For a classic film noir, I settled upon Nightfall (1956) on a whim and the opening moments of Aldo Ray browsing a newspaper stand in the evening, and flinching when the streetlights came on overhead, that hooked me in. The city lights turn on and the title card appears with the woozy theme song. There’s something poetic and observational here, within the prelude to a crime story in Los Angeles.
At first, the film observes what seems like a couple of coincidental meetings, two fellas making small talk on a street corner, or a bar flirtation turning into dinner. Then the narrative proceeds expediently with flashbacks, outlining the bad luck circumstances that caused our hero (played by Ray) to be cornered in a tight spot. Two bank robbers are chasing their loot of $350,000, there’s an insurance investigator on the scent of the missing money, and a model played by Anne Bancroft who gets mixed up in the danger.
An artful and engaging thriller directed by Jacques Tourneur (Cat People), with a wonderful cast including Ray who has a distinctive screen presence, thick-necked and raspy voiced, but carries a certain sensitivity in his performance. His character is a war vet turned graphic illustrator who is scared about the deadly fix he’s in, but it also feels right that he’s able to handle himself in a jam. A young Anne Bancroft has a fierce intelligence and charisma to what is a thin part. The pair of criminals are really well drawn; I don’t think I’d ever seen Brian Keith as a young man, kind of a cool cat, and a nice contrast with Rudy Bond who is really good at being a repulsive killer, the type of slime you wouldn’t want to share your last moments with.
From the streets of Los Angeles to the snowy grounds of Wyoming, there is a clear sense of visual style and a snap to the dialogue exchanges in Nightfall. Underrated and satisfying film noir from the late fifties. Streamed on Tubi (US).
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