The 1945 movie adaptation of the titular detective Dick Tracy might not seem like it would offer a stop along the Lonely Street Bar Noir Pub Crawl but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to catch Jane Greer or Mike Mazurki, two veterans of film noir.
Mike Mazurki
Call it a detour, a wrong turn, a dead end. Whatever you decide, it's worth a look at Steve Owen's Paradise Club. Where else are you going to catch Red Johnson and his Orchestra?
The most notable aspect of the Paradise Club is no one smokes. In fact, no one smokes anywhere. It's 1945 in Big City, America and not a single cigarette, cigar, or pipe gets lit. There's plenty of booze, and there's a homicidal maniac calling himself Splitface lurking about but as far as vices go, smoking does not come into play.
Each table offers an intimate seating of two to four people. Small lamps grace the white linen tablecloths. Additional chairs can be added should your party grow.
Not much more can be said for Steve Owen's Paradise Club. It's a popular destination. Owned by her father, Judy Owen serves as hostess to the partygencia of the day.
The next location would only be a stop on a ghost walk or a tour of infamous crime scenes but I have to mention the Deathridge Mortuary. The composition of this brief scene is spectacular. Director of Photography Frank Redman creates a suspenseful mood in this and subsequent shots.
And now the story:
A spinster school teacher walking home alone one night is brutally slain by an assailant calling himself Splitface. As the investigation progresses, it appears each random victim is receiving extortion threats to pay up or die. When one of the victims pays and is still killed, Tracy and his team must find out what connects the two dead victims to a dozen other potential targets.
Dick Tracy 1945 starred Morgan Conway as Dick Tracy. Anne Jeffery does a wonderful job as Tess Trueheart. Jane Greer plays an adorable daughter trying to protect her in-hiding father. Mazurki is as sinister as ever. Remember when Daniel Day Lewis taps his eye with a knife blade in Gangs of New York? Mazurki pulls a similar stunt dragging a knife over the scar splitting his face.
Based on Chester Gould's comic strip, screenwriter Eric Taylor pens an original story involving all of the Dick Tracy regulars. William Berke directs.
4 out 5 old fashions.
This brings the crawl to an end for now. It will continue as there are plenty of places to consider. Until then, make sure to settle your tab.
2/10//2023
No comments:
Post a Comment