Niagara

This atypical 1953 film noir was shot in luscious Technicolor, nicely capturing the on-location grandeur of Niagara Falls, not to mention Marilyn Monroe as Rose, the scheming wife of psyche-scarred Korean War vet George (Joseph Cotten). Most of Monroe's films to date had served her up as window dressing, but Niagara afforded Monroe top billing and she made the most of her role as femme fatale (her stardom would be secured with two other films that year, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire). Jean Peters and Casey Adams costar as Polly and Ray, vacationing at the Falls on a delayed honeymoon. When Polly discovers that Rose has a lover, the stage is set for a murder plot that goes over the edge. Co-written by Billy Wilder collaborator Charles Brackett and directed by Henry Hathaway, this deliberately-paced, beautifully restored minor classic shines in its Blu-ray debut. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)