Poisonous Walk

I decided to walk to the “Birdland” jazz club that night, my office was only ten minutes away. I was anxious yet apprehensive to meet Sheila. She said she wanted to meet up. We had not seen each other since the murder. Normally I wouldn’t have met her, but the investigation was over and her husbands estate was divided. I assumed it was to give me my cut of the money. And to spend time with me. I’ll be honest I wanted to see the money more than I wanted to see her. The practice wasn’t doing so well and before this score I would have had to shut things down.

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It was a dark and muggy New York City night. For whatever reason there were only three street lights lit. The streets were still and all I could hear were my foot steps grinding the dirty glass on the streets. I heard a noise behind me, it felt like Karmah, but when I turned around it was a sewer rat digging for garbage. I chuckled to my self as I picked up speed.

I finally arrived at the “Birdland” the waitress showed me to my table and I sat down.
“What can I get you?”
“Nothing, I am waiting for a friend . I’ll have a drink when she arrives.”

The music was loud and the air was filled with cigarette smoke, I could barely see and oxygen seemed as if it was becoming hard to come by. As the smoke started to clear out, I saw a figure of a woman. She had curves to die for and her walk…I knew they had a name for that walk I just couldn’t put my finger on it. By this time I had blocked the music out. In the back of my mind there was a loud yell “DANGER“, but I couldn’t stop staring. The closer she got, I realized it was Sheila. Her lips… blood red! She had on a black dress that looked as if it was painted on. I stood up and we embraced and sat down.

“Hi Sheila”
“Hello Jimmy”
“So how have things been?’
“Hectic and out of sorts. I have been preparing my client for trial. how about you?”

A different waitress came over and interrupted us.

“What can I get you lovely folks?”
I ordered rum and coke.
“I’ll have scotch on the rocks.”

I sat there for awhile trying to discern her body and why she wanted to meet here of all places. I began to stare into her eyes. Sheila had these big Brown eyes that were as consuming fire. I was being drawn in to the point of no return. The waitress slammed my drink down on the table and I snapped out of it. I quickly took one gulp of my drink. The waitress looked surprised.

“Another rum and coke?”
“No, rum straight.”

Sheila could tell I was a little uneasy, she leaned over and started to caress my leg. Her touch sent shock waves through my bones.
“What’s wrong Jimmy?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, you seem…nervous.”
“Not nervous, just trying to figure out why you wanted to meet here?”
“I got the money Jimmy! And I am leaving for Europe tonight.”
“What? Why? There’s no need. The investigation has been stopped and your husbands death was ruled to be an accidental overdose.”

She leaned over closer to my ear and whispered.
“But yours won‘t be.”

Those words penetrated my soul. I tried to stand up to get out of there, but my body became numb. My face slammed down on the table. I felt an unbearable pounding pain in my head, my lungs were closing in, the room started to shrink. The only sound I could hear was the slowing down of my heart beat.
“He…lp.”
No one could hear me over the music.

Sheila stood up and the waitress started walking over with my drink. All I could think was, help had arrived. My vision was distorted, but I saw Sheila talking to the waitress and hand her a stack of cash.
“How much did you put in his drink?"
“The whole bottle.”
“Good. He’ll be dead by the time I walk out the door.”
Each word was like a dagger that pierced through my heart.

I watched as Sheila walked away. Although my eyes were becoming lower and my breathing was more difficult, I could still see her walk. It no longer had the same impact as to when she first walked in the room. I could now put my finger to it. Her walk was seductive, controlling and…DEADLY!

The Jig is up! maybe not...

Reading further into "Double Indemnity" things are starting to get hot and heavy! Mr. Keyes has stepped up to the plate as the hard-boiled detective. As Walter Huff and Phyllis Nirdlinger believe that they have committed the perfect murder, there plan has proven to be faulty. Walter did not figure Keyes to be any trouble to the plot of his crime. Normally Walter is the one who has suspicions and calls people on them. What is he to do now that the table's have turned?

With no evidence and only a hunch Mr. Keyes believes he knows what really happened to Mr. Nirdlinger that night. As Keyes begins to describe what he believes happened, Walter starts to shrink within himself. He knows that Keyes is on to something (or should I say on to him) and his whole plot was not as easy as it sounded.
Keyes is determined to back Phyllis  into a corner and get a confession out of her if it is the last thing he does. He boldly told Walter that he would be on Phyllis' every move. He is going to wait on her to step out of line, so he can catch her and her accomplice! He is sharp, not easily fooled, no nonsense type of guy, who will not be easy to get rid of nor easily persuaded. He sees beyond the obvious and has analyzed the scene.  He will prove to be the biggest threat to Walter and Phyllis. Which proves to be more than either of them bargained for.

Keyes has put a screeching halt to there plans and it will be interesting to see how they overcome him. Stay tuned...

"Helpless Control"

n.d. Film Noir, Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles. http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html says that femme fatales are “mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women.”

The description above describes Phyllis in the book “Double Indemnity“ to the tee. While Phyllis was discussing with Huff why she had decided to murder her husband, she shows her sweetness as a façade to the true cut throat woman that she is.

Earlier in Phyllis' conversation with Huff she states (double Indemnity pg. 18), “ I haven’t any reason. He treats me as well as a man can treat a woman. I don’t love him, but he’s never done anything to me.“ Then later in that same conversation she states, “He’s not happy. He’ll be better off--dead.“
My take on her character is that she is trying to play it low-key and not seem like a murderer, when she really is. From the first time that she saw Huff and he took that long gaze at her curves, she picked up on it. She knew just what to do to influence him and get what she wanted. The next time he showed up she had the scene set, (Double Indemnity pg. 10) “She didn’t have on the blue pajamas this time. She had on a white sailor suit, with a blouse that pulled tight over her hips, and white shoes and stockings.”

Phyllis had a plan in mind (murdering her husband), but she didn’t know how to carry out that plan. She knew she needed help. Her job was to play the role of a “desperate housewife.” In that role she lured Huff in. He believes that he is in control, which is exactly what Phyllis wanted. She knew that when a man BELIEVES that he is in control, things get done. When a woman IS in control the man gets things done!

Ohhh... so that's film noir!

Okay, so I will be honest… When I first heard of “film noir” I had no idea what it was. I have seen many movies and to be honest they normally fall into two categories for me; comedy or drama. I know I may seem a bit simplistic, but I had not given movie genre’s much thought. Well, in reading an article entitled “Neo-Noir 90s” a light bulb came on in my brain and I realized that I had seen films that are considered film noir before (I most likely put them in the drama category). I know there may be movie enthusiasts who are a bit disgusted with my categorization of films, but hey, I said I was going to be honest.

So, in reading the article, the description showed how these films had a certain motif to them. Noir films deal with good and evil, corruption, and criminal activity all in a stylish manner. The story line can be very twisted at time’s with the characters coming across as psychologically messed up! (The directors show there disturbed way of thinking when they create a noir film.) What set the classic films apart visually is that they were in black and white with a shadowiness to them. Also the women were very sultry, seductive, and deadly. Even though to you and I these films may seem a bit off, that is what makes them film noir. When films like these were created they were interesting and aroused the attention of the audiences in that era. Now that I have a bit of incite as to what film noir is, I look forward to looking through