Two film noirs: 1949’s D.O.A (Rudolph Mate) and 1950’s Borderline (William A. Seiter) come to Blu-ray and DVD under the Film Noir Classics Vol. 1 Sub-label of VCI Entertainment.
The Films
D.O.A.
Rudolph Mate’s D.O.A. has a great hook. A man, played by character actor Edmond O’Brien, stumbles into a police station to report a murder: his own. Poisoned on a trip up to San Francisco, he has a limited amount of time before he expires. How long? Well, it could be any minute. So there’s a great time crunch pushing down on the film to have O’Brien solve his own murder before he keels over (there’s no antidote, so no respite).
In that way, it’s a good time in O’Brien’s bad way. The hows and whys in Russell Rouse & Clarence Green’s screenplay are a little convoluted and reach a “well that’s kinda silly for a why” (which the film itself lampshades), but the rush to get there is a nice set of twists and turns. Mate films with a pulsing energy as well. O’Brien and the other actors are all on point, especially Lynn Baggett in the femme fatale role. Cool to see Eaten Alive’s Neville Brand here too.
D.O.A. was remade in 1988, the film Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan made around the same time as Innerspace; over the two films, they fell in love. But the original film is a solid effort, a smaller film with a great hook.
Borderline
Borderline, from 1950, features Double Indemnity’s Fred MacMurray in his time as a noir star before his tenure as a family man for My Three Sons and Disney. It’s a fun little picture, directed by William A. Seiter and written by Devery Freeman. Two law enforcement agents, MacMurray for the DEA and Claie Trevor for the Los Angeles Police Department, team up to take down drug runner Raymond Burr. Only, the thing is: neither of them knows the other is also a cop, thinking they are a top dog for Burr.
As the premise would note, we’re not into hard noir territory. Instead, a level of comedy and tinges of romance fit within the intrigue and chases. It works in this manner, with the light touches working with the B-movie thrills and deception. Freeman’s screenplay keeps things bumping with solid interplay between the pair, and they are game with stylized performances to match. Seiter directs with a bop, moving through with fun sequences and skill, keeping up the energy no matter where it comes from.
Borderline crosses the line of entertainment B-picture. Game performances and an engaging plot. It’s simple but solid.
The Package
VCI Entertainment puts both films on both discs: the set contains a Blu-Ray and a DVD with the same contents. The discs share the same art as the single-sided sleeve (found in a clear blue Blu-ray case): the Film Noir Classics vol 1 moniker with original posters of both films.
The Presentation
Both films are in Black and White, as originally released. Borderline looks great with a sharp crispness to the visuals. I didn’t see any artifacts or loss. But DOA was softer and fuzzier around the edges, with a few artifacts and the like. Doesn’t distract from the film, but noticeable compared to Borderline. The audio is good in both cases. English audio and subtitles.
The Features
Both films have short featurettes. Three to four minutes on their subjects with some film clips over the reading. Concise but informative.
D.O.A.: Edmond O’Brien: The Man Who Made Every Second Count
D.O.A.: Rudolph Mate: The Man Behind the Shadows
Borderline: Fred MacMurray: From Noir Shadows ot Disney Light
Borderline: William A. Sietner: Hollywood’s Hidden Craftsman
Final Thoughts
Modern viewers looking to check out some of the noirs we don’t know by name that make great examples of the genre would do well to check out this collection, Film Noir Classics, Vol 1 by VCI Entertainment. Both are entertaining with great hooks and casts.