Episode 191 · Film year 1953
The Big Heat (1953)
- Special Guest
- Patrick McGilligan
- Guest Co-Host
- Jay A. Gertzman
Show notes
We start off Noir November with a bang! It's Fritz Lang's 1953 flick The Big Heat, starring Glenn Ford as a straight-arrow cop who takes on corruption in Philadelphia.
Labels: Film Noir Fritz Lang Glenn Ford Gloria Grahame Lee Marvin Noirvember Patrick McGilligan
Watch
Music credits
- "The Big Heat" - Stan Ridgway
Links & resources
- Visit the official site for Jay A. Gertzman (opens in a new tab)
- Buy Fritz Lang: Nature of the Beast by Patrick McGilligan (opens in a new tab)
- Buy The Big Heat on DVD (opens in a new tab)
- Buy The Big Heat by William P. McGivern (opens in a new tab)
- Buy Destiny Express by Howard Rodman (opens in a new tab)
- Be sure to LIKE Pulp According to David Goodis (opens in a new tab)
- Buy Samuel Roth, Infamous Modernist by Jay A. Gertman (opens in a new tab)
- Read a great article on Fritz Lang (opens in a new tab)
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Episodes that share keywords with this one.
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Shared: Columbia Pictures, Gloria Grahame, Patrick McGilligan
Patrick McGilligan, Steven Rybin, Will Scheibel, Steve Anderson and others
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Shared: Columbia Pictures, Glenn Ford
C. Courtney Joyner, Gregg Sutter, Rob St. Mary, Jedidiah Ayres
Rancho Notorious (1952)
Shared: Director Fritz Lang, Dan Seymour, Fritz Lang
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The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
Shared: Columbia Pictures, Film Noir, Noirvember
Spencer Parsons, Peter Flynn
Comments (4)
Jeffrey Goodman Hey Fellas, Great show on The Big Heat! BTW, Stranger On The Third Floor was directed by Boris Ingster, not Fritz Lang. Also, I tend to feel there is a difference between crime films and films noir, in the sense that a film noir always seemed to me to be about a loser on the way down who doesn't get redeemed for whatever reason, while in crime films, the good guy does always triumph and 'evil' is sent packing. A lot of crime films are indeed 'noirish' in their look but something like your co-host's description of Scarlet Street is more apt as a noir, as is Detour and In A Lonely Place versus something like Big Heat where Glen Ford, who is the main character, goes down for awhile but does emerge triumphant and intact. Just my two cents when it comes to this kind of thing! Also, Mike, if you do want to catch Brian Donlevy in a terrific Fritz Lang film, I recommend Hangmen Also Die which has just been reissued in a great looking version. Great film, great direction and great BD performance. Looking very forward to the rest of your Noir November! Keep up the great work! Best regards, Jeffrey A. Goodman San Francisco, CAJeffrey Goodman PS. It's always great to hear Stan Ridgway! Can never get enough....his music exudes noir!!! Thanks again!Mike White Yeah, I think Jay was going from one Lorre film to another. I thought the same thing as you re: Stranger on the Third Floor until I was editing the episode. Thanks for the recommendation on Hangmen Also Die. I think I've had that on DVD since Kino(?) re-released it forever ago. Just need to sit down and watch it.CDP Another great episode. I love the Big Heat -- Lee Marvin is particularly brutal. Very interesting to hear the history of Fritz Lang.