Providing an overview of the entire thriller genre, this book examines over 160 movies from classic Hollywood and British studios, including such essential film noir entries as "Murder, My Sweet", "The Dark Corner", "The Maltese Falcon" and "Afraid To Talk".
Great cinema detectives are represented by William Powell (all six of his Thin Man pictures are detailed and discussed), Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Warner Oland (Charlie Chan), Sidney Toler (Charlie Chan), Peter Ustinov (Hercule Poirot), Margaret Rutherford (all four of her Miss Marple films are covered), and others including the Saint, the Falcon, Bulldog Drummond and Philo Vance. From director Alfred Hitchcock comes "Notorious", "Saboteur", "Number 17" and "Rich and Strange". A few comedies and spoofs, such as "Satan Met a Lady" (an amazing re-make of the original "Maltese Falcon" with Bette Davis and Warren William) and... More > "Who Done It?" (with Abbott and Costello) round out the survey.< Less
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By John Reid
Oct 15, 2009
"Detectives Now and Then" For over two decades, suspense and mystery movies rated third in popularity among picturegoers to love stories and musicals. In fact, some very successful attempts were made to combine the three genres. "Casablanca", for instance. No, "Casablanca" is not included in this book. I covered that film in detail in "Memorable Films of the Forties". What I have attempted here, however, is an overview of the whole mystery-suspense genre, ranging from serials like "Secret Service in Darkest Africa" (disappointing, despite its enormous budget) and "Shadow of the Eagle" (not one of the most lively Mascots despite some really thrilling action in chapter 3 and the starring presence of John Wayne); Hitchcock masterpieces like "Saboteur", "Number 17", "The Lodger" and "Notorious"; personal favorites like "Secret Ways", "Jack of All Trades", "The Black... More > Sheep of Whitehall", "Confession", "Daughter of Shanghai", "How Do You Do?", "Town on Trial", "Hangover Square", "Unpublished Story" and "The Midnight Man"; the worst film ever made, "Too Many Thieves", starring the most unpresentable, the most irritating and the most boring cinema detective of all time; and a line-up of classic film noir including "The Dark Corner", "Johnny Apollo", "Berlin Express", "Quick Millions" and "The Harder They Fall". Plus movies from all the most popular detectives including Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Nick Charles (the mis-named "Thin Man"), Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade and Miss Marple.< Less
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