Noir Alley

[ElCid]

So Haas wagered $85,000 on Americans having a taste for sleaze? How could he miss. While it's the old wife
trying to bump off hubby for the money and using her boy toy to do the dirty deed plot, what's different in
this one is nobody is killed. The boyfriend chickens out and the wife packs her suitcase and leaves. It was
kind of good to see nobody getting killed for a change. I imagine that might be the reason Beverly is not punished
at the end. No harm, no foul. Liked the professor, I've nicked a few books from the library, but not as many as
him. Fairly entertaining, though the psychosomatic deafness was kind of screwy. Maybe when Bev thinks things
over she'll figure out there was no divorce and maybe she can squeeze a few more bucks out of Hunky/Czechy.

There were some commentaries comparing the plot to Double Indemnity or The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I really don't see that. As you noted it is a very old tale. And based on a 1926 book by a central European.

[Hibi]

I thought Pick Up was one of the better Haas offerings, until the ending! There were several directions the plot could've gone, but I wasn't expecting that luke warm wrap up. Definitely lessened the film's impact overall. The hearing thing was implausible, but created some interesting mind games as it went along. I thought Michaels was just too obvious and one note in her performance. Haas should've reined her in and softened some of the rough edges. Too bad Nixon blew up his film career. He showed promise in this film (hadn't heard of him before). Overall one of the better Haas films (I've seen a handful).

[Andree]

There were some commentaries comparing the plot to Double Indemnity or The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I really don't see that. As you noted it is a very old tale. And based on a 1926 book by a central European.

The basic plot is certainly moth eaten. Someone also compared it to The Blue Angel. But in
this version nobody dies, which is different. In general I liked it, it had a certain eccentricity
that worked.

[laffite]

I thought Pick Up was one of the better Haas offerings, until the ending! There were several directions the plot could've gone, but I wasn't expecting that luke warm wrap up. Definitely lessened the film's impact overall. The hearing thing was implausible, but created some interesting mind games as it went along. I thought Michaels was just too obvious and one note in her performance. Haas should've reined her in and softened some of the rough edges. Too bad Nixon blew up his film career. He showed promise in this film (hadn't heard of him before). Overall one of the better Haas films (I've seen a handful).

I like your comment about Michaels. I spend the whole movie trying to figure whether or not she was pretty. Okay, she would be considered a looker by most, and me too, I suppose. But we didn't get one sweet smile, a softening of the edges as you say. Something wrong with her eyes, but I can't put my finger on it. I loved her hair. Her acting borders on dreadful, and what a surprise to see her sachet out of the movie unscathed. We were robbed of a "sweet" comeuppance. I like Hugo Hass, the only other movies I've seed aired on Noir Alley, some time back. That was way better than this one. The ending was grievously anti climactic. The "interesting" mind games" didn't pan out for me. It was fun for awhile but I wanted something more. I kept waiting for him reveal himself in some creative way. The Nixon character kept reminding me of Buster Crabbe. Too bad a spaceship didn't curl around the sky and set itself on a railroad track. It might have helped. And yet, I was fairly entertained by it all. Go Hugo!

[Hoganman1]

I thought it was just OK. Unlike some it did remind me of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. It was nice to hear Hugo's story. He did a lot with very little money.

[jamesjazzguitar]

This week's noir alley is the Warner Bros. remake of High Sierra, I Died a Thousand Times (1955), with Jack Palance and Shelley Winters (instead of Bogie and Lupino). An OK remake with both leads giving good performances (but not if one compares them to Bogie\Ida). Also, with Lee Marvin and Earl Holliman as the young punk hoods.

[Hoganman1]

I agree with Jamesjazzguitar. The original was much better. However, they stayed true to the storyline. It was interesting seeing all the "before they were stars" actors in bit parts.

[Thompson]

I really liked Jack Palance in I Died a Thousand Times.

[laffite]

I really liked Jack Palance in I Died a Thousand Times.

Did you like him more that Bogie?

[Allhallowsday]

This week's noir alley is the Warner Bros. remake of High Sierra, I Died a Thousand Times (1955), with Jack Palance and Shelley Winters (instead of Bogie and Lupino). An OK remake with both leads giving good performances (but not if one compares them to Bogie\Ida). Also, with Lee Marvin and Earl Holliman as the young punk hoods.

I have the same problem with this remake Eddie Muller has: the script.

[Andree]

I figured the Mankman would deliver one of his zingers about Eddie with a title like
I Died a Thousand Times, like his wife would rathe die a thousand times before
she spent another night with him. Oh well. I don't think I've ever seen the remake
before. Not much to get excited about. Yeah, downplay the family from The
Grapes of Wrath, the dog, and all the other corny stuff and concentrate on
the robbers and the bank job. Would have been a more interesting flick. Too late
now.

[Hoganman1]

I have mixed feelings about remakes. IMHO THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH with James Stewart and Doris Day was the best. I wasn't that wild about THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL or WEST SIDE STORY. THE BIG SLEEP with Robert Mitchum was pretty good. Also, I'm glad to see the fad of making movies out of old TV shows seems to be waning. I know making money has surpassed creativity these days. Thank goodness there are still film makers who want to introduce new material.

[Dargo]

What I think I was most impressed with the film 'I Died a Thousand Times' was how tough and resilient that one motorcop was after he "high-sided" over the handlebars of his Harley (and as compared to just "low-siding" and having his bike just slide out from under him...a far less injurious crash) as he and his fellow motocop led the way up that Mt. Whitney road in pursuit of poor ol' Roy Earle.

Uh-huh, and 'cause just 30 seconds later you see him and his fellow motorcop continue to lead his fellow LEOs up that mountain road and like nothing had ever happened!

(...well, it was either THAT, or there JUST might have been a little "continuity issue" with this part of the movie, anyway)

[jamesjazzguitar]

In two weeks, the Noir Alley film is Woman in Hiding (1950), with Ida Lupino, Howard Duff and Steve McNally. I've seen this Universal film and enjoyed it, mainly due to Ida Lupino's fine performance and McNally as the bad guy. Ida and Howard got married to each other shortly after the film was released.

(this week, the Noir Alley film is Hitchcock's Stage Fright).