The Noir Collective hosts a watch party for The Big Combo

moviesJun 24, 202637584

The Noir Collective teamed with Fright Club to host a watch party for Joseph H. Lewis's The Big Combo (1955), putting John Alton's high-contrast cinematography front and center. Viewers and hosts highlighted Cornel Wilde's cop, Richard Conte's mob boss, Jean Wallace's reported role in shortening the original title from "The Big Combination," Lee Van Cleef's supporting turn, and David Raksin's memorable score. Participants argued the film matters because Alton's lighting and Raksin's jazz-tinged theme helped define postwar noir aesthetics and influenced later filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, making the screening a focused reappraisal of technical craft in a midcentury crime film.

Will McKinley

@willmckinley.bsky.social

When John Alton shoots your film you don't even need sets. Just a wall. #TheNoirCollective #TheBigCombo

7845d ago

Fright Club

@frightya.bsky.social

Wednesday is a noir night with #FrightClub! We will join #TheNoirCollective for an encore presentation of The Big Combo (1955) at 10 PM ET. Available on Tubi, Hoopla, and more. All are welcome to join in and post along! Are you the mobster, the cop, the society lady or the showgirl?

Poster for The Big Combo (1955). Lots of yellow, passion, nightclub, weapons brandished, absurdly cheerful orangey-red lettering, there's a lot going on here so I won't try to describe it all but it looks pretty great. And quintessentially 1950s. Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, Jean Wallace.

4145d ago

The Noir Collective

@thenoircollective.bsky.social

Tonight's noir: THE BIG COMBO (1955). A cop, a mobster, and the woman who stands between them. #TheNoirCollective watch party begins at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. @tommykrasker.bsky.social and @ctmillion.bsky.social are hosting. Link to watch: archive.org/details/the-...

4145d ago

Tommy Krasker

@tommykrasker.bsky.social

ONE HOUR till #TheNoirCollective watch party of THE BIG COMBO. This is one of my favorites, so I’m thrilled to be cohosting, and doubly thrilled to be joined by the brilliant & endlessly entertaining @ctmillion.bsky.social. Link to watch: archive.org/details/the-... Use hashtag #TheNoirCollective

2545d ago

Tommy Krasker11

In 1955, Allied Artists – fearing #TheBigCombo was too controversial – let it die, pulling it after just two weeks. In the ‘70s, it was rediscovered, and hailed by Cahiers du Cinéma as “a masterpiece of noir.” Today it’s studied in film schools and analyzed in academic journals. #TheNoirCollective

LadyKdesigns2

So excited! One of my favorites 🤗💯 #TheNoirCollective

Dr. Dani Sanchez, MFA, PhD (She/Her/They/Them)

@analgesicsleep.bsky.social

Posters for “The Big Combo” AKA “The Criminal” AKA “Crime Genius” (1955) from The USA, Germany and Italy. #TheNoirCollective #TheBigCombo #FilmNoir

2645d ago

Dr. Dani Sanchez, MFA, PhD (She/Her/They/Them)11

This week’s leading men for #TheNoirCollective are Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte and Brian Donlevy #TheBigCombo #CornelWilde #RichardConte #BrianDonlevy #FilmNoir

DBjorkCA 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇸🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿4

And my vote for this week’s best movie poster goes to…Germany! #TheNoirCollective

CT Million

@ctmillion.bsky.social

If you seem to recall another film with a brutal torture scene in an abandoned warehouse, conducted by a man known only by a colorful last name…you’ve probably seen 1993's RESERVOIR DOGS; its writer/director Quentin Tarantino almost certainly drew inspiration from #TheBigCombo. #TheNoirCollective

1845d ago

Marci

@marcikay.bsky.social

Mr. Brown doesn’t even have to turn around to own the room. #TheNoirCollective #TheBigCombo

2245d ago

🎞️🎥✨celluloidsoul

@celluloidsoul.bsky.social

Can't help casually rewatching #TheBigCombo after the #TheNoirCollective watch. It's so good. Hello new #FrightClub friends!

1745d ago

CT Million6

Glad you're still here- it's a film that demands multiple watches!

pmoll.bsky.social3

nice to see you over here!

Diana

@artemismoon.bsky.social

"A woman dresses for a man." Now we riot. #FrightClub #TheNoirCollective #TheBigCombo

1645d ago

dwayneadd.bsky.social

@dwayneadd.bsky.social

IIRC, it was originally going to be called "the Big Combination" but was shorten to "Combo" on the suggestion of Jean Wallace herself (Cornel Wilde's RL wife). #TheNoirCollective #TheBigCombo

1545d ago

iBetta

@ibetta.bsky.social

The lighting in this is truly amazing. And that pinstripe suit? Oooh la la! #TheBigCombo #FrightClub #theNoirCollective

1545d ago

Joe_Ted_Jerome

@joetedjerome.bsky.social

"What've we got to lose, $96.50 a week?" I *love* noir dialogue. I'd put it into everything I write, if I wrote anything besides Bluesky posts anymore. #TheBigCombo #FrightClub #TheNoirCollective

1345d ago

Alan Hait 🏳️‍🌈🏝️🍞🇮🇱

@alanhait.bsky.social

These high class hoodlum restaurants and meals all look like Mar A Lago. I wonder why. #TheBigCombo #TheNoirCollective

1645d ago

LadyKdesigns

@ladykdesigns.bsky.social

Thank you so much @tommykrasker.bsky.social and @ctmillion.bsky.social for a brilliant co-hosting for this #filmnoir classic! I learned so much and just loved this watch! #TheNoirCollective

1645d ago

Van Stanwyck

@vanstanwyck.bsky.social

I forgot Lee Van Cleef was in #TheBigCombo. It's been way too long since I've seen this. #TheNoirCollective

1545d ago

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The Noir Collective hosts a watch party for The Big Combo

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