(Roughly) Daily

From the British Film Institute, an infographic dedicated to the shadowy world of one of classic Hollywood’s most beloved subgenres– see it in its gritty entirety at “What Makes a Film Noir?”

* Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep

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As we grope for our gats, we might send haunting birthday greetings to Brian Easdale; he was born on this date in 1909.  A composer of both orchestral and operatic music, Easdale is best remembered for his film scores, especially those he composed for the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (including Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, and The Elusive Pimpernel).  Perhaps his most powerful film work was on Powell’s controversial Peeping Tom, a film that used a number of film noir conventions to create a horror-thriller so shockingly unexpected that– while the film is now considered a masterpiece– it effectively ended Powell’s career.

Sir Thomas Beecham (left, with baton), and Easdale (center) preparing to record the score of The Red Shoes

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