nick s
Sharp script and great acting stand out in this competently directed film noir. It has one of those plots that half way through goes off on an unexpected tangent, turning it into a completely different film from the one you thought you were watching. It does slow in the middle a bit, but it's worth wading through that. The story presents the audience with a nice ethical dilemma.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/25/24
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matthew d
A dazzlingly simple, direct, and effective film noir!
Director Don Siegel's crime drama Private Hell 36 (1954) is one of the greatest film noir pictures of all time, precisely because it is understated and underseen. Siegel's sleek direction gives way to his bleakly stark realism, hard ethical standards, nuanced character portraits, and of course brutal violence. Siegel takes a simple premise of two cops needing money, taking stacks of counterfeited money on the side after a chance encounter and runs wild with his striking direction.
From Siegel's searing hot opening shootout, erratic fatal car chase, tense dramatic depiction of guilt, to the jaw dropping finale, Private Hell 36 has it all! I've yet to see a bad or even mediocre Siegel film. I loved Private Hell 36 just like The Killers, The Beguiled, The Black Windmill, Stranger on the Run, and Escape from Alcatraz. He's a refined workman director that can pump out entertaining films with sleek brilliance and sterling creativity.
Writers Ida Lupino and Collier Young weave a careful web of clues for their crime drama mystery, while always remembering this is a story about the ethics of police corruption, tactics, and purpose. The titular Private Hell is a world of guilt for having given into corruption, while the 36 is the number of a certain trailer and matching key I will not spoil. Ida Lupino is gorgeous, sizzling, flirty, desperate, fierce, sorrowful, and fascinating as the femme fatale Lilli Marlowe in Private Hell 36. I loved how Lupino gives the two female leads of Dorothy Malone and herself crucial roles of human depth of feeling to ground these two men into certain moral standards. Malone's worried wife Francey Farnham is excellent as a foil with her natural charm and normal housewife type for the once honest cop.
We get Steve Cochran's desperate for money cop Bruner, who gives into corruption gladly for a quick payday. I love how we are introduced to him committing murder, leaning into people for their testimony, never taking no for an answer, and even being abusive towards women. He's clearly not right. On the other hand, Howard Duff's steadfast good cop Farnham is a prime example of a decent man doing wrong by not turning in the bad cops, thus becoming corrupt himself besides taking money. I appreciate Dean Jagger's subtle performance as the Police Captain Michaels, whose good nature and perceptive deductions make his presence felt even when he's not on screen. You're always thinking about how much he knows and what his plan is currently. He's a gentle and reassuring presence as well as a calm commander you'd want in a police captain position.
Editor Stanford Tischler shows you everything you need with nothing you don't want to see as Private Hell 36 is a fast and delightfully short 81 minutes! Cinematographer Burnett Guffey wields shadows and dark spaces like a painter. Private Hell 36 is all about where the light shines on these ill fated officers. I love all the really inventive wide shots that never let up to excessive close-ups. You see everything from fights, shootings, and gazes at someone suspiciously.
Walter E. Keller's art direction allows for natural framing and aesthetics of characters living their life, going about their jobs, and spending time with their family all with a darker undertone. Edward G. Boyle's set decoration looks natural and cozy. Composer Leith Stevens boasts a sinister and dark score that fits the nervous musings of Private Hell 36's guilt ridden heavy atmosphere. I liked Howard Wilson and T.A. Carman's sound design from the toy truck siren bursting into the scene during the quiet store robbery to the blaring gunshots and veering car squeals. There's pain and terror in the quiet reflective moments, while violence rings out in the air during Private Hell 36's action sequences. I loved the dresses for Ida Lupino and David Newell's make-up lets her glow with an effervescent aura all her own.
In conclusion, Private Hell 36 makes you think about what will happen next and surprise you with neat concepts and clever character reveals.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Jessica C
It was okay. I love some good, old film noirs. However, this one here was a bit ... boring at times. The actors were great though!
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/13/20
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Audience Member
A true classic worth adding to your collection.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
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Audience Member
Ida Lupino est magnifique dans ce film noir.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/10/23
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Audience Member
Hard-edged late noir unfurls through character rather than incident--Solidly Siegel!!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
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