The sixth collection in the series presents a box set of three classic crime films from Universal Studios made during the prime years of the film noir movement. While many of the films in previous sets have dubious claims to film noir, the mix of style and sensibility in these three crime dramas arguably fit the bills.
Singapore (1947) is one of the many tales of crime and intrigue set in exotic locations against the backdrop of World War II that followed Casablanca. Fred MacMurray stars as a smart-talking American trader and smuggler returning to Singapore after the war and Ava Gardner is the woman he left behind. There's a small fortune in pearls at stake and a case of amnesia complicating things. This is decidedly a low-budget variation on a theme, shot entirely on the Universal lot with a cast of second-tier stars and supporting players. While the film never transcends its clichés, it offers an entertaining distraction, thanks in large part to the professional direction of studio stalwart John Brahm.
Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949), starring Howard Duff as an agent investigating a drug smuggling operation, takes on the no-nonsense quality of the crime procedural, complete with Dragnet-style narration. Dan Duryea gets the more interesting role as the cop-hating career criminal sprung from Alcatraz to help shut down the ring and Shelley Winters costars as a gangster girlfriend in over her head along with pre-stardom Tony Curtis as a mute assassin. William Castle directed this tidy little low-budget studio project before he reinvented himself as a B-movie Hitchcock.
Shelley Winters gets top billing in The Raging Tide (1951) as the showgirl girlfriend of small-time San Francisco crook Bruno (Richard Conte) but it's Conte's three-time loser who drives this tough little crime picture. When his perfect murder goes awry, he takes refuge in the boat of a Swedish fisherman (Charles Bickford with a tortured accent) and his cynical son (Alex Nicol). It's like a noir twist on Captains Courageous, with redemptive arcs for both Bruno and the bitter son, and it features some terrific San Francisco locations and a small but colorful gallery of dock characters for added entertainment.
While none of these films qualify as classics of the genre, they are entertaining pictures that show what a good filmmaker and talented actors can bring to a routine assignment. They should appeal to film noir buffs and to fans of the respective stars.
All three films come in their own separate Blu-ray case and feature audio commentary. Singapore features film historians Kat Ellinger and Lee Gambin, Johnny Stool Pigeon is tackled by film scholar Jason A. Ney, and The Raging Tide features film historian David Del Valle and producer Miles Hunter. Each also includes a collection of classic trailers.
What kind of film collection would this title be suitable for?
The three films would make a respectable addition to any collection of films from Hollywood's golden age.
What academic library shelves would this title be on?
These are interesting artifacts of post-war Hollywood filmmaking made by the studio system under factory conditions. They would make good additions to public library shelves of classic films and Hollywood studio productions.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
What exactly defines a film noir is still a subject that invites discussion. The three films in this set, to varying degrees, exhibit the visual style associated with the genre, feature criminal protagonists who face moral dilemmas, and are set in the criminal milieu. These three films are worthy test cases in the debate for film studies students.