The Film Detective (TFD), a classic media streaming network and film archive that restores classic films for today’s cord-cutters, is offering new additions to its film noir collection this “Noirvember” as well as television series and shorts never before seen on The Film Detective platform.
The disillusionment and pessimism of the post-World War II era did not leave the entertainment industry untouched. Building on the technological advancements of decades before, filmmakers used lightning effects, camera angling, and shadows to augment somber narratives, coined as film noir. With hard-boiled detectives, political systems riddled with underground crime, and duplicitous sirens leading their counterparts to paths of destruction, film noir has served as a landmark to the overarching tone of the time and remains a coveted sector of cinema since its hey-day from the early 1940s through 1960. While the golden age of film noir may be gone, the ability to watch film noir is heating up this month at The Film Detective, with newly added titles and existing favorites available all Noirvember long.
Highlighting the cinematically cynical, Whistle Stop (1946), Money Madness (1948), and more will join the existing Film Noir category on The Film Detective’s web platform. In Money Madness, a bank robber hides out in a small town, where he meets and marries a sweet, young woman. She eventually learns of her husband’s past and becomes embroiled in his schemes. This hard-boiled drama from Sigmund Newfield Productions stars Hugh Beaumont, Frances Rafferty, Ida Moore, and Harlan Warde, with direction by Sam Newfield. With so many films spearheaded by Sam Newfield, the director took on the alias of Peter Stewart for Money Madness (1948).
Film noir fans can get their fix with a special spotlight on mainstay classics of the genre. Few film noirs reflect the darkness of a victim of circumstance quite like Rudolph Maté’s classic, D.O.A (1950), available this month. D.O.A. stars Edmond O’Brien as small-town accountant Frank Bigelow who, while in San Francisco for some fun before settling down with his fiancée, wakes up after a night on the town with more than a hangover. Doctors tell him he’s been given a “luminous toxin” for which there is no antidote and he has a week to live, at most. Frank desperately retraces his steps over the past 24 hours, embarking on a frantic odyssey to find his own murderer.
Film noir fanatics searching for the most intricate lighting and effects out of their favorite films will appreciate the new HD transfer of A Life at Stake (1955), available in the Featured category this November. This tale of deceit starring Angela Lansbury and Keith Andes is a lesser-known film noir that deserves the special attention it will receive this month on The Film Detective.
Those looking for the brighter side of cinema and television this month will be thrilled by the arrival of the “Soundies” collection with a dozen musical short films and the entire first season of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).
Before the days of MTV music videos, nightclub and restaurant patrons could pay 10 cents to enjoy three-minute music video clips known as “Soundies.” Popularized between 1940-1947, “Soundies” were available through 16mm rear projection machines known as “Panorams,” or video jukeboxes. Viewers won’t need a “Panoram” this November to enjoy these musical time capsules. With shorts that run the gamut from Dorothy Dandridge Western numbers to jazz singer Una Mae Carlisle on the keys, the “Soundies” will offer the perfect addition to The Film Detective’s Thanksgiving musical celebration.
Starting at 12 a.m. EST on Nov. 28, The Film Detective’s Sling, STIRR, and DistroTV channels will feature 24 hours of Soundies and musicals to keep viewers singing long after the food comas of Thanksgiving dinner have subsided. Fan favorites like Fred Astaire and Judy Garland will make appearances in works like Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) and Second Chorus (1940), as well as a TFD debut from The King Sisters in The King Family Thanksgiving Special (1967). The King Sisters, comprised of six sisters originally part of the Driggs Family of Entertainers, rose to fame as Hollywood’s beloved musical variety act, before finding their home in musical television specials. In 1967, The King Sisters shared Thanksgiving with households in The King Family Thanksgiving Special and, this year, TFD is excited to share this Thanksgiving special with today’s viewers.
The Film Detective is also proud to welcome one of their favorite television families, The Clampetts, with the arrival of the entire first season of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971). When the Clampett family strikes oil on their land, they trade in the Ozarks for the upscale life as millionaires in Beverly Hills, California. The Clampetts first took over Beverly Hills and now they are taking over The Film Detective like never before, with the entire first season available on their web platform and live channels starting in November. The Film Detective is certainly thankful for the collection of classic television and cinema arriving this Thanksgiving season and is honored to have the opportunity to share with old and new fans alike.
The Film Detective channel is available on Sling and can be watched for free on STIRR and DistroTV. TFD’s extensive collection of classic film and television is also available to stream on http://thefilmdetective.tv/ and via iOS app, with many titles offered for free to viewers. With numerous upcoming events including the Eegah (1962) Blu-ray and DVD release, new trailers added from Trailers from Hell, TFD’s brand new “Soundies” collection, and Noirvember, stay updated on the latest news from The Film Detective.
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