Review: Columbia Noir #2

Blu-ray: Columbia Noir #1 (1947 – 58)

Following on from the great Columbia Noir #1 box set released late last year, Powerhouse Films once again delves into the Columbia film archives for 6 more noir movies, all of which are are presented for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, with The Mob, Tight Spot and Murder by Contract making their world Blu-ray premieres.

• FRAMED (Richard Wallace, 1947)
• 711 OCEAN DRIVE (Joseph M Newman, 1950)
• THE MOB (Robert Parrish, 1951)
• AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD (Vincent Sherman, 1952)
• TIGHT SPOT (Phil Karlson, 1955)
• MURDER BY CONTRACT (Irving Lerner, 1958)

Framed stars Glen Ford as Mike Lambert, an unemployed mining engineer with an alcohol problem, who is seduced by Paula (Janis Carter) as part of an elaborate plan to ultimately use his charred remains to get away with stealing money from a bank.

Of course everything doesn’t go as planned and it becomes a matter of life and death for Mike to get out of this deadly situation.

Glen Ford is very watchable as always, with Janis Carter making the most of the part of Paula, which mostly consists of trying to be seductive to a man whom she knows is going to be used and then killed.

Next up (chronologically at least) is 711 Ocean Drive, which has Edmond O’Brien as Mal Granger; an electronics expert who creates a huge bookie broadcast system for a crime boss, and then takes over operations when his boss is murdered.

711 Ocean Drive is particularly fascinating to watch due to its use of what was then cutting edge technology and which now seems even more antiquated in this age of the internet and smartphones.

The narrative doesn’t throw up any great surprises, with greed becoming the top priority for all involved in the scam, but it whips along at a fair old pace where the 102 minute running time goes by faster than the horses racing onscreen.

The Mob introduces us to Johnny Damico ( Broderick Crawford), a police detective who botches a murder case (which happened right before his eyes!) and is suspended from the police force. 

This suspension however is just a cover-up to enable Johnny to go undercover to try and identify a mysterious mob boss who operates on the New York waterfront.

Trying to keep his cover from being blown is a constant cause of tension throughout the entire movie, while also raising a few smiles as he has to endure drinking beer and white wine whenever he visits a bar…all explained why of course.

The big twist in the story came as no surprise, but it was still an enjoyable watch, mostly due to an engaging performance by Crawford.

Affair in Trinidad sees the return of Glen Ford, and is, for me at least, the weakest of the 6 films in this set.

Ford stars as Steve Emery, who arrives in Trinidad after an urgent request from his brother, and upon arriving finds that not only has his brother been murdered, but his brother’s wife Chris (Rita Hayworth) is being seduced by the man who could be the murderer.

Steve begins to have feelings for Chris, little knowing that she is not being completely honest with any of the men in her life. This all leads to a predictable finale where even the presence of Ford and Hayworth can’t keep the paper thin plot gripping until the end.

Tight Spot pairs Ginger Rogers and Brian Keith in what essentially is a two-hander where they are in isolation in a hotel room, with Rogers as a prosecution witness and Keith as a police detective assigned to protect her.

Rogers plays Sherry Conley; a wise talking convict who has important information about mob boss Lloyd Hallett (Edward G. Robinson) which could send him to prison.

Little does she know that the detective sent to protect her is taking money from Hallett and is instructed to make sure that she doesn’t talk, all of which adds pressure to Keith’s character Vince Striker (what a name!) as he finds himself slowly falling in love with Conley.

Heavy on dialogue and light on action, Tight Spot was a pleasure to watch thanks to riveting performances by Robinson, Keith, and especially Ginger Rogers…who doesn’t need to dance to exude a great screen presence.

Finishing the set is Murder by Contract, a quirky movie which has the look of something shot by a film student and which has lingered long in my mind after watching it.

Claude (Vince Edwards) is a regular guy who decides to train himself as a hitman for hire, and after a few successful kills finds himself hired to assassinate a female prosecution witness.

Claude travels to Los Angeles and finds himself under the guidance of a couple of impatient guys who are working for the mob boss who wants the witness killed.

Frustrated at Claude’s methods, tensions rise as the court date gets ever closer and the hit still hasn’t been made.

I loved everything about Murder by Contract, from the stylised dialogue and dramatic performance of Edwards, to the gritty ‘no frills’ cinematography and the great use of the Los Angeles location.

At only 81 minutes long (including credits), it packs a lot into its running time and sure as hell is memorable.

Once again Powerhouse Films have released another superb box set, and with Columbia Noir #3 slated for release in May, it’s a good time to get acquainted with these Columbia classics.

The special features for each movie will also keep you entertained and informed for a long time, all adding to the value of this box set which also has a 120-page book, and is strictly limited to 6,000 numbered units.

Buy it before it sells out.

INDICATOR LIMITED BLU-RAY EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES