The last film noir I saw was "Party Girl" (1958), directed by Nicholas Ray and stars Robert Taylor, Cyd Charisse and Lee J. Cobb.
The screenplay (by George Wells) is hardly anything unusual: Lawyer Thomas Farrell (Taylor) has made a career of defending gangsters and crooks in trials. But when he meets showgirl Vicki Gaye (Charisse) at a mob party held by racketeer Rico Angelo (Cobb) that he starts to come out of his shell. Farrell tries to quit, but Rico, whose partner is going to be indicted and needs Farrell more than ever, threatens to hurt Gaye badly if he quits.
The rather passé script, however, is enlivened to tremendous effect, not just by Jeff Alexander's lush, Jazzy score, and Robert J. Bronner's vibrant cinematography, but cult director Nicholas Ray brings a measured grace to the proceedings that really lifts the motion picture out of the ordinary. Robert Taylor is very good as the lawyer but Lee J. Cob, as a Capone like mobster chews up every scene he's in with vigour. Although Chaisse hasn't much to do and John Ireland is slightly two dimensional, this is a classy, exciting film noir deserves to be ranked among Ray's best.
The screenplay (by George Wells) is hardly anything unusual: Lawyer Thomas Farrell (Taylor) has made a career of defending gangsters and crooks in trials. But when he meets showgirl Vicki Gaye (Charisse) at a mob party held by racketeer Rico Angelo (Cobb) that he starts to come out of his shell. Farrell tries to quit, but Rico, whose partner is going to be indicted and needs Farrell more than ever, threatens to hurt Gaye badly if he quits.
The rather passé script, however, is enlivened to tremendous effect, not just by Jeff Alexander's lush, Jazzy score, and Robert J. Bronner's vibrant cinematography, but cult director Nicholas Ray brings a measured grace to the proceedings that really lifts the motion picture out of the ordinary. Robert Taylor is very good as the lawyer but Lee J. Cob, as a Capone like mobster chews up every scene he's in with vigour. Although Chaisse hasn't much to do and John Ireland is slightly two dimensional, this is a classy, exciting film noir deserves to be ranked among Ray's best.