They Made Me a Fugitive (1947 Cavalcanti)

Scr. Noel Langley, novel Jackson Budd.

Trevor Howard, Sally Gray, Griffith Jones (a memorably nasty turn), René Ray, Mary Merrall (the old lady)

Ph. Otto Heller, Mus. Marius François Gaillard

Unexpectedly tough revenge thriller which hardly lets up from the start, with an almost Performance-like realistic underworld and sharp, sardonic dialogue, particularly from crime 'madame' Merrall.

Made for WB UK Ltd, which may explain the title, though the Americans didn't even like it themselves, called it 'I Became a Criminal' and cut 20 minutes down to 78!

Nasty beating up scene, with that shot of Jones' distorted face, and the double-exposed kicking, particularly memorable. Bleak down to the ending: ironic final battle against RIP sign is not the only smart directorial touch.

A Double Life (1947 George Cukor)

Ronald Colman (AA), Signe Hasso, Edmond O'Brien. Shelley Winters, Ray Collins (Bachelor Knight, Best Years..., Kane), Millard Mitchell.

Music Miklos Rosza (AA), ph. Milton Krasner (stylish)
Scr Ruth Gordon (yes, the same one) & Garson Kanin (they were married) - also nom. with Cukor

Not what we were expecting, as bonkers as Black Swan, and we certainly know that scene from Othello well now.

An independent 'G.K.' (Garson Kanin) production.

Kiss Them From Me (1957 Stanley Donen)

scr Julius Epstein, play Luther Davis, novel 'Shore Leave' by Frederic Wakeman

Cary Grant, Jayne Mansfield, Suzy Parker (well-known fashion model), Ray Walston, Larry Blyden, Leif Erickson (ship builder)

Ph. by the always reliable Milton Krasner, in CinemaScope and De Luxe.

Not very funny, but has unexpected anti-war stings in its tail / tale, and is quite risqué for its time. Jayne not unnaturally gives her trademark squeal. C4 presentation looks very slightly stretched?

20th-Fox.