Remember how I was complaining in my previous post that NORTHSIDE 777 wasn’t really noir? Well, this double bill certainly is, and then some! First up, I WALK ALONE.
Ride-or-die bootleggers Frankie (Burt Lancaster) and Dink (Kirk Douglas) have an unbreakable bond, until Frankie gets caught and sent up the river. Cut to 14 years later when Frankie gets out of jail and finds that Dink has been thriving, running a swanky night club and making time with his girl! He wants his fair share of the action, only his former partner doesn’t see it that way and a big dick-swinging showdown ensues.
There is a very strong homoerotic undercurrent in this flick, and not just because our beloved Bisexual Queen Lizabeth Scott is in the middle of all these men. Dink and Frankie clearly just needed to hate-fuck it out and then kiss and make up.
Why yes, everything DOES have to be gay. Thanks for asking!
Still with me? All of the above notwithstanding, this is a dynamite flick full of snappy patter and gorgeous, shadowy visuals. It’s directed by Byron “The Outer Limits” Haskin and I especially love the dark room shoot out sequence. Wendall Corey is superb as the melancholy bookkeeper whose complex redemption arc feels like the emotional center of the film. There’s even a scene where Noir City’s favorite muscle Mike Mazurki puts Burt Lancaster in a choke hold!
So yeah, this one is a must see and is widely available to stream on various platforms so go watch it right fucking now. What, are you waiting for me to count three like in the movies?
Next up, T-MEN!
This is another film that I’ve seen multiple times and written up before. You need to see it and not just because Charles McGraw is basically naked in a Turkish bath. It’s aces and I’ll watch anything directed by Anthony Mann. You should too.
Tonight it’s CRY OF THE CITY and THE NAKED CITY so stay tuned and watch along at home if you can.