Dark Film Mysteries [Region 1]

excellent

This is the first of the Dark Film Mysteries Dvd's. A collection of 16 films in the film noir genre.If you like classic movie thrillers then like me you'll love these, especially as some have not seen the light of day in decades.First up is "Scarlet Street" made in 1945 with Edward G Robinson (a gangster movie icon) and Dan Duryea an actor who was the go to bad guy in movies from the 1940's through to the 1950's. Later he would appear in the TV series "Peyton Place".Robinson plays a man going through a mid-life crisis when he befriends a young woman whose boyfriend persuades her to con the older man out of his money with fatal results.Next is " Woman on the Run" with Ann Sheridan made in 1950. Sheridan's husband has just witnessed a murder and has gone into hiding from the mob while she goes in search of him closely followed by a hitman looking for her husband as well.Next is "Quicksand" made in 1950 about an auto mechanic who steals money from his employer pushing him deeper into a world of crime. Starring Mickey Rooney who was a child actor starting of in musicals with Judy Garland and then his own series of Andy Hardy movies. Later he would extend his acting abilities in thrillers like this.His last screen role was in the movie "Night at the Museum" and its sequel with Ben Stiller.Up next is "Detour" made in 1945 starring Tom Neal who is placed as the prime suspect in a murder.Not well known Tom Neal's life could have actually played out as a film noir. He had an ongoing affair with an actress called Barbara Payton who was going out with a well known Hollywood actor of the time. Both men got into a fight with Neal breaking the other man's jaw. Payton then marries the more famous actor but still continued her affair with Neal. Neal was convicted of manslaughter of his second wife while pleading it was an accident.The gun was never found. Neal was found dead in his apartment from a heart attack by his son years later."Detour" was made by PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) a poverty row movie company and many believe that this movie is one of the best thrillers ever made on a small budget.Next is "Inner Sanctum" made in 1948 about a man who believes he has committed the perfect murder.John Payne stars in our next movie "Kansas City Confidential" made in 1952 an ex-con who is framed for a million dollar robbery. John Payne is probably best known for the movies "Sentimental Journey" and the christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street".Edward G Robinson appears again in "The Stranger" made in 1946 co-starring with Orson Welles who also directs this movie. Welles is best known for what critics believe to be the best movie ever made "Citizen Kane in 1941. Welles plays notorious Franz Kindler a nazi criminal who is hiding under an assumed name in Connecticut. Robinson plays the inspector out to nail him. Welles's mastery of camera angles is evident here.Made in 1947 "Fear in the Night" stars Deforest Kelley in his first major screen role as a man who awakens from a dream in which he has murdered a man. But is the dream real. DeForest Kelley would go on to bigger things in "Star Trek" playing Dr McCoy.Following on is "The Strange Woman with Hedy Lamarr and George Sanders. Made in 1946 it tells the story of a girl who grows up to become an equally heartless and manipulative woman in 1824 Banger, Maine.This is more a period piece than a film noir but good all the same.Hedy Lamarr seemed to be much more than a hollywood actress. She was interested inventing things in communications some of the components which we now use in our cell phones years before the cell phone was invented. If you remember the Mel Brooks comedy "Blazing Saddles" made in 1974 Hedy Lamarr's name was used by the mayor of the town called Hedley Lamarr. But everybody kept calling him Hedy to his disgust. It is believed that Hedy Lamarr was not impressed with Mel Brooks for sending up her name.Once again, Edward G Robinson appears this time in "The Red House" made in 1947. He plays a farmer with a dark secret he's trying to keep hidden from a young girl he and his wife have raised since her parents went missing mysteriously. This is more like a horror/suspense movie the likes of which Boris Karloff would be at home with. Also a good movie.Finally, we come to our last movie "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" made in 1946 with the great Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin and a young Kirk Douglas (father of Michael) in his screen debut. Here Barbara Stanwyck plays a woman bearing a burden from a horrific childhood while also being in an unhappy marriage unit her old childhood sweetheart shows up played by Van Heflin who is best known for his role in the western classic "Shane" and the bomber on a plane in "Airport" with dean Martin in 1970.And so ends this series of mysteries for now. All movies are good with some being exceptional. Video and audio quality is good. I really enjoyed watching these movies especially some I had never seen before. They don't make em like this anymore.

Great value. Reasonable viewing quality considering age of original films.

These sets have a lot of really good movies in them! Many you can't find anywhere else. I recommend getting all 3 of this series (Dark film mysteries).

There were good movies on this DVD and picture quality was good. However, sound quality on some of the movies was poor. It would have been nice if sub-titles would have been inserted. I am hearing impaired and use sub-titles whenever possible.

I do wonder sometimes when multi movies are on one disc if quality will be poor. No worries. A pleasure to watch. Audio is excellent.

I do enjoy film noir. So I bought this one and expected kind of a run-of-the-mill for it but I was surprised most of them I haven’t seen and I really did get into it and enjoy the different movies. I can’t talk about one without talking about all of them, they were just good entertainment And mixing enjoyable evening to watch one or two at a time just sit back and relax