Tag: Elisha Cook Jr.
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Cable Guys: The Elevator Operators of Noir
We don’t see many elevator operators in our daily lives, but in noir they’re as common as neon signs and clouds of Chesterfield smoke. Elevator operators in film noir work in posh skyscrapers and skid row fleabags. They’re anonymous functionaries battling monotony and are nearly invisible extensions of the machinery they operate. Or they can…
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The American Dream … According to Film Noir
The “American Dream,” the 1940s-’50s utopian ideal of family life, is the spark plug that sets many a film noir in motion. The term “American Dream” has come to mean an attractive family, an upscale suburban home, a two-car garage and a manicured lawn — trophies required of those who wish to be at one…
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More Than Just a Gunsel: Elisha Cook Jr. Was the Face of Noir
When he died in 1995 at the age of 91, Elisha Cook Jr. was the last surviving cast memberof John Huston’s 1941 film noir classic “The Maltese Falcon,” whose players included Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Mary Astor. While his was a supporting role, Cook left an indelible impression that remains intact more…