settima

DavidRaksin

The Big Combo (Joseph H. Lewis, 1955)

Nov

15

1946

The Big Combo (1955)

A man's hand holds up a photo negative of a black-and-white picture, showing two men and a woman, and the date 11-15-46 underneath. DP: John Alton.

“I'm trying to run an impersonal business. Killing is very personal. Once it gets started, it's hard to stop.”

– Mr. Brown

The Big Combo (Joseph H. Lewis, 1955)

Jun

24

spaghetti

The Big Combo (1955)

A man in a bathrobe (Ted de Corsia) lifts undrained, slightly overcooked spaghetti from a white enamel pan onto a plate. The overcookedness may be caused by this movie's horrible horrible AI “restoration”. DP: John Alton.

“I couldn't swallow any more salami.”

– Mingo

Laura (Otto Preminger + Rouben Mamoulian, 1944)

Dec

11

Laura (1944)

Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) interrupts arsine newspaper columnist Waldo Lydecker (a delicious Clifton Webb) with her designs during his lunch. DPs: Joseph LaShelle & Lucien Ballard.

“I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.”

– Waldo Lydecker

Night Tide (Curtis Harrington, 1961)

May

22

National Maritime Day

Night Tide (1961)

Johnny Drake (Dennis Hopper) and Mora (Linda Lawson) in front of her joint that reads “MORA the MERMAID. ALIVE! LOVELY SIREN of the DEEP”. The sideshow's mural, and presumably the lettering too, were painted by Kenneth Anger associate Paul Mathison, both part of (Marjorie) Cameron's Magick Circle. DPs: Vilis Lapenieks & Floyd Crosby.

On the #SantaMonica pier, sailor Johnny falls in love with one of the attractions of the local #sideshow, Mora the Mermaid. As people warn Johnny about the faith of Mora's previous suitors, captivated, he becomes convinced that she is a real siren, planning his downfall.

– Yes, I love the sea most of all. But I'm afraid of it, too.

– I guess we're all a little afraid of what we love.

 

This, lost dreamlike L.A. is gone; a treasure like Night Tide serves as a reminder of a more spellbinding Hollywood.