The session: "Yuletide Noir"
An abbreviated session (two films) featuring Christmas-based films noir.
Week 2: I, the Jury (1953)
Directed by Harry Essex
My Impressions Going In:
I had never heard of this.
Plot:
A hard-boiled private detective hunts for his friend's killer. But didn't foresee where the clues would take him
Reaction and Other Folderol:
I do have to note that we were watching a flawed release of ItJ. The image was grainy, and the sound kept going out for a half a second (or so) at a time. I try not to let that cloud my judgement, since it's not really a flaw in the movie itself. Of course, I am only human.
Nothing in the movie really grabbed me. It did what it had to do as a film noir -- beatings and all. There were some really well-done scenes, notably the fight on the outdoor stairs. I had a hard time accepting Biff Elliott in the role of Mike Hammer. His voice and face didn't really convey the hardened character that I imagine Hammer to be, and he just wasn't believable as the fight-happy brute.
It was fun seeing a pre-Flintstones Alan Reed, and listening that gravelly voice, But I kept wanting him to let out a hearty "Yabba Dabba Doo." But, alas, he was still a decade away from that.
Ratings
Me: 6.5
Dave: 9.4
Ethan: 7
Joe: 10
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