seymourblack-1 In an opening sequence that immediately appeals to film noir fans, the camera gradually moves up and back from a night-time street-scene in L.A. before gently swooping down towards a posh residence in the Hollywood Hills where a pianist can be seen through a patio window. The camera then proceeds to visually pass through the window, dropping its audience straight into the movie's very dramatic prologue. This impressive introduction displays the kind of moody atmosphere, noirish lighting and care in the composition of scenes that proves to be typical of all that follows. Shots of its main character (played by George Raft) seen from a low-angle talking to his boss, from a higher angle climbing up a shadowy flight of stairs and later, searching through a photographer's studio, are just a few examples of these qualities.The movie's visual style and atmosphere also prove to be perfect for this well-paced murder mystery that features violence, humour and a number of characters who seem to know a lot more than they're prepared to admit."Nocturne" begins in the luxurious home of successful composer Keith Vincent (Edward Ashley) who's sitting at his piano, working on his latest composition whilst also talking to a mystery lady who's sitting silently on a sofa some distance away from him with her face hidden in shadow. Vincent is explaining his decision to end their relationship whilst also talking about his previous conquests whose photos he keeps displayed on one of his walls. He has composed musical pieces dedicated to each of his ex-lovers and the one he's presently working on is for the mystery lady. When he's still in conversation, a gunshot rings out and Vincent falls to the floor.When the police arrive, the officer in charge deduces from the available evidence that Vincent's death was a suicide but Homicide Detective Joe Warne (George Raft) isn't convinced. He thinks it's more likely that the dead womanizer was killed by one of the ladies he'd dumped and so, when he finds that the manuscript that Vincent had been working on at the time of his death had "For Dolores" hand-written on it, he assumes that this might be a useful lead. It transpires, however, that Vincent called all his women by the same name. No-one thinks that there's any substance to Joe's suspicions but his sympathetic Captain allows him some time to make some investigations. After tracing the nine ladies whose photos adorned Vincent's wall, Joe draws a blank and is taken off the case.Joe's hunch becomes an obsession which leads to him ignoring his superiors' instructions and continuing his investigation. He discovers that there was a tenth lady whose photo had been removed from Vincent's wall and she turns out to be small-time actress Frances Ransom (Lynn Bari). Things get progressively more difficult for Joe as he gets suspended from his job and finds himself falling for his prime suspect. Through knowing Frances, he also meets her sister Carol (Virginia Huston), pianist Ned "Fingers" Ford (Joseph Pevney) and Erik Torp (Bern Hoffman) who all work at the "Keyboard Club". None of these characters appear to be entirely straight-forward but when Joe eventually finds the clue he needs to prove his theory; it comes from the most unexpected source.Although "Nocturne" doesn't currently enjoy a high profile and isn't regarded as being in the top echelon of film noir movies, it was nevertheless, a great commercial success when it was first released and part of its appeal must have been attributable to the quality of its script which contains plenty of entertaining wisecracks. One that stands out comes from Vincent's housemaid who says of her employer that "he was a lady-killer but don't get any ideas. I'm no lady".George Raft does well as he gets thrown about violently by the big, muscle-bound Torp and indulges in some witty exchanges with Lynn Bari and the actors in the supporting roles maintain their good standards pf performance throughout.

