Sheet
Inmate escapes from looney bin. Inmate hitchhikes a ride at gunpoint with hunky doctor*. Hitchhiker turns out to be mad scientist’s assistant that has been held captive by evil Nazis spies seeking secret military stuff. When assistant is suddenly snuffed out, doc is suspected of murder. Doc escapes and holds sexy sassy lass hostage while they search for nazi killers. True love, wedding intrigue and nazi capture follow. All is resolved in a gunfight by blind scientists.
Script by Sidney Sheldon.
Yes. That Sidney Sheldon. Way way before international best sellers The Other Side of Midnight, Bloodline, Master of the Game, and way before I Dream of Jeannie and The Patty Duke Show, and way before Easter Parade and Annie Get your Gun, Sidney Sheldon was writing scripts for Universal Studios.
Robert Siodmak's The Killers
Dating dilemmas. Which brother to choose? The dark, brooding mysterious one. Or the one that’s all mathy and gothy, with a pinch of scary fun. Such is the debate among the criterati.
The Noiristas are just luvin Robert Siodmak, cause there’s just so many dark alleys to peer down on those lonely Saturday nights. Who can resist Miss Ava in The Killers or Miss Stanwyck in The File on Thelma Jordan? Or how about two Olivia de Havillands in The Dark Mirror? (Does the detective really have to choose which de Havilland to throw in jail? Why not both?) In all, Siodmak directed 8 noir films between 1943 and 1950 before he got fed up with studio and star antics and sailed back to Europe. I will profile a couple of these films in future postings.
The Wolf Man, 1941
To Horror cultists, Curt Siodmak is the disrespected little brother. Robert was the Director, Curt the writer. Robert was Oscar caliber, Curt was the “monster” writer.
But Curt wasn’t just any monster writer, he created the WOLF MAN! The first movie werewolf. Seventy years later movies, TV, cable, cartoons — whatever– nobody messes with Curt’s version of the werewolf. Witness True Blood’s hotties. All waxed up and toothies capped, but watch out for that full moon! Absolutely amazing in a town where a writer’s creation is rarely sacrosanct.
And…OMG! Curt wrote one of the best camp movies ever: Bride of the Gorilla.
Raymond Burr is a cursed plantation owner that turns into a Gorilla at night. His wife, “Bad Blonde” Barbara Payton, feels “neglected”. Lon Cheney investigates.*
Curt also wrote Donovan’s Brain, the basis for my next post – The Lady and the Monster. See ya.
*This synopsis may be inaccurate.
