Friday, March 3, 2017

Top 10 movies based on a Cornell Woolrich story as ranked by IMDB voting (Bucket List #2)

That leaves only "The Guilty" to track down. Never released on DVD or VHS (not available on Amazon). However, UCLA restored the 35mm print so it may make an appearance some day.

Another easy one (sort of). I found this one (Truffaut's "La Mariee Etait En Noir") on the internet but Windows 8.1 crashed 7 times during the playback making this one feel more like a serial.
Interestingly, while Truffaut was making this one, the director of "The Mark Of The Whistler" was working on his greatest movie/biggest disappointment. He was going to make "Rosemary's Baby" as director/producer until the studio replaced him as director with that new Polish hotshot Roman Polanski. He still got credit as producer but his big chance to move up to "A" pictures as a director was gone for good.
9 down 1 to go

Well, that didn't take long. "The Mark Of The Whistler" was right there on YouTube. Once again, Cornell Woolrich's way with a plot keeps your interest all the way. A hobo finds that there is a dormant bank account in his name. The only hitch is that it belongs to another guy with the same name. Can he fool the bank into letting him have the money? And once he has the money..... what could go wrong then?
Eight down, two to go.

Watch the top 10 movies based on a story by Cornell Woolrich.
I know I've seen 7 of these.
Not sure about "The Bride Wore Black".
Sure I haven't seen "The Mark Of The Whistler" or "The Guilty".

1.
Rear Window (1954)
    8.5/10  
A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. (112 mins.)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
2.
Phantom Lady (1944)
    7.3/10  
A beautiful secretary risks her life to try to find the elusive woman who may prove her boss didn't murder his selfish wife. (87 mins.)
Director: Robert Siodmak
3.
The Window (1949)
    7.4/10  
To avoid the heat of a sweltering summer night a 9 year old Manhattan boy decides to sleep on the fire escape and witnesses a murder, no one will believe him. (73 mins.)
Director: Ted Tetzlaff
4.
The Bride Wore Black (1968)
    7.3/10  
Julie Kohler is prevented from suicide by her mother. She leaves the town. She will track down, charm and kill five men who do not know her. What is her goal? What is her purpose? (107 mins.)
5.
Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948)
    7.1/10  
When phony stage mentalist Triton mysteriously acquires supernatural powers of precognition, he becomes frightened and abandons his act to live of anonymity. (81 mins.)
Director: John Farrow
6.
Mississippi Mermaid (1969)
    7.2/10  
A wealthy plantation owner is captivated by a mysterious woman with a shady past. (123 mins.)
7.
The Mark of the Whistler (1944)
    7.0/10  
A drifter claims the money in an old bank account. Soon he finds himself the target of two men who turn out to be the sons of the man's old partner... (60 mins.)
Director: William Castle
8.
Black Angel (1946)
    7.0/10  
When Kirk Bennett is convicted of a singer's murder, his wife tries to prove him innocent...aided by the victim's ex-husband. (81 mins.)
9.
The Guilty (1947)
    6.5/10  
Two guys, sharing an apartment, meet twin girls. One is Shirley Temple grown-up, and the other is a major piece of bad news. The nice one is murdered and her boyfriend is accused of the crime. The wrong man-wrong victim plot strikes again. (71 mins.)
Director: John Reinhardt
10.
Nightmare (1956)
    6.5/10  
A New Orleans musician has a nightmare about killing a man in a strange house but he suspects that it really happened. (89 mins.)
Director: Maxwell Shane

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