Film Noir on Physical Media: The Essentials, Part I
In my post “Coming Soon, By Request” you’ll read about this project, suggested by a subscriber, to list three categories of film noir on physical media. Today I’m posting Part I of my Essentials list.
Each title will give you the year of release, the director, the studio (or distributor), and a link to my choice for the best way to watch the film on physical media. (I am not covering streaming options on this list.)
A reminder that this and future lists in this project are for paid subscribers.
Thanks for reading and I hope it’s helpful.
Ace in the Hole (1951) Billy Wilder - Paramount Pictures
Kirk Douglas plays Chuck Tatum, a small-town reporter longing to return to a big-city newspaper if he can only find the right story. When a man is trapped in a collapsed New Mexico mine, Tatum knows he’s found the story that could land him back on top. Douglas is wonderfully brutal in the film, and Jan Sterling has one of her best roles as the indifferent wife of the confined man. Billy Wilder often referred to this picture as his best work, and that’s saying something. Wilder made the film on the heels of his masterpiece Sunset Boulevard, but Ace in the Hole flopped at the box office. After several decades, it’s finally getting its due.
Act of Violence (1948) Fred Zinnemann - MGM
Frank Enley (Van Heflin) is living the good life with his wife Edith (Janet Leigh) and their young son until a man from his past (Robert Ryan) starts tracking him down. The film features a brilliant supporting performance by Mary Astor and a seriously neglected character actor you should keep an eye out for, Berry Kroeger. Warner Archive recently released this film on Blu-ray. Buy it without delay.
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) John Huston - MGM
Simply one of the greatest heist films of all time with a stellar cast. I wrote an essay on this film as one of my first Substack articles.
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