THE NOOSE
UK, 1948, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Carole Landis, Joseph Calleia, Derek Farr, Stanley Holloway, Nigel Patrick, Ruth Nixon, John Slater, Edward Rigby.
Directed by Edmond Greville.
The Noose is a film noir from post-war England. It is a picture of Soho, black market in London, gangsters and their ruthless behaviour.
American actress Carole Landis portrays a journalist who pursues a black market killer in Soho, played by Maltese- American actor Joseph Calleia. Derek Farr is her ex-army boyfriend who rounds up a gang to confront the Soho gang. Stanley Holloway is an inspector. However, Nigel Patrick steals the film as a very cocky agent for the criminals.
The film was directed by Frenchman Edmond Greville who made a number of films in England in the late 40s, early 50s including The Romantic Age.
The film is interesting in retrospect, a focused picture of life in London in the years immediately following World War Two, especially the possibility of a luxury life given the black market and the role of gangsters.
1.Interest in London in 1948? Post-war London? The black market? Gangsters? Violence? The police?
2.The black and white photography, light and shadow? Soho, the buildings, the clubs, the church? The streets? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3.The title, the reference to Sugiani and the gangs tightening on him? The literal noose and the murders by strangling?
4.Sugiani, the gangster boss, Italian background? Mafia behaviour? His character, his relationship with Annie Foss? His ruthlessness in ordering murders? Barber as his henchman? The members of his gang? His relationship with Bar Gorman? Bar and his breezy style, shrewdness, business? The newspaper exposes by Linda Medbury? His threatening her? The death of Annie? The cover-up? His wanting to silence Linda? Jumbo Hyde and his rounding up the gang? The fight in the club? His flight and death?
5.Linda, American, coming to England, her work with the newspaper, the expose? Annie Foss as the source of information? Her going to the mortuary with the inspector? Her relationship with Jumbo? The threats from Sugiani? Her abduction, her defying Sugiani? The confrontation with Bar Gorman? The ending with Jumbo?
6.Jumbo, ex-army, relationship with Linda? The confrontation with Sugiani, rounding up the gang, with Pudd’n and the men at the gym? Briefing them, the build-up to the fight?
7.Inspector Kendall, the investigations, the typical British policeman? The bribe from Gorman and Sugiani and his turning it against themselves?
8.Bar Gorman, Nigel Patrick’s breezy style, dominating the film, his patter, the conman, shrewd, the advice to Gorman? His family? The landlady? The confrontation with Linda? His comeuppance?
9.The portrait of Pudd’n and the members of the gym? The gang members? The contrast with Sugiani’s henchmen and their brutality, especially Barber and Sugiani turning on him?
10.The influence of the newspapers, the editor, the articles? A British film noir?
