French Noir Collection

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*** Résumé en anglais seulement ***SPEAKING OF MURDER a.k.a. LE ROUGE EST MIS (1957) – His Faith Built a Fortress in a Wilderness of Hate! Audie Murphy (Posse from Hell), the most highly decorated soldier in U.S. history, aptly portrays a “very special hero and the central figure in one of the most interesting stories of the American frontier” (The Hollywood Reporter). Appointed as an Apache Agent in 1874 by the Department of the Interior at the age of 23, John Philip Clum (Murphy) is sent to a reservation in San Carlos, Arizona, to take over the Army’s position. After trying to empower and teach self-governing principles to the Apaches, he is faced with opposition not only from the Native Americans but also from the men in charge of the Army troops. Helmed by Murphy’s frequent director Jesse Hibbs (To Hell and Back, Ride a Crooked Trail) in gorgeous Technicolor and CinemaScope; and with a cast featuring the legend Anne Bancroft (The Restless Breed) as Clum’s housekeeper and ally, Pat Crowley (The Square Jungle) as his wary new bride, and Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger) as the great Geronimo.BACK TO THE WALL a.k.a. LE DOS AU MURWAYS FROM SUNDOWN (1958) – Screen legend Jeanne Moreau (Elevator to the Gallows, Seven Days... Seven Nights) stars in this twisty, mood-drenched film noir from acclaimed crime writer Frédéric Dard (Rendezvous). When wealthy industrialist Jacques Decrey (Gérard Oury, Sea Devils) discovers that his wife (Moreau) is having an affair with a young actor, he decides to exact revenge by blackmailing her under an assumed identity. In the film’s bravura introductory sequence, we witness Jacques meticulously disposing of a corpse—just a taste of the pitch-black intrigue to follow in director Édouard Molinaro’s (Witness in the City) stylish tour de force, featuring dazzling black-and-white cinematography. Co-starring Philippe Nicaud (The Mysterious Island) and Claire Maurier (The 400 Blows).WITNESS IN THE CITY a.k.a. UN TÉMOIN DANS LA VILLEFOR A BADMAN (1959) – Based on a novel by the legendary Thomas Narcejac (Diabolique, Vertigo, Eyes Without a Face), this dark tale of vengeance stars the great Lino Ventura (Razzia Sur La Chnouf, A Pain in the Ass) in an early leading role. Industrialist Pierre Verdier kills his mistress Jeanne Ancelin by throwing her off a train. Her husband (Ventura) decides to take revenge on his wife’s murderer, who has been acquitted by justice. Directed by Édouard Molinaro (Back to the Wall) and shot by Henri Decaë (Diabolically Yours), Witness in the City is a pulse-pounding film noir set on the grim and gritty streets of Paris. Co-starring Fellini favorites Sandra Milo (8½) and Franco Fabrizi (I Vitelloni), with Jacques Berthier (Shoot First… Ask Questions Later), Daniel Ceccaldi (Rififi in Paris) and Françoise Brion (L’Immortelle).