Pushover (1954) and Nightfall (1957)

Pushover (1954)
Stars: Kim Novak, Fred MacMurray
Plot: Will a good cop go bad? A beautiful gangster moll and $200,000 in stolen money says yes.

Nightfall (1957)
Starring: Aldo Ray Ann, Brian Keith Anne Bancroft
Plot: A falsely accused artist is pursued by the police and criminals after stolen money.

Both Nightfall and Pushover are well crafted film noir covering familiar ground. The two have much in common, good leading performances, and some excellent supporting casts, suspenseful action, and B&W photography. However, neither film has the memorable lines and fleshed out characters required for great film noirs. Too bad - a dose of Raymond Chandler could have made both films much better. Each film has its positives:

Pushover is notable for the cast. Its Kim Novak’s film debut and she’s an incredibly mature 19 and beautiful year old, while Fred Mac replays a role that echoes Double Indemnity. FM still surprises with his acting ability, including one scene where Fred shows the fear and shock of being shot at. A “young” EG Marshall is good as the by the book Police chief.

Nightfall – stands out with some excellent location photography and action scenes (watch out for that snowplow!) and has Brian Keith as the affable villain. Aldo Ray has some good chemistry with Ann Bancroft. The script tries to keep up the suspense through flashbacks.

Summary: Two enjoyable, well crafted, 1950s film noirs that cover familiar ground.