Tag: John Payne
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The simple art of robbery: Four noirs about loot — and gangs that will do anything to get it
Heist movies all have the same story at heart. A gang goes after a big score and the crooks use teamwork to get the loot. But tensions mount and plans of a clean getaway implode. The four heist movies below all have the same cash-grab backbone, but the details of each range from the simple…
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Ripped From the Headlines II: True Crime that Inspired Noir
As you’ve probably gathered by now, the 1940s and ’50s saw a bumper crop of sensational tales ready-made for the screen. It was an era when Hollywood greedily harvested stories from news tabloids’ front pages. In the last post, we looked at noirs that were inspired by true crime stories, and here’s a second helping…
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He Directed Gripping Noirs … But You May Not Recognize His Name
Everything seemed to come together for Phil Karlson in the 1950s. It was an era in which his talent, energy and unique sensibilities were made to order for a public with an insatiable appetite for raw, gritty crime films. It was in that period that he directed some of the decade’s most essential noirs. Prior…