Hello,
I don't post much but after reading Dark City (thanks to whomever suggested
the book) I wanted an opinion of what noir posters MOPO'ers thought best
evoked the spirit of noir's. No, not necessarily the most beautiful (e.g.
This Gun For Hire 1sh) nor the best images of the stars (e.g. Gilda) but the
posters that capture the fatalism, grim streets, desperation, duplicity,
temptation, and broken hopes which inhabit Dark City.
Now to start the abused and discarded, deflated, never quite reaching the
top of the hill before rolling into oblivion noir ball rolling-
1. Cry of the City (20th Century Fox, 1948). Half sheet or insert- best
image of noir photographic style?
2. The killing. half sheet- luridly colored corpses make for the
meanest of noir posters
3. Stranger on the Third Floor (RKO, 1940). One Sheet- 1st noir also
has the 1st great noir poster
4. D.O.A. 3 sheet (1 sheet and half are also great, w/ the half having
a toe tag around his body)
5. Nightmare alley. insert- meaner Powers face than the 1 sheet.
6. Night Has a Thousand Eyes (Paramount, 1948). One sheet- with all the
eyes
7. The Big Combo (Allied Artists, 1955). Half Sheet - fatalism, femme
fatale, dark streets
8. Mystery Street (MGM, 1950). One Sheet- great noir art for an
inexpensive poster
9. Kiss of death. 1 sheet- at least one great poster is in black and
white
10. Raw Deal (Eagle Lion, 1948). One sheet- very raw
11. I Walk Alone (Paramount, 1948). One sheet- vivid
12. T-Men. One sheet- kitchen sink of noir posters
13. Killer's Kiss. 1sheet- cold as you would expect from Kubrick and an ax
(Here's Johnny!!)
14. The Devil Thumbs a Ride (RKO, 1947). 1 sheet- is Lawrence Tierney Ben
Affleck's evil noir alter-ego?
I stuck to USA posters since noir's are mostly an American phenomenon.
Otherwise the Italians(The Enforcer 2 folio, High Sierra (R-1949). 2
Folio, Knock on Any Door (Columbia, 1949) 2 - Folio) might have had a few
well deserved entries. I also didn't include tc/lc's but would love feedback
as to some of the best. Two of my favorite are the lc of Night of the Hunter
w/ Mitchum close-up (love/ hate) and lc of The 3rd Man with Harry Lime
(Welles) looking like the trapped rat he was.
All opinions will be treated civilly except the ones I don't agree with.
Steve Olson
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