In the 1945 film Detour, a song on a jukebox sparks a memory as our weary protagonist, Al Roberts (Tom Neal), hitchhikes through America and stops at a Nevada diner. There, he hears the love song “ I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me” from 1926, which triggers memories that reveal how he ended up there and serves as the film's narrative. Did you ever want to forget anything? Did you ever want to cut away a piece of your memory or blot it out? You can’t you know. No matter how hard you try. You can change the scenery. But sooner or later you’ll get a whiff of perfume, or somebody will say a certain phrase, or maybe hum something — then you’re licked again! 'I can't believe that you're in love with me.' I used to love that song once. - Detour (1945)   Here are additional instances of jukeboxes featured in Film noir. 99 River Street (1953) A Touch of Evil (1958) Fallen Angel (1945) The Asphalt Jungle (1950) Pushover (1954) Dark Passage (1947) Sleep, My Lov...

Wishing you all a safe & wonderful Thanksgiving! Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis and Jack La Rue serve turkey On Thursday, November 25, 1943, a Thanksgiving celebration was held at the Hollywood Canteen for 3,500 servicemen. The event featured entertainment by Bob Hope, and an impressive 76 turkeys were expertly carved by celebrities including Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy, Paul Heinreid, Edward Arnold, Wallace Beery, Claude Rains, Charles Coburn, Warren William, Edgar Bergen, John Garfield, John Wayne, Dick Powell, and William Bendix.    Actor Warren Williams watches Charles Coburn carve a turkey During World War II, Hollywood played an active role in supporting the military, similar to many other communities. A significant initiative was the creation of the Hollywood Canteen, located at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It opened its doors on October 3, 1942, and gracefully concluded its operations on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1945.  Dane Clark, Robert ...

  John Payne

Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann in Roman Holiday-1953 Anna May Wong as Princess Ling Moy in Daughter of the Dragon- 1931    Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) -1977                   Olivia de Havilland as Princess Maria in Princess O'Rourke (1943)                      Angela Lansbury as Gwendolyn, Princess of England in The Court Jester -1955                                                Robin Wright as Buttercup in The Princess Bride -1987                     ...

Dive into the dimly lit alleyways of cinema's most enigmatic genre with this curated collection of must-see film noir classics. From fedora-clad detectives to femme fatales who could kill with a glance, these silver screen gems will transport you to a world where morality blurs and danger lurks around every corner. Grab your trench coat and join me on this thrilling expedition through the smoky, neon-lit landscape of noir's finest offerings. I have omitted neo-noir films made after 1959 from this list. I will provide further analysis of these films below in future posts.   (Before) Proto Noir:       Stranger on the Third Floor-1940 (the first "true" film noir).                  The Maltese Falcon-1941 (the first major work of the noir style).   This Gun for Hire -1942 (helped establish a number of conventions of the noir genre, including the hard-boiled for-hire killer and the overlapping ...