BY LEE PFEIFFER
If you're like most retro movie lovers, you're addicted to some degree to tuning into Turner Classic Movies. TCM fans are also fans of the knowledgeable team of hosts and one of the most prominent is Eddie Muller, the network's "go to" guy for all things relating to the Film Noir genre. In fact, Muller has become synonymous with noir largely due to his informative and stylish segments that bookend the telecasts of the films he introduces. Muller has released a new edition of his acclaimed book "Dark City" through TCM and Running Press publishers. The book has been indispensable over the last twenty years for Noir fans. Having been suitably impressed by a review copy I had received, I thought it would be appropriate to reach out to Muller and get insights on the Noir genre, the Film Noir Foundation, which he founded, TCM and, of course, "Dark City".
At
what point in your life did you discover the Film Noir genre and was there a
specific film that especially influenced you?
In
my early teens I became aware that there was a similarly shadowy, sexy, and sinister
look to Hollywood movies of a particular time. I picked them out of TV Guide
by looking for the words Night, Big, City and Street in the titles. I’m
surprised no studio made a picture called “Big City Street at Night.†“Thieves’
Highway†(1949) put the hook in because it was set in my hometown, San
Francisco.
The
constant debate question concerns what defines Film Noir. The "rules"
seem rather fluid. From your perspective, what are the essential ingredients?
The
protagonist isn’t a hero. He or she wants something they can’t have and they’ll
compromise themselves to get it. That’s the premise for lots of drama, but in
noir that usually means committing a crime. That’s looking at it thematically.
Stylistically, it’s the look: a largely nocturnal, sinister world. Alluring but
dangerous. The look of classic noir inspired filmmakers just as Impressionism
or Cubism influenced painters at a certain time.
There
have been many films in the modern era that have elements of Film Noir: the
Philip Marlowe movies with Robert Mitchum, "Chinatown," "Body Heat," "Mulholland Drive,"
etc....can any of these be considered to be Film Noir- and if not, why?
Since
I’m a writer, I first look at things from that perspective, so to me noir
extends beyond the boundaries of the visually oriented movement. I’m always
intrigued by its influence on a later generation of filmmakers, like Scorsese,
Schrader, Lynch, the Coens, Chris Nolan—and dozens of lesser known filmmakers
who get into the game by trying their hand at a noir—because they are by nature
so minimalist. They can be made on a shoestring. To me, there is the film noir
movement, generally 1941-1952 (when Hollywood was pumping out dozens every
year) and then there’s just Noir—which to me denotes a particularly dark and
dire kind of crime story in which survival is probably the best you can hope for.
Explain
why cinematography plays such an important element in the Noir genre.
Because
that’s what gave the films such a distinctive look. That’s why it’s an
“artistic movement.†There was no inherent reason the films had to look like
this. Most Hollywood trends are driven by economics—this one was driven by the
artists, doing things they found fresh and compelling.
How
did you decide on what films and stars to concentrate on for your book
"Dark City"?
The
core idea was that “Dark City†was an actual place. I was inspired by these
being contemporary films at the time they were made and taken together they
presented a coherent vision of a mythological American city—one that was the
complete antithesis of what the establishment wanted us to believe. So I
divided this city into neighborhoods that reflected essential subsets of the
“genre.†That meant leaving out some favorites, Gothic noirs like “Hangover
Square†and “The Suspect.†But with this revised and expanded version I got to
include a few chapters I’d had to leave out of the original release—The City
Desk (newspaper noirs), The Big House (prison noirs) and The Stage Door (show
biz noir).
Who
is your favorite Noir actor and actress and why?
I
feel obligated to say Humphrey Bogart because his persona was so essential to
the public’s acceptance of the noir anti-hero. He’s the guy who made darker
stories and more cynical characters palatable to the public. Honorable mention
to Robert Mitchum. And Dana Andrews. And Robert Ryan … the list is long. Easier
with the actress: Gloria Grahame. She was totally unique—funny and dangerous
and vulnerable and tough as nails. I love Claire Trevor, Marie Windsor, Jane
Greer, Audrey Totter … an equally long list, I guess. But Gloria was
one-of-a-kind.
What
is your favorite Noir film and why?
“In
a Lonely Place.†Because it stars Bogart and Gloria Grahame, their only film
together. And it’s the most adult movie I’ve ever seen from the period. Its
more than a crime movie; it says profound things about the psyche of artists
and about painful relationships between men and women.
What
are the most underrated Noir films and who would say are the most
underappreciated stars?
“Criss
Cross†(1949) is probably the most underrated. Robert Siodmak is my favorite
director of noir and I think this is his masterpiece, even better than “The
Killers†(1946). Another is “99 River Street,†which is like a 1950s pulp
paperback come to life. The film is not profound or particularly meaningful in
any way, but if you love crime movies it fires on all cylinders. So I might as
well cite its star, John Payne, as one of the most underrated performers in
noir. I don’t think he’s a great actor, but he understood this kind of material
and worked within it perfectly. He’s also great in “Kansas City Confidential.â€
Do
you think the films would have benefited if they had not been subjected to the
Production Code? For example, there always had to be a prevailing message that
crime doesn't pay and the sex scenes had to be compromised.
I
actually think the Code was beneficial to creativity, if artists were sharp and
had their wits about them. Writers like Dalton Trumbo were geniuses are writing
“around†the Code—look at “Gun Crazy,†as sex-charged and amoral a movie as was
ever made in this country, right under the nose of the censors. I don’t belief
in censorship, but I do believe in restraint and good taste. It pains me that
today it’s so hard to for filmmakers to do things tastefully. But maybe its
just because we’ve become a distasteful culture.
Please
describe how this updated edition of "Dark City" differs from the
previous edition.
I’ve
added three new chapters and included lots of material that was unavailable to
me 20-some years ago. In a nutshell, I’d say this edition is more “wised upâ€
than the previous one. And the package itself is exceptional. Running Press,
the publisher, did right by me, enhancing my original design concepts and
ensuring that the book had maximum visual allure.
How
did you get involved with TCM?
Somewhere
along the line they heard me say, “Film noir is the gateway drug to classic
cinema.†And they saw first-hand how many young people were drawn to the noir
film festivals I stage around the country. Being able to entice younger viewers
into the fold is essential to the survivial of these films. TCM felt I could
help do that for the network.
Please
let our readers know about the Film Noir Foundation.
The
Film Noir Foundation was created in 2005 to find, rescue and restore noir films
that were in danger of being lost. Typically, that means independently financed
films distributed but not owned by the major studios. Restorationists call them “orphaned films.â€
So far we’ve restored or preserved more than 30 titles, with more to come. It
was born out of the financial success of the Noir City film festivals I
produce. I couldn’t justify keeping all that profit for myself. Since the films
had given me so much, I decided to give something back to those filmmakers by making
sure their work survived. Many of the films we’ve rescued, “Woman on the Run,â€
“Too Late for Tears,†“The Prowler,†“Trappedâ€â€”are now included in the
narrative of “Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir.†The world may be lost,
but not the films.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER "DARK CITY" FROM AMAZON
(Thanks to Taryn Jacobs of TCM for helping to arrange this interview.)