andrewgage Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy pre-1960 films that use Los Angeles as a backdrop, and Nocturne is one of 'em. Several scenes were shot off the lot, and one can catch quick (and sometimes elongated) glimpses of Hollywood Blvd., Vine Street, Tom Brenneman's, the Pantages, and the (Hollywood) Brown Derby in their heyday - the exterior of the Derby is used for a scene between Warne and Torp, the oafish thug for hire. One of the places I haven't been able to pinpoint is the location of the Shawn photography studio. It could very well be the area of Sunset Blvd. printed on the photographer's mark in the film... hard to say as the whole area has changed dramatically since the late 1940's. And that's too bad, because the building they used for the exterior shot of the studio looked pretty nice. But I suspect that it's one of those buildings like Mildred Pierce's Glendale house: the actual structure was 1 storey on the outside and the Hollywood set shows it magically to be 2 storeys on the inside. Suspension of disbelief anyone?If you like post-war design as much as I, a couple of the sets are a treat to see - those being Vincent's house (possibly a Neutra-inspired creation) and the Shawn Studio, both of which feature up-to-the-minute trends in styling and decor (that is, for Southern California, 1946). Personally, I'd move into Keith Vincent's house in a heartbeat! It's like a little bit of Palm Springs in the Hollywood Hills.When it comes to performances, Mabel Paige steals the show, especially in the scene where she's having tea with her gambling partner, Mrs. O'Rourke (Virginia Edwards). Her character adds a delightful touch of homespun levity to the story. I'd love to have her as a grandmother!Surprisingly, George Raft's performance is so stiff that Woody Woodpecker was probably eying him for lunch. He kind of traipses through the pic with a strange, wry countenance, and grins at (what strike me as) odd times, like we're all missing out on some behind-the- scenes joke. Raft doesn't strike me as a great actor of the period, the likes of Clark Gable or Edward G. Robinson, but he held his own in movies where he played the bad guy. I don't think he really got the concept of how to play the good guy. Someone else said that Dick Powell should have been awarded the role, and I couldn't agree more. What a great transitional picture that could have been for Powell, the warbler from Warner Bros. turned private dick. Music and murder. But alas...Myrna Dell is a kick. I see her as a kind of a cross between Eve Arden and Joan Blondell. Wish there were more of her in the movie. Her delivery of lines like "I didn't listen to his music. It was icky!" are priceless.The full cast list includes characters in scenes that were deleted. I wonder what the deleted scenes were all about...(POSSIBLE SPOILER FOLLOWS) All in all, I really like this movie. It's got some fun twists and turns as it goes along, and the revelation of the culprit caught me by surprise. I have this film on a commercially-released VHS but have not come across it on DVD yet. Apparently it was released on DVD in the early 90's, so it probably isn't a restored print, and I'd also assume it wouldn't have any decent bonus material (like the deleted scenes). Too bad, because this is a good little film worth watching, all in all.

Robert J. Maxwell Raft is a police detective investigating an apparent suicide. A reprobate composer of pop songs is found with "a bullet in his noggin," a revolver in his hand, and power marks all over him. The cops are satisfied but Raft is compelled to wonder, as Lieutenant Columbo would have, why the composer sent his butler out for some bicarbonate of soda, and why he stopped writing his next song in mid-note, or rather mid-shot. Raft pushes the investigation too far, smashing up a couple of rooms and flattening one or two surly characters, and hustling one of the composer's recent lady friends until, as it must to all responsible cops, the time comes when he must forfeit his badge and gun.The dialog has a couple of neat touches, along the lines of: "I heard you were busting up some furniture but from the looks of you I'd say the furniture won." And when Raft appears in bandages, his shirt blotched with blood, after a fight with some pituitary case, someone remarks, "I see you've been painting the town red." Raft: "The other way around." Raft looks good, with his cast-iron features and neat fedora. Lynn Bari, the girl in the picture, is one of those many B-list actresses that never got very far -- Mara Corday, Faith Domergue. No great loss to cinematic art.The film itself is routine. Raft encounters one suspect after another, the pursuit punctuated by bouts of violence. Half-way through I figured the killer was either the piano player or the blond -- otherwise why were they getting so much screen time in unimportant roles? But I was only half right, or two times right, depending on the theory of numbers you subscribe to.

RanchoTuVu Like others have noted, this is not a masterpiece in the canon of film noir, but it does have originality, humor, a good pace, and some downright interesting characters and actors, including the director Joseph Pevney as Fingers the piano player. George Raft gives a decidedly deceptive performance. He was a good enough actor to look as if he couldn't even act. But, nonetheless, he carries this film along with one deadpan diverting observation after another, spitting out lines from a screenplay that is full of one-liners, yet is cohesive enough to at least somewhat keep the plot unfolding, with scenes that vary from posh apartments and hillside houses, to a piano bar where the pianist and his piano are pushed on a little portable stage from table to table by a big, menacing lug, and even to the RKO studios where Raft pursues his chief suspect, played by Lynn Bari, in what only he and the real murderer knew was a murder and not a suicide. The film's light touch mixes well with its well placed darker moments, especially a pitch black and windy night ( probably Santa Ana winds) in Los Angeles.