Daily Archives: May 16, 2013
The Dark Corner (1946)
The Dark Corner (1946)
The Dark Corner is a black and white film about a private detective (Mark Stevens) who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. His secretary (Lucille Ball) goes outside of the boundaries of her job description to fight to try to help him survive.
This movie was much better than I anticipated. Even though the film is 67 years old, it can still pack a punch. It was all beautifully filmed. The story had some creative twists and turns and was told at a reasonable pace. I was thrilled at how exciting this movie was. It’s classic storytelling at its best. It was a little slower at times, but just enough to build up the suspense and keep your attention.
The characters were thoroughly developed which made them super fun to watch. But what made the characters even better were the actors playing them.
It’s my favorite Lucille Ball performance that I have seen so far. Obviously she isn’t making any more movies, but there are still plenty of her films that I have yet to see. She brought a level of class to her character that most women are not capable of. It was one of the stronger performances that I have seen from an actress in a classic film in a long time.
Mark Stevens and William Bendix both played their parts well, but Clifton Webb went above and beyond. He carried himself with a great deal of charm and energy. His words were not only heard, but felt. The powerful force that he brought to the film made it that much more enjoyable.
The movie was directed by Henry Hathaway and also starred Kurt Kreuger, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley, Constance Collier, and Ellen Corby.
If you are looking for a classic film noir picture to watch, look no further than The Dark Corner. If you like older movies, this one should not disappoint.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Happy Birthday to Pierce Brosnan
Happy Birthday to Pierce Brosnan! The actor formerly known as James Bond will be celebrating a major milestone today, he turns 60 years old.
Of course Brosnan is most known for his suave portrayal of the iconic Bond character. He did walk in those shoes 4 times: Goldeneye (1995) (my favorite Pierce Brosnan Bond), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002).
He is almost exactly 7 months older than my father and I remember my dad taking me to see all four of his James Bond movies in the theatre over the years. At the time I always thought it was pretty cool to think that James Bond was the same age as my dad.
I remember hating Pierce Brosnan’s character in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) because he played his part so well. After seeing him as Bond, I thought Pierce was pretty awesome. After re-watching Mrs. Doubtfire, I liked him even more.
Brosnan was a superstar for a while in the 90’s and early 2000’s, but then his career began to fade.
The Matador (2005) was a sort of comeback movie for him. In it he plays an aging hit man who is beginning to lose his edge. It’s a dark comedy that also featured Greg Kinnear. The role seemed so out of character for Pierce, but his performance was priceless. The movie could have been better, but his part was great.
He has continued making many movies, but the only one worth mentioning in more recent years is The Greatest (2009).
Somewhere along the way he lost his status and has not been able to be a part of big films. Of course, I guess that is what comes with age. I’m still a fan though. Cheers to you Mr. Bond!
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