More Old Movies

A few more additions to my list of recommended old movies, mostly B&W and many foreign. (By the way, if you have a subtitle phobia, like I used to have, give it a try. You may find that you get used to it pretty quickly.) My kids are amazed that movies in black & white still exist and refuse to watch them. Previous movie posts: More Movies Off the Beaten Path and Odds and Ends

Le Deuxième Souffle Netflix: "Gangster Gu (Lino Ventura) busts out of prison and flees to Paris, where he's promptly recruited into a crew planning to pull off a daring robbery. Meanwhile, urbane detective Blot (Paul Meurisse) doggedly pursues the fugitive criminal. A riveting heist sequence highlights this moody and atmospheric thriller from master director Jean-Pierre Melville. Bonus features include archival interviews with the director and star." Paul Meuriise also starred in the classic Diabolique (Criterion Collection Spine #35).

Lino Ventura also stars in the excellent story of the French Resistance, Army of Shadows (1969) L'Armée des Ombres.

La Bete Humaine Netflix: "This classic film directed by the legendary Jean Renoir and based on the novel by Emile Zola stars Roubaud as Fernand Ledoux, a train station worker who, enraged that his wife, Severine (Simone Simon), has cuckolded him, forces her to help kill him. Roubaud's co-worker, Jacques Lantier (Jean Gabin), knows the truth, having witnessed the gruesome events unfold, but all he wants to do is protect Severine because he wants her for himself."

The Fallen Idol (1948). Based on a Graham Greene novel, directed by Carol Reed [Our Man in Havana , Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Third Man (1949)and starring Ralph Richardson. Amazon's Graham Greene Page

Tunes of Glory (1960). Stars Alec Guinness as a red-headed Scot! Netflix: Lt. Col. Jock Sinclair (Alec Guinness) briefly takes over control of a brigade until the new man for the job, Col. Basil Barrow (John Mills), becomes available. When the elitist and aristocratic Barrow takes over, he's instantly displeased with his lower-class predecessor. The conflict between the two men jeopardizes the harmony of the company and escalates after Sinclair roughs up a soldier he finds with his daughter.

Quai des Orfevres Netflix: "Singer Jenny Lamour (Suzy Delair) is on the brink of achieving notoriety -- but it's not in the music field. Instead, she's embroiled in a tale of intrigue that involves her jealous husband and accompanist, Maurice (Bernard Blier), murdering a man with whom Jenny made seductive eye contact just so she could obtain more gigs."

L'Avventura An Italian film that features the leisured class and their discontents. The "careful pacing" defines languorous. With her stunning screen presence Monica Vitti displays a combination of cool, detached sensuality or even "frosty sensuality" (Child of the Moon: Monica Vitti). First in a trilogy that also included La Notte and L'Eclisse.

The Grapes of Wrath The film is one of the best book-to-movie productions ever. Based on the John Steinbeck book, the film stars a very young Henry Fonda, as well as John Carradine and Jane Darwell (Ma Joad). Directed by the great John Ford (and not one shot of Monument Valley!). Darwell was an amazingly prolific actress.

Au Revoir Les Enfants A haunting tale about a private boys school during WWII in occupied France. Not old (1987) nor in B&W! (Is 1987 old?)

M (1931). Genuinely creepy story of a sex-deviant and serial child-killer played by a young Peter Lorre. Directed by Fritz Lang.