Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Film Noir - Similar Products - 5 Story Plots

Sweet Smell of Success
This film noir production was released on the 27th June 1957, nearing the end of the olden film noir genre. The plot of the film is about a Manhatten press agent Sidney Falco who has been unable to get his clients acknowledged in J.J. Hunsecker's newspaper column due to Falco's failure on a promise he made to Hunsecker. The promise was that he would break up the romance between Hunsecker's younger sister Susan and her partner who was an up-and-coming jazz guitarist named Steve Dallas.
Falco is given just one last hance by Hunsecker and is told to plant a false rumour in a rival column that Susan's lover Dallas is a "dope-smoking communist." The story unfolds as events such as the break up of the couple and Susan trying to commit suicide are viewed. The film ends with Susan claiming she'll move to Dallas instead of living with her brother and that she pities him instead of hating him. Here is the trailer for the film;



The Big Heat
This film noir production was released on the 14th October 1953 and stars actors such as Glenn Ford and Alexander Scourby. The plot of the film is based around a Homicide detective Sergeatn called Dave Bannion. The protagonist investigates the death of a fellow policeman Tom Duncan. The case seems easily solved - a suicide due to ill health. Later Bannion is contacted by the late officer's mistress, Lucy Chapman, and claims it had not been a suicide. Bannion finds out that Duncan did in fact have a second home which would not be applicable to purchase with the salary that he was on. Bannion goes to investigate. As the story unfolds murders are witnessed as the bad guy Mike Lagana slowly weaves his way through the characters. The film is concluded with he protagonist arresting a murderer; Stone and Lagana and Commissioner Higgins being indicted. Bannion, the protagonist returns back to his normal job at Homicide. Here is the trailer for the film;


The Maltese Falcon
This film noir production was released on the 3rd October 1941, the story had at first been written as a novel and had been adapted into film in 1931. This specific adaptation in 1941 starred Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The basic plot starts with the murder of the protagonist's co-worker Archer. Detective spade who was Archer's co-worker wasn't particulary fond on him yet he still wanted to find out why he was killed and who did this. Spade, played by Bogart, comes into contact with Miss Wanderly alongside a group of thieves who are interested in a priceless artifact - The Matltese Falcon. The closer Spade gets to the murderer of his partner, the more intwined he becomes with the statue. He uses his initiative to help him find the killer as he bargains a deal with the theives for the name of the murderer. Spade turns in the murderer despite having feelings for her.


Laura
This film noir production was released on the 11th October 1944, stars such as Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews were used in the film and starred as the main characters. The film follows a detective Mark McPherson as he investigates the murder of the famous advertising executive Laura Hunt. There are several suspects in which he needs to interview, these including: a villainary columnist Waldo Lydecker, her fiance Shelby Carpenter, her rich aunt Anne Treadwell and her housekeeper Bessie Clary. As the interviews take place, he notices a mutual view on Laura; all those interviewed were in fact in love with her. Stranger still, he begins to fall in love with her as she shows up at his door one night alive. Her fiance finds out about this and with his anger he goes to kill her. McPherson returns just in time and kills Lyndecker, as he dies, the film ends with his final words being "Goodbye Laura. Goodbye, my love."





The Killers
The audience are introduced to a main character Swede, played by the famous Burt Lancaster, and are shown his worries as he was part of a gang of thieves and was forced into betraying by femme fatale Kitty Collins Colfax. Instead of hiding away from his trouble which conventionally occurs in film noir, Swede faces the facts and knows that he cannot escape this fate. The next characters introduced are a police detective and an investigator, Reardon and Lupinsky, trying to find the killers and have them properly brought to justice. Like many other film noirs, the ending takes places at a big house or pent house. In this case, the conclusion is resulted in a mansion in which the killers are found and justice is brought to them.

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