Shadowy streets, tough guys and dangerous women take center stage in an all-new collection of five classic film noir thrillers available now on DVD for the first time ever from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE).
Presented in collaboration with The Film Foundation, the multi-disc Film Noir Classics III collection is the third volume of film noir titles from Columbia Pictures. The set includes Nina Foch and George Macready in My Name is Julia Ross (1945), Mickey Rooney and Dianne Foster in Drive a Crooked Road (1955), Broderick Crawford in The Mob (1951), Ginger Rogers and Edward G. Robinson in Tight Spot (1955) and Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield in The Burglar (1957), with introductions by Martin Scorsese, founder and chair of the non-profit preservation group, The Film Foundation.
Film Noir Classics III is being released as part of the TCM Vault Collection. All five films in the set have been digitally remastered and feature extensive on-screen bonus materials, including theatrical trailers, photos, posters, lobby cards and more. TCM Vault Collection sets are presented in beautiful gatefold packaging. They are available exclusively through TCMÂ’s online store at http://shop.tcm.com, which also offers the previous two sets of Columbia Pictures’ film noir classics, released with The Film Foundation as part of the “CollectorÂ’s Choice” series.
The following are the five films included in Film Noir Classics III:
My Name is Julia Ross (1945) – A mixture of film noir and gothic fiction elements, this London-set thriller stars Nina Foch as a young woman who answers an employment ad, only to become the prisoner of a strange family. George Macready and Dame May Whitty co-star in this first in a series of low-budget film noirs directed by Joseph H. Lewis. It is based on the novel The Woman in Red by Anthony Gilbert, which also served as the basis for Arthur Penn 1987 thriller Dead of Winter.
Drive a Crooked Road (1955) – Mickey Rooney, Dianne Foster, Kevin McCarthy and Jack Kelly star in this tough crime story directed by Richard Quine from a script he wrote with Blake Edwards. Rooney plays a racecar driver hired by two bank robbers to help with their latest heist. Foster is the femme fatale who ropes him into the scheme.
The Mob (1951) – Broderick Crawford plays a hard-nosed cop who infiltrates the mob in order to stop their dockyard rackets. Directed by Robert Parrish and based on a novel Waterfront by Ferguson Findley, this sharp drama also features Betty Buehler, Richard Kiley and, in an un-credited role as a longshoreman, a young Charles Bronson.
Tight Spot (1955) – Ginger Rogers gives one of the best performances of her career as a potential government witness held for her own protection–against her will–until the trial begins against a gangster acquaintance.\. Edward G. Robinson plays the U.S. attorney who makes the deal with her in this exceptional film noir directed by Phil Karlson. William Bowers adapted the screenplay from Leonard Kantor’s play Dead Pigeon, which itself was inspired by Senator Estes Kefauver’s attempts to coerce Virginia Hill into testifying against her lover, Bugsy Siegel.
The Burglar (1957) – Based on a pulp fiction novel by David Goodis, this crisp noir tale stars Dan Duryea as a cunning jewel thief who recruits Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Shaughnessy and Peter Capell for one final heist before retiring. The Burglar was shot on location in Atlantic City and Philadelphia by first-time director Paul Wendkos, who also served as editor on the film.
About Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; worldwide television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.
About The Film Foundation
The Film Foundation (film-foundation.org), a nonprofit established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, is dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history and provides substantial annual support for preservation and restoration projects at major film archives. The foundation raises awareness of the urgent need to preserve films and has helped save over 555 films. Joining Scorsese on the board are Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Curtis Hanson, Peter Jackson, Ang Lee, George Lucas, Alexander Payne, Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg. The Film Foundation is aligned with the Directors Guild of America.
About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 85 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials at its Web site, http://tcm.com, TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.