Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema I (Blu-ray)

Five-disc set includes: He Ran All The Way (1951)When the armored car heist he aided in ended in bloodshed, dull-witted thug Nick Robey (John Garfield, in his screen farewell) thought he could just lay low with the money. Unfortunately, he chose to make a poolside pickup of lonely Peggy Dobbs (Shelley Winters)... and her bringing him home to meet the folks would end far worse than most. Atmospheric thriller co-stars Norman Lloyd, Gladys George, Wallace Ford, Selena Royle. 77 min. BW/Rtg: NR Witness to Murder (1954)One sleepless night, Cheryl Draper (Barbara Stanwyck) crossed by her apartment window... and saw a woman being strangled in the adjacent building. The callous perpetrator (George Sanders), however, is smooth enough to cover his tracks... and to set up his accuser as a dangerous mental case. Can she convince one sympathetic cop (Gary Merrill) of the truth? Moody melodrama co-stars Jesse White, Juanita Moore. 83 min. BW/Rtg: NR A Bullet For Joey (1955)Royal Canadian Police inspector Raoul Leduc (Edward G. Robinson) believes an important nuclear physicist is the key to a series of killings and soon finds himself battling gangster Joe Victor (George Raft), hired by the head of a Communist spy ring to kidnap the scientist and "convince" him to help their plan for world domination. George Dolenz, Peter Van Eyck co-star. 87 min. BW/Rtg: NR Storm Fear (1955)With nothing to show for his attempted bank job besides a slug, Charlie Blake (Cornel Wilde, who directed) leads his gang to the remote farmhouse of his brother Fred (Dan Duryea) until he heals-and things cool off. Unfortunately, Charlie's romantic past with his sister-in-law (Jean Wallace) may only serve to escalate the danger. Flavorful suspenser co-stars Lee Grant, Dennis Weaver, Steven Hill; screenplay adaptation by Horton Foote. 88 min. BW/Rtg: NR Big House, U.S.A. (1955)In this vintage crime thriller, a group of hardened criminals decides to escape from prison in order to claim $200,000 in hidden ransom money. After working out the logistics of their plan, they hatch a daring underwater rescue. With the feds on their backs, can the men reach the riches, or will they be sent back to the big house? Broderick Crawford, Charles Bronson, Ralph Meeker, Lon Chaney, Jr., and William Talman star. 83 min. BW/Rtg: NR Standard/Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.

Starring: John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, Edward G. Robinson, George Raft, Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker

Rating: NR