Noir Archive 9-Film Collection: Volume 2: 1954-1956

Bait (1954)

Having uncovered the rich vein he spent half a lifetime hunting for, a prospector (Hugo Haas, who directed) decides he wants to cut out his partner (John Agar)...and to that end, he uses his own young bride (Cleo Moore) as the titular temptation for a lethal "act of passion." Exemplary low-end potboiler from Haas co-stars Sir Cedric Hardwicke as your humble narrator, the Devil. 79 min. BW/Rtg: NR

Cell 2455, Death Row (1955)

This fascinating look at crime and punishment explores the life story of a rapist who was sentenced to San Quentin's death row and later executed. Through flashbacks, his various crimes and the motives behind them are glimpsed-revealing a harrowing tale of a lost soul in the process. Marian Carr, Kathryn Grant, Vince Edwards star. 77 min. BW/Rtg: NR

Footsteps In The Fog (1955)

After the tragic death of his wife, mostly everyone in London thinks that widower Stephen Lowry (Stewart Granger) is in mourning--everyone except his maid Lily (Jean Simmons), who knows that he killed her. Having always loved Stephen, Lily keeps her employer's secret, but uses her knowledge to manipulate him. But as she continues to blackmail him--and interfere with his love life--Stephen decides it’s time to put an end to her threats once and for all. Bill Travers, Finlay Currie also star in this thrilling noir drama. 90 min. C/Rtg: NR

New Orleans Uncensored (1955)

Shot documentary style, this gritty drama from director William Castle is set on the dark and dangerous docks of the New Orleans waterfront. Following the murder of his friend, an upstanding Navy vet agrees to go undercover to help the cops take down the ruthless crime boss who controls the local dockworker's union. Arthur Franz, Beverly Garland, Michael Ansara star. 75 min. BW/Rtg: NR

The Night Holds Terror (1955)

Based on actual events, this shocking crime story concerns a group of armed bandits who attempt to evade a police manhunt by holding a family hostage in their suburban home. As the behavior of the gang's leader becomes increasingly erratic, the residents of the house fear for their lives as the situation worsens--resulting in a shocking showdown. John Cassavetes, Vince Edwards, Charles Herbert, Jack Kelly, Hildy Parks star. BW/Rtg: NR

The Crooked Web (1955)

A World War II vet/café owner (Frank Lovejoy) is making time with his beautiful new carhop (Mari Blanchard), when her brother (Richard Denning) shows up at the door with an outrageous quick-buck scheme: head to Germany and help him recover a stolen $200,000 that he stashed during his own tour of duty. The restaurateur rises to the bait, but is there another agenda for luring him to Deutschland? John Mylong, Harry Lauter co-star. 77 min. BW/Rtg: NR

5 Against The House (1955)

A quartet of G.I. Bill collegians (Guy Madison, Brian Keith, Kerwin Mathews, Alvy Moore) decides, as a lark, to knock over a supposedly theft-proof Reno casino, just to prove it can be done. The idea was to return the cash...but what happens when one of them has no intention of giving it back? Phil Karlson's tight thriller co-stars Kim Novak, William Conrad, Jean Willes. 83 min. BW/Rtg: NR

Rumble On The Docks (1956)

Heartthrob James Darren makes his film debut in this roiling drama that plays like a cross between "On the Waterfront" and "West Side Story." The young Jimmy Smigelski (Darren) gets involved with an unscrupulous gang of longshoremen, leading to a bitter clash with his family when it looks like he could become involved in murder. Edgar Barrier, Laurie Carroll, and Robert Blake co-star. 82 min. BW/Rtg: NR

Spin A Dark Web (1956)

British crime thriller follows a Canadian boxer (Lee Patterson) come to London to look into a colleague's suspicious death, with the trail leading to a Soho mob fixer (Martin Benson). However, the hood also has an extremely seductive sister (Faith Domergue), who all too quickly ropes the pug into the gang's dangerous schemes. Rona Anderson, Robert Arden co-star. 77 min. BW/Rtg: NR