(aka 'Corkscrew Alley')
USA 1948
If you know of Anthony Mann's work at all, it's probably from seeing the minor epic El Cid or Winchester '73, one of many Westerns he made in the '50s and '60s. Mann's first projects of any note, however, were stark, brusque crime stories, three of which have now been made available on home video. T-Men is a super-manly Secret Service tale of chasing counterfeiters, complete with the tersely narrated tedium of a painstaking manhunt on San Francisco's seedier side and a dangerous blonde who just kind of got wrapped up in the whole mess. He Walked By Night takes the police procedural a step further by showcasing the entire LAPD as it methodically tracks down a cunning and inventive killer. Look for a very young Jack Webb as a crime-lab technician, and you'll also see how much he stole from this movie to use on Dragnet—from the show's expositional narrative to the creepy, clipped way the cops talk. Raw Deal switches viewpoints to the criminal and immerses the viewer in noir as we watch a man break out of prison with the help of his girl; take a lovely young hostage; and become entangled in a love triangle while en route to a confrontation with the man who framed him and had him sent up. What begins as campily as the other two eventually takes on deeper shades of meaning as the characters become conflicted about themselves and each other; the script actually improves as the movie progresses. T-Men and He Walked By Night both have gripping black-and-white visuals: There's a chase through L.A.'s cavernous storm sewers, and a hellish murder by live steam. Raw Deal adds dramatic tension to its imagery of foggy back roads and burning hotels to become a minor noir masterpiece.
Excerpt from John Krewson's review at The Onion AV Club located HERE.
Posters
 |
 |
Theatrical Release: 26 May 1948 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC
Big thanks to Ole Kofoed and Gregory Meshman for the Screen Caps!
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)
| Comments | This
appears to have no bone-fide improvement over the VCI edition. At times
it looks hazier and other times minutely sharper - it has been
brightened a bit, but we have mostly the same damage marks. Since the
VCI comes with
T-Men and the Dark Reflections
featurette I see no reason to buy the Sony. -
Gary Tooze
About the VCI:
Well, I have seen a lot worse non-progressive transfers. This is not too
shabby at all. I think I see some grain and the 'combing' was very
minimal. My expectations and satisfaction were all a function of the
price and the less-than-stellar reputation of VCI. The Dark
Reflections bonus feature is certainly not as insightful as
Eddie Mueller
from the
Warner Noir #2 Boxset, but it
wasn't terrible either. Certainly better than your standard fare
fillers. I think for the money this is a great substitute until (ever?)
these films are put out properly.
NOTE: This DVD is part of Anthony Mann's Film Noir Double Feature with
another disc of Mann's film: T-Men reviewed
HERE. |
DVD Menus
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT
vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Screen Captures
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
(Sony Music - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
|
|
|
|
Report Card:
|
Image: |
- |
|
Sound: |
- |
| Extras: | VCI |
| Menu: | Sony |
Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Shades of Noir: A Reader by Joan Copjec |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Film Noir by Alain Silver |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive and advertisement free:
Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze 1775 Rowntree Court Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4V3 CANADA |
|
Thank You!
Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann's Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal DVD Review Anthony Mann Raw Deal
