Category: Charles McGraw
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Alton and Mann: A Partnership in Post-War Noir
Dennis O’Keefe, Marsha Hunt, Claire Trevor, “Raw Deal” (1948). They made only a handful of films together, but John Alton and Anthony Mann’s work threw a new light on film noir, police procedural dramas and documentary filmmaking Silhouettes, fog, great pools of inky blackness — that’s a king-sized portion of the visual drama in store…
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Riding an Express Train to Hell: In Noir and Thrillers, Passengers Embark on Dark Journeys Aboard Shadowy Railroad Cars Hurtling Toward Uncertain Destinations
Charles McGraw, Don Haggerty, Marie Windsor, Don Beddoe, “The Narrow Margin” (1952). This article contains spoilers By Paul Parcellin Rail travel is a throwback to the days of neckties, breast pocket handkerchiefs and fedoras, so naturally it pops up often in films noir. It’s safe to say that if you’re watching a black and white…
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What, Another Insurance Man is Out to Beat the System?
Charles McGraw holds a gun onworrying Peter Brocco in ‘Roadblock.’ On the face of it, “Roadblock” (1951) is a tall tale filled with absurdities. An insurance investigator who can’t conceive of how easily he might get caught if he robs one of his employer’s clients. He’s the same guy who catches perps who rip off…