Noirtifacts
Film Noir has long been a particular focus of our gallery collections and in addition to our Film Noir and Crime posters we hope you enjoy “Noirtifacts,” where we periodically report on various obscure and not so obscure Noir topics.
CLAIRE TREVOR . . . prolific American actress (March 8, 2010 - April 8, 2000), appeared in 65 feature films during her lengthy career, often playing the "hard-boiled blonde," and "bad girl" role. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gaye Dawn, washed-up nightclub singer and ex moll of Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson), in Key Largo (1948), starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in their fourth and final film together. Who can forget the notable scene of her pathetic off-key attempt to sing Moanin' Low for Rocco in exchange for a promised drink. It is reported that Director, John Huston, would not let her rehearse the song and then made her perform it in front of cast and crew and that it was that raw take that was used in the film. She appeared in many other film noir films including I Stole a Million (1939), Crossroads (1942), Street of Chance (1942), Murder My Sweet (1944), Johnny Angel (1945), Crack-Up (1946), Born To Kill (1947), Raw Deal (1948), and Borderline (1950). From 1937-1940, she also appeared with Edward G. Robinson in the popular radio drama series, Big Town." Trevor died on April 8, 2000 in Newport Beach, California.
“THE GRABTOWN GRAPPLE” . . . Come again? “The Grabtown Grapple” is a musical number composed by big band leader Artie Shaw and Buster Harding in January 1945. The song was named by Shaw in tribute to actress, Ava Gardner’s birthplace, Grabtown, North Carolina. Shaw and Gardner were in a relationship at the time, and they would marry in October of 1945. It was Shaw’s fifth marriage, and Ava’s second. The tune lives on but the marriage ended in divorce after one year and one week. Grabtown Grapple was recorded by Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five, with Shaw on clarinet and directing: Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa on piano, Barney Kessel on guitar, Morris Rayman on bass, and Lou Fromm on drums. Ava Gardner is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. When asked what he found attractive in her in a 1990 interview, Shaw purportedly replied, “Have you ever seen Ava Gardner?” She launched to stardom in the 1946 Robert Siodmak directed noir, The Killers, starring alongside Burt Lancaster in his film debut. She would star in other noir films, including Whistlestop (1946), Singapore (1947), The Bribe (1949), and My forbidden Past (1951).
LUCILLE BALL – FILM NOIR ACTOR? . . . Lucille Désirée Ball, (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989), actress, comedian and producer, perhaps best known for her comedic role as Lucy Ricardo in the sitcom, I Love Lucy, indeed put in a solid performance in the 1946 Henry Hathaway-directed noir, The Dark Corner. Co-starring Clifton Webb, Mark Stevens and William Bendix, the film was not a commercial success but has since been described as a “Grade A example of film noir,” (AllMovie). This is due in large part to the brilliant work of cinematographer, Joseph MacDonald (Street With No Name, Call Northside 777, Pickup on South Street), who provides endless vivid contrasts and harsh shadows in depicting the characters and gritty cityscapes of Manhattan. Indeed, the classic 1946 1Sh movie poster for this film portrays Private Investigator Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) peering through Venetian blinds which in the film cast dark shadows on his dingy office walls, . . . an enduring noir visual effect. Lucille Ball, who plays Galt’s secretary, Kathleen Stewart, and helps Galt when he's framed for murder, is said to have clashed with director Hathaway during production. The role was a departure from Ball’s predominantly comedic work, and despite her differences with Hathaway, it ultimately proved to be one of her best dramatic performances and she went on to appear in another noir in 1947, the Douglas Sirk-directed, Lured.
ELLA RAINES – “She’s got Betty Davis eyes.” Well, not really, but Ella Raines was known for her striking green eyes, which although an asset in Hollywood in the 40’s, also reportedly were a problem to photograph. Born Ella Wallace Raubes in 1920, Raines was the first actress signed to B-H Productions, a production company formed by Howard Hawks and Charles Boyer. She made her film debut in Corvette K-225 which Hawks produced. She went on to appear in various westerns and war movies but made her mark starring in several film noirs in the 1940’s, including Phantom Lady (1944), Enter Arsène Lupin (1944), The Suspect (1944), The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945), Time Out of Mind (1947), The Web (1947), Brute Force (1947), Impact (1949), and A Dangerous Profession (1949). She is perhaps best known for her role in Phantom Lady in which she played Carol “Kansas” Richmond, the devoted secretary of Scott Henderson (Alan Curtis), who tries to find the elusive “phantom lady” who might prove her boss did not kill his wife. Franchot Tone received top billing in this Robert Siodmak directed noir, but it was unquestionably Raines who carried the picture. Raines appeared on the cover of Life Magazine in 1944 for her work in Phantom Lady, and again in 1947 for Brute Force. She died in 1988 in Sherman Oaks, California of throat cancer. She was 67 years old.
EVELYN KEYES . . . My Neighbor . . . Yes, Evelyn Keyes lived right across the street from me in the 1960’s in a small town in northwestern Connecticut. Keyes was married to jazz clarinet player and big band leader, Artie Shaw at the time. It was the longest marriage for both of them (1957-1985), Shaw having been married seven times previously including to Lana Turner (1940) and to Ava Gardner (1945-1946), and Keyes three times previously, including to John Huston (1946-1950). While my memories of her are cloudy, I do vividly remember Artie Shaw, since he almost shot me when I walked into their back yard one day. Shaw was a ranked precision marksman and had a target range set up in his backyard. At a very young age, I walked unknowingly right in front of him as he was sighting his target rifle. He sternly reprimanded me but then kindly sat me down and showed me how to shoot. Thankfully having lived to tell this tale, I must say I feel that Evelyn Keys does not get the credit she deserves for her film work. Although she is probably best known for her bit part as Scarlet Ohara’s younger sister in Gone With The Wind, Keyes put in solid performances in several noir films in the 1940’s and early 1950’s, including Ladies in Retirement (1941), Johnny O’Clock (1947), The Killer That Stalked New York (1950), The Prowler (1951), Iron Man (1951), 99 River Street (1953), and Hell’s Half Acre (1954). Keyes was brilliant in her role as adulteress, Susan Gilvray in The Prowler. Said to be her favorite film role and co-starring Van Heflin, The Prowler was the first film chosen for major restoration by Eddie Mueller’s Film Noir Foundation along with the Stanford Theatre Foundation and UCLA. Never landing THE big role that would launch her to super stardom, Evelyn Keyes nonetheless made important contributions to the noir genre and is widely respected today for her film noir performances. Keyes died in Montecito California in 2008 at age 91. Artie Shaw died in Thousand Oaks, California in 2004 at age 94.
DOOLEY WILSON – NOT A PIANIST? – Arthur “Dooley” Wilson, actor, singer and musician, was born on April 3rd, 1886 in Tyler Texas. Wilson was a drummer and singer and toured overseas in the 1920’s with his own band, the “Red Devils.” Wilson turned to acting on his return from Europe in the 1930’s and gained the attention of Hollywood with his rendition of “Little Joe” in the Broadway hit, “Cabin in the Sky,” which ultimately lead to a contract with Paramount Pictures. Paramount loaned out Wilson to Warner Brothers for $700 per week (Wilson received $350 per week) to play the part of pianist, and singer, “Sam” in the classic “Casablanca,” making him the most expensive supporting actor on the film. Although Wilson appeared for only a few minutes in scenes in Casablanca, his work is unforgettable and his rendition of “As Time Goes By” will forever be associated with and eternally linked to the film. Although Sam’s piano plays prominently in the role (indeed, the Letters of Transit stolen by Ugarte (Peter Lorre) are hidden in the piano by Rick (Humphrey Bogart)), many are not aware that Wilson did not actually play the piano in the film.* The piano playing was actually performed by Elliot Carpenter who was placed just offscreen so Wilson could see and imitate his moves. Although Casablanca reflects many elements of the film noir genre, and there are arguments to the contrary, it is generally not considered to be a true film noir. Wilson subsequently did appear in two noir films, ironically as a piano player in the 1949 “Knock on Any Door,” and as a dining car waiter in the 1950 “No Man of Her Own.” He appeared in several other films and productions and became an Executive Board Member of the Negro Actors Guild of America (1936-1982), which among other things, fought to end stereotyping of African Americans in theatre and film. Wilson died on May 30, 1953 in Los Angeles at age 67.
*The piano sold at auction in New York in 2014 for $3.4 million, which also included a signed photo of Dooley Wilson – the Letters of Transit were sold separately for $118,750.
THE “CAR" IN FILM NOIR- Let’s face it, the automobiles used in many noir films are as much a part of the rich and sultry fabric of the genre as the bottle of cheap rye, cigarette smoke, dark shadows, and cynical heroes. But these rides were not put there to add a retro feel to the films, they were the cars of the times and more often than not were in sync with the character’s financial situation and/or station in life. Take for example Philip Marlowe’s (Humphrey Bogart) 1938 Plymouth in The Big Sleep equipped with the secret gun compartment. A perfect car for a 1940’s shamus. Of course, the Plymouth is modest compared to the Sternwood’s “big Packard. . . washing around in the surf off Lido pier.” Ex -con Roy “Mad Dog” Earle (Bogart) also drove a 1938 Plymouth in High Sierra. Then there is Walter Neff’s (Fred MacMurray) 1938 Dodge business coupe in Double Indemnity, fitting for an insurance salesman but middling compared to the Dietrichson’s 1937 four- door LaSalle Touring Sedan (in which Neff kills Phyllis’ husband). "Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money, and for a woman. I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman." Or take Joe Gillis’ (William Holden) (about to be re-possessed) 1946 Plymouth Special Deluxe convertible compared to Norma Desmond’s (Gloria Swanson) (exotic but faded) 1931 Isotta Fraschini in Sunset Boulevard. "I just found out the reason for all those phone calls from Paramount. It's not Madame they want. It's her car." (Max . . . Erich von Stroheim).
JACK PALANCE- FILM NOIR ACTOR? The name Jack Palance does not always conjure up images of a classic film noir actor, but Jack Palance (born Volodymyr Palahniuk) began his film career playing a very convincing bad guy named Blackie in the 1950 classic, Panic in The Streets. Elia Kazan directed this New Orleans based noir starring Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas and Barbara Belle Gedes. When a murder victim is found to have pneumonic plague, a Public Health Service doctor (Richard Widmark) has only 48 hours to locate the killer (Blackie and his cohorts) and avoid ensuing panic before the public is notified about the potential epidemic. According to a quote attributed to Widmark, Palance was "... the toughest guy I ever met. He was the only actor I've ever been physically afraid of. " He went on to work in several other noir films in the 1950’s including the 1952 San Francisco noir, Sudden Fear, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor; Second Chance, a 1953 noir filmed in Mexico in 3-D; Flight to Tangier, a 1953 noir also filmed in Technicolor and 3-D; The Big Knife, a 1955 film noir with Ida Lupino; I Died a Thousand Times, a 1955 remake of High Sierra with Palance playing the Humphrey Bogart role of Roy Earle; and the 1957 noir, House of Numbers, with Barbara Lang. Palance also played many non-noir roles on stage and screen throughout his long career and was a true-life tough guy often doing his own stunts. He grew up in Pennsylvania and worked in coal mines before becoming a professional boxer in the late 1930’s, fighting under the name Jack Brazzo and amassing a record of 15 consecutive victories with 12 knockouts. Who can forget Palance doing one-arm pushups (at age 73) at the 1992 Oscars when he took home the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Curly in City Slickers? Palance died on November 10, 2006 at age 87.
POSTERS WITHIN A FILM- I figure I have watched the 1944 Bogart/Bacall classic, To Have and Have Not, hundreds of times over the years and every time I am fascinated by the glimpses of advertising posters on the wall of Frenchy’s (Marcel Dalio) steamy Martinique bar. Portions of posters can be seen in various scenes of the movie, particularly when Cricket (Hoagy Carmichael) is playing the piano. After some sleuthing and numerous freeze frames, it turns out that one of the posters is a Rene Vincent, Fumez Les Cigarettes de la Régie Française (“Smoke Cigarettes From French Companies”) ca. 1930’s. While it is unknown whether the poster in the film was an original or a reproduction prop, original examples of this poster are still widely available to collectors today.
