Film Noir on Physical Media for Collectors, Part I

A reminder that this and future lists in this project are for paid subscribers. Thanks for reading, and I hope it’s helpful!

My Essential Film Noir lists (Parts I and II) consist of my choices of must-see and must-own classic film noir titles. We may disagree on choices, thinking that some from the Essentials lists should be included in these Collectors lists and vice versa. Again, we’ll likely have various opinions on where things belong and what’s been left out. I might even change my mind if I revisit these lists in a few years. It’s all subjective.

With that in mind, I’m beginning a list of nearly 90 film noir titles I believe you should consider watching and owning. Today I’m posting Part 1 of 3 in the Collectors category. 

But first, a few disclaimers:

This and subsequent lists will contain some hard-to-find titles. Eventually, I plan to post a list of films that have never appeared on DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K, but all the movies here have been released at some point. Many may be found on the used market but some might set you back a few (or several) dollars. 

Please note that all 20th Century Fox (now known as 20th Century Studios) releases are now owned by Disney, who (at least so far) shows no interest in releasing or rereleasing any of its classic film noir holdings on physical media other than a few prestige titles. For all practical purposes, most of those Fox films will likely remain locked in a vault if they’re kept at all. I’ve seen many Fox titles in this and other lists for sale on the used market, so if you find them, I recommend buying them. 

With that out of the way, let’s begin Part 1 of my Collectors list:

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5 Against the House (1955) Phil Karlson - Columbia Pictures

Indicator (UK) Region B Blu-ray

Mill Creek Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954-1956 Blu-ray box set

Four college guys pull up to a casino in Reno, giving themselves an hour to soak up the atmosphere and lose a little money before returning to school. Ronnie (Kerwin Mathews) and Roy (Alvy Moore) are young and goofy, while Al (Guy Madison) and Brick (Brian Keith), veterans of the Korean War, are decidedly more mature. For the first third of the film, we’re treated to stilted dialogue, meandering writing, and scenes of college life that must’ve felt dated even in 1955. Yet after about a half hour, we finally reach the film’s premise: Ronnie and Roy concoct a plan to rob the casino. 5 Against the House is an interesting heist picture featuring two war veterans haunted by major issues. The film also features Kim Novak in one of her early roles and a nice scene with William Conrad.

99 River Street (1953) Phil Karlson - distributed by United Artists

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

I recently reviewed the film here.

711 Ocean Drive (1950) Joseph M. Newman - distributed by Columbia Pictures

Indicator (UK) Region B Blu-ray

Edmond O’Brien plays Mal Granger, a telephone company repairman with a weakness for betting on horses. After Granger uses his electronics expertise to help a local gangster (Barry Kelly) increase profits in his illegal racing wire operation, Granger gets greedy and power-hungry. I’ve seen Edmond O’Brien in so many movies where he plays the Everyman good guy, but here he’s not on the up-and-up. But I’m comfortable with O’Brien on the other side of the law. He’s effective, believable, and compelling.

The only U.S. alternative to the Indicator Blu-ray is Noir Archive Vol. 1: 1944-1954 from Mill Creek (Kit Parker Films). That set includes eight other films, some of which you’ll see in this and future posts. Those collections offer no extras, and the video quality varies, but you can often find them on sale at a good price. Go with the Indicator if you can.

Alias Nick Beal (1949) John Farrow - Paramount Pictures

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

District Attorney Joseph Foster (Thomas Mitchell) may be a strait-laced crusader for justice, but he can’t seem to bring down Frankie Faulkner (Fred Clark), leader of the local criminal underworld. When Foster off-handedly remarks that he’d give his soul to nail Faulkner, a strange enigmatic figure named Nick Beal (Ray Milland) appears before Foster with an offer…

In any Faust tale, there’s a price to be paid and Beal has no intention of letting Foster out of his “contract.” The noirish atmosphere is good, especially when the deliciously sinister Milland appears. The supernatural elements aren’t played for comedy and never approach parody, contributing to the noir feel. The entire cast is wonderful, but who knew George Macready could play a convincing clergyman? And watch Audrey Totter’s wonderful performance which proves she was never given enough credit for her range as an actress. As supernatural noirs go, Alias Nick Beal is a winner.