Been a fan of "Niche" Vintage Noir all my life and wondering what are some of your all time non forgettables? One of my favorites is Double Indemnity, closely followed by Lady from Shanghai and The Third Man. Yet there are so many B movies that nobody remembers that hit the spot. Doing a promo shoot this year but with so many technicians for hire in London still on the hunt for DOP with access to and can shoot on ancient equipment. Obviously also regular DOP to juxtapose different parts promo with both modern color and vintage.
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Ya wanna shoot in B & W on an old spring wound 16mm Bolex?
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In answer to your initial question - I'd have to go China Town, though maybe that's not quite vintage enough?
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A film titled Bum Wrap. Scheduled for production in January 1942; along came WWII and the film was never made.
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It's complete pulp, but I remember enjoying "Murder, My Sweet" from film school - based on the novel by Raymond Chandler. Man, I really want more women to write film noir! We need to change this narrative! LOL!
My favorite of all time still has to be The Maltese Falcon (1941) - a must-see for anyone who needs to know what classic Film Noir looked like. I also highly recommend "Touch of Evil", - that opening shot is a legend - although it's made later (1958), and thus not "classic".
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SUNSET BOULEVARD tops my list, followed by the Tyrone Power NIGHTMARE ALLEY.
@Doug That camera’s one baby I’d fly over the pond for unless you trust FedEx. LOL Still looking forward to my 1st visit USA cos my original schedule was “damned” due to 2020 pandemic. It would be great if you knew where exactly “Bum Wrap” footage is now and be able to show it to us genre fans. @Jason Yeah Polanski’s Chinatown hits the spot, Neo or Vintage the core elements remain, a great film. @Karen Kay Fantastic point The Maltese Falcon is a poignant classic, I’m a fan of Raymond Chandler in general. Two of his other films do it for me also The Big Sleep and Farewell My Lovely. Both films were remade in 70’s but paled in comparison, I saw them later on and they felt like a second date gone belly up wrong and didn’t even finish one. I’m certainly not knocking any individual performances at all here but there was a gaping hole where the verisimilitude and third visceral layer had supposed to hit me in the chest. @Philip who can forget Gloria Swanson in the original Sunset Boulevard? Thanks for reminding me, Norma Desmond has some brilliant monologues and relevant in today’s Hollywood ageism.
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@Doug A sneaking suspicion crept in you “had me on”with the “Bum Wrap” film but my thoughts are 50/50. There were many a title equally as ambiguous Eg Allotment wives, The Fat Man, Criss Cross, G Men Etc so Bum wrap could easy be a black comedy. LOL
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Always liked OUT OF THE PAST and GILDA.
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Noir with the lights On, the film, Body Heat . ..
She stops again at the rail as a small breeze blows in from the ocean. She turns her back to it and, with her
cigarette dangling from her lips, she uses both hands to lift her hair up off her nape. She closes her eyes as
the air hits her. Racine watches very closely.
RACINE
How 'bout I buy you a drink?
MATTY
I told you. I've got a husband.
RACINE
I'll buy him one too.
MATTY
He's out of town.
RACINE
My favorite kind. We'll drink to
him.
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Debbie - the Bolex was given to me by John Wayne when I was a kid - it's not for sale. Bum Wrap was already cast when it shut down (Johnny Dilaudid & Renata Taldwin). It's a typical detective crime story of the late 30's era. If I were 20 years younger, I'd love to produce it.