Comments on: Detective Story (1951): “I built my whole life on hating my father” http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html filmsnoir.net: an oasis of noir in a desert of banality Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:50:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Tony D'Ambra http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html/comment-page-1#comment-1568 Tony D'Ambra Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:12:17 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/?p=2033#comment-1568 Thank you Allan and Sam. I am learning a lot more from you guys than I am passing on! Thank you Allan and Sam. I am learning a lot more from you guys than I am passing on!

]]> By: Allan Fish http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html/comment-page-1#comment-1567 Allan Fish Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:15:29 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/?p=2033#comment-1567 Another excellent, thorough piece, Tony. I always liked Detective Story, theatrical but very powerful, and probably edges the other Wyler Kingsley film Dead End. Another excellent, thorough piece, Tony. I always liked Detective Story, theatrical but very powerful, and probably edges the other Wyler Kingsley film Dead End.

]]> By: Sam Juliano http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html/comment-page-1#comment-1566 Sam Juliano Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:40:30 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/?p=2033#comment-1566 Tony: I am learning from you. I have always admired film noir as a special genre in cinema, and think some of its greatest entries, like DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE MALTESE FALCON, THE BIG SLEEP, OUT OF THE PAST, etc, rank among the greatest films of all-time in any category. But learning from you on a daily basis of the smaller gems and several titles I haven't seen, have rendered to me a greater appreciative of the genre, and of all its socilogical and artistic underpinnings. It's a ride I don't want to end. Tony: I am learning from you. I have always admired film noir as a special genre in cinema, and think some of its greatest entries, like DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE MALTESE FALCON, THE BIG SLEEP, OUT OF THE PAST, etc, rank among the greatest films of all-time in any category. But learning from you on a daily basis of the smaller gems and several titles I haven’t seen, have rendered to me a greater appreciative of the genre, and of all its socilogical and artistic underpinnings. It’s a ride I don’t want to end.

]]> By: Tony D'Ambra http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html/comment-page-1#comment-1563 Tony D'Ambra Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:28:57 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/?p=2033#comment-1563 Thank you kindly Sam for your comments, and for the Pauline Kael quote, which adds substantially to my review. Your enthusiasm for sharing your wide knowledge of cinema always brings something to the table. Thank you kindly Sam for your comments, and for the Pauline Kael quote, which adds substantially to my review. Your enthusiasm for sharing your wide knowledge of cinema always brings something to the table.

]]> By: Sam Juliano http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html/comment-page-1#comment-1562 Sam Juliano Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:25:54 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/?p=2033#comment-1562 Needless to say, Mr. D'Ambra has again fashioned a deftly-composed and insightful review of this "solid noir drama," which I share his enthusiasm and respect for. Mr. D'Ambra rightly cites Kirk Douglas' outstanding performance, and astutely points to the "constrained space and hot humid weather to build a sense of anxiety and frustration." Similarly he notes the "tightly framed staginess, low-angle and mid-level (closely framed shots) with a mis en scene accentuating the closeless of people and objects." These are brilliant observations by the master of film noir. "The absense of music" is inobstrusive in this film, notes Tony, and that's the sign of a film of near-flawless craftsmanship. I also admire the "weakness from strength" conclusion in reference to some narrative issues that some other critics have taken issue with. On this particular film, I must say I am pretty much with Tony right down the line. I applaud him for spotlighting it too. Needless to say, Mr. D’Ambra has again fashioned a deftly-composed and insightful review of this “solid noir drama,” which I share his enthusiasm and respect for.

Mr. D’Ambra rightly cites Kirk Douglas’ outstanding performance, and astutely points to the “constrained space and hot humid weather to build a sense of anxiety and frustration.” Similarly he notes the “tightly framed staginess, low-angle and mid-level (closely framed shots) with a mis en scene accentuating the closeless of people and objects.” These are brilliant observations by the master of film noir. “The absense of music” is inobstrusive in this film, notes Tony, and that’s the sign of a film of near-flawless craftsmanship.
I also admire the “weakness from strength” conclusion in reference to some narrative issues that some other critics have taken issue with.
On this particular film, I must say I am pretty much with Tony right down the line. I applaud him for spotlighting it too.

]]> By: Sam Juliano http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/detective-story-1951-i-built-my-whole-life-on-hating-my-father.html/comment-page-1#comment-1561 Sam Juliano Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:17:40 +0000 http://filmsnoir.net/?p=2033#comment-1561 This is certainly a significant film in Wyler's canon, and one that received this response from Pauline Kael in her famed volume "5001 Night at the Movies": "The brash, hyperactive Sideney Kingsley melodrama set in a precinct station-house, directed by William Wyler. The action is stagey, but there's certainly enough going on. Kirk Douglas plays a brutal detective, full of hatred for the offenders who cross his path, and Eleanor Parker is his wife. When he learns that she once had an affair with a gangster, he can't forgive her, and then can't live with himself. That's only one of the interrelated stories, which involve Lee Grant as a flirtateous shoplifter and Joseph Wiseman as a seasoned burglar (playing roles they'd already scored in on the stage), as well as George Macready, William Bendix, Horace McMahon, Burt Freed, Frank Faylen, Gerard Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, and Warner Anderson. Cinematography by Lee Garmes." This is certainly a significant film in Wyler’s canon, and one that received this response from Pauline Kael in her famed volume “5001 Night at the Movies”:
“The brash, hyperactive Sideney Kingsley melodrama set in a precinct station-house, directed by William Wyler. The action is stagey, but there’s certainly enough going on. Kirk Douglas plays a brutal detective, full of hatred for the offenders who cross his path, and Eleanor Parker is his wife. When he learns that she once had an affair with a gangster, he can’t forgive her, and then can’t live with himself. That’s only one of the interrelated stories, which involve Lee Grant as a flirtateous shoplifter and Joseph Wiseman as a seasoned burglar (playing roles they’d already scored in on the stage), as well as George Macready, William Bendix, Horace McMahon, Burt Freed, Frank Faylen, Gerard Mohr, Cathy O’Donnell, and Warner Anderson. Cinematography by Lee Garmes.”

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