Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32068 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-07-05
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 85 minutes

Customer Reviews

Hidden Gems amongst this collection
Another good boxset from Warners.Pretty disgraceful that there is yet to be a reg 2 but there you go.
Contains the following:Born to Kill(1947)Lawrence Tierney and Claire Trevor in excellent noir from Robert Wise.Tierney is the bad boy that Trevor just can't stay away from.Usual noir staples ensue with a vivid and seedy feeling to the whole proceedings.
Clash by Night(1952)Juicy noir from Fritz Lang with Barbara Stanwyck on top form here as good time girl who settles to married life with Jerry(Paul Douglas) while trying not to become ensnared by Earl(Robert Ryan).Tart dialogue and snappy direction by Lang even if he does at times lay the symbolism on with a trowel.Marilyn Monroe does well in small role.
Crossfire(1947)Dmytryk's anti-semitic noir has surprisingly not aged that well.Robert Young's overly mannered performance as the police officer in charge of a murder investigation seems to slow down the movie down when it needs energising but Robert's Ryan and Mitchum offer excellent support and the ending is pretty tense.
Dillinger(1945)Lightning paced noir has Lawrence Tierney well cast as Public Enemy No 1.Snappy dialogue and excellent interplay between the characters make this a treat.
Narrow Margin(1952)The best of the bunch and the B movie of the 1950's.Charles McGraw is superb as the cop determined to protect a state's witness from contract assassins aboard a train.Terrifically suspenseful with some dazzling camerawork to boot. A classic.

A good watch with a gratifying end
World War II is over and the soldiers are returning home. However home as a source of comfort has been abandoned. They have returned to a dark, shady, and even seedy reality, an element of the film that is masterfully illustrated through its use of cinematography and mise en scene. America's colour has drained away as we watch the story unravel in black and white. It is for this reason, as well as the murder mystery storyline, that the film is classed as being a Film Noir.

A man is sitting in a bar having a drink when he strikes up a conversation with the soldiers next to him. He soon invites them back to his house for a nightcap. Upon arriving at his home the man is killed. Why? Because he is Jewish. An investigation into his death ensues. The 3 soldiers he invited back are obviously the chief suspects. Enter Captain Finlay (played by Robert Young) to investigate. However of the 3 suspects only 1 is guilty and Finlay mistakenly fingers the wrong guy. Enter Sergeant Kelley (played by Robert Mitchum) to clear his friend's name and help Finlay find the real culprit.

The anti-Semitic issues tackled in this film are what gives it a strong place in film history. Previously to this anti-Semitism was a taboo subject and could therefore not be shown on film. Another reason for its importance lies in the fact it was one of the first Social Problem films. By speaking out about anti-Semitism the director Edward Dmytryk (one of the original blacklisted Hollywood ten) is at the same time commenting on America's bleak post-war mentality.

At the time of its release the film was controversial but gradually became a hit. It was nominated for the best picture Oscar but unfortunately lost out to Gentlemen's Agreement. It is a great Film Noir that has the most gratifying ending.

CROSSFIRE--ROBERT YOUNG / ROBERT MITCHUM / ROBERT RYAN /GLORIA GRAHAME
CROSSFIRE,1947,black and white,co-stars three Robert's-Young,Mitchum,Ryan,as well as Gloria Grahame,Paul Kelly,Sam Levene,in a classic Film Noir.
A few army buddies go on leave,including a vicious bigot Montgomery[Ryan].In a nightclub they meet Joseph Samuels[Levene]and his girlfriend Miss Lewis[Marlo Dwyer]and are invited back to an apartment.An argument breaks out and Samuels,a Jew,is murdered by Montgomery.The police Sgt.Keeley[Mitchum]and Detective Finlay[Young]both suspect different people for the murder,but together they find the real killer.Blonde Film Noir icon Gloria Grahame plays a great part as Ginny,whose lover is played by Paul Kelly as[the man].A well acted film noir.
Regards,Bill.