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Post by kims on May 6, 2024 21:55:40 GMT
This is a Samba production (who?) released by Eagle Lion films in 1949 about drug smuggling. This should be in a new genre with THE F.B.I. STORY: agency promotional, rosy picture of the agencies portrayed.
The script is lacking. According to IMDB newscaster Chet Huntley narrates which strikes me as surprising because the film is not top tier.. Lots of scenes are shot in New York city giving a hint of being a documentary. George Diskant does great camera work which should be in an A film and I judge director Lazlo Benedek did a good job with the material he was given. There's little depiction of violence as if the film was made for a tv audience. The sound quality suggests B film or worse, but the photography and staging of scenes are better. Sol Kaplan did the music, too bad the sound wasn't so great.
Scott Brady and Richard Rober are the agents, acted in the style of Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, which contributes to the feel of a cheapo film. Yul Brynner with his real hair! is very good as the malicious crime boss-KT Stevens delivers as the one time "girl" we assume lover of Brynner, and Neville Brand delivers as one of the Brynner gang. Lots of faces you'll recognize from other noir films. The actors gave better performances than the screenplay deserved.
If anyone else watches this film, I'm interested if you agree that camera, direction and acting are hindered by a so-so tame script and poor sound.
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Post by topbilled on May 31, 2024 15:45:33 GMT
This is a Samba production (who?) released by Eagle Lion films in 1949 about drug smuggling. This should be in a new genre with THE F.B.I. STORY: agency promotional, rosy picture of the agencies portrayed. The script is lacking. According to IMDB newscaster Chet Huntley narrates which strikes me as surprising because the film is not top tier.. Lots of scenes are shot in New York city giving a hint of being a documentary. George Diskant does great camera work which should be in an A film and I judge director Lazlo Benedek did a good job with the material he was given. There's little depiction of violence as if the film was made for a tv audience. The sound quality suggests B film or worse, but the photography and staging of scenes are better. Sol Kaplan did the music, too bad the sound wasn't so great. Scott Brady and Richard Rober are the agents, acted in the style of Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, which contributes to the feel of a cheapo film. Yul Brynner with his real hair! is very good as the malicious crime boss-KT Stevens delivers as the one time "girl" we assume lover of Brynner, and Neville Brand delivers as one of the Brynner gang. Lots of faces you'll recognize from other noir films. The actors gave better performances than the screenplay deserved. If anyone else watches this film, I'm interested if you agree that camera, direction and acting are hindered by a so-so tame script and poor sound.
Though PORT OF NEW YORK was not produced by Foy (it was instead produced by Aubrey Schenck), it was done using a similar production model at E-L.
Most of these titles would later fall into the public domain which explains why there are some cheap looking prints online, but that doesn't mean the films themselves are exactly 'cheapo.'
TRAPPED has received a beautiful restoration and so has HE WALKED BY NIGHT. Unfortunately, PORT OF NEW YORK has not.
I don't think the intention was necessarily to make modestly budgeted features that would find broadcast on television, but that is typically what happened. The producers could make money by leasing these pictures for airing on late night television in the 50s and 60s.
Another thing to keep in mind, some of these actors (like Yul Brynner) may have been between stage roles, and they were hoping to break into movies...so taking a job in an Eagle-Lion film was a way to break into the motion picture industry and continue to put food on the table. They weren't always trying to make box office hits or receive Oscar awards...they were trying to stay employed. |
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Post by kims on May 31, 2024 18:30:19 GMT
So, you agree the actors' performances were better than the script?
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Post by topbilled on Jun 1, 2024 0:09:39 GMT
So, you agree the actors' performances were better than the script? |
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Post by kims on Jun 18, 2024 21:01:43 GMT
Thanks to Eddy Muller's presentation of CALL NORTHSIDE 777 on Noir Alley, I learned that Northside and Port belong to a genre called semi-documentary. Towards the end of WWII films made entirely on location to capture a realistic tone fit in this category. According to Muller this genre gave audiences the impression of being true accurate stories.
This is why I hope TCM continues with the hosts-for the tidbits of info.
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Post by topbilled on Jun 19, 2024 7:11:42 GMT
Thanks to Eddy Muller's presentation of CALL NORTHSIDE 777 on Noir Alley, I learned that Northside and Port belong to a genre called semi-documentary. Towards the end of WWII films made entirely on location to capture a realistic tone fit in this category. According to Muller this genre gave audiences the impression of being true accurate stories. This is why I hope TCM continues with the hosts-for the tidbits of info.
THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET (1945) from 20th Century Fox, which I believe was the first example of this type of filmmaking.
O.S.S. (1946) from Paramount, starring Alan Ladd.
13 RUE MADELEINE (1947) from Fox, starring James Cagney.
THE STREET WITH NO NAME (1948) from Fox, a follow-up to THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET, with Lloyd Nolan reprising the character he played in the earlier picture.
T-MEN (1948) from Eagle-Lion, starring Dennis O'Keefe.
CANON CITY (1948) from Eagle-Lion which I consider the best semi-documentary film ever made.
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Post by jamesjazzguitar on Jun 20, 2024 15:22:35 GMT
A good port, union corruption film is New Orleans Uncensored (1955 Columbia). Staring Arthur Franz, Belverly Garland, and Michael Ansara.
Running at 76 minutes, this noir film is nicely paced.
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