The Chase (1946)

 

 

Chuck Scott gets a job as chauffeur to tough guy Eddie Roman; but Chuck's involvement with Eddie's fearful wife becomes a nightmare. 

Odd Cornell Woolrich adaptation hold's our attention with good Noir atmosphere, a capable cast and some suspense, but the disappoints with an unnecessary twist ending.

Halliwell*: "Weird Cuban-set film noir with a strange cast and stranger atmosphere. A genuine bomb, but worth a look for its pretensions, its cast, and its trick ending."

Maltin**1/2: "Mildly diverting melodrama..." 

Fear in the Night (1947)

A man dreams he committed murder, then begins to suspect it was real.

Good Cornell Woolrich adaptation with a capable cast captures the author's nightmarish noir atmosphere quite well.

Halliwell**: "Intriguing small-scale puzzler later remade to less effect as Nightmare. Adequate performances and handling, but the plot's the thing."

Maltin***: "Nifty chiller..."

La sirène du Mississipi (1969)

A wealthy plantation owner is captivated by a mysterious woman with a shady past.

Offbeat Noir thriller treated more like a l'amour fou romance with some typical Truffaut touches, occasionally a bit heavy-handed and with some risible dialogue.

On rewatching: Lively drama omits the novel's noir elements and turns the story into an almost surreal romance;the director and his two stars somehow make it work.

Halliwell*: "Oddly obsessive romantic murder mystery; the hero continues to love the girl who tries to kill him, and at the end they are still together. Interesting when it is not uncomfortable."

 Maltin***: "One of the director's few flops, but any film with Belmondo-Deneuve-Truffaut combo is of interest...Always buy brand names."

Black Angel (1946)

When a man is convicted of a singer's murder, his wife tries to prove him innocent...aided by the victim's ex-husband.

Exemplary Film Noir gem, and an excellent Cornell Woolrich adaptation, complete with a 'happy ending' that isn't happy at all. 

On second view: Good little Noir thriller, a bit pedestrian, but reaches Woolrich dimensions of dark dread in the finale.

Halliwell*: "Stylish but empty version of a tired theme, interesting for performance and atmosphere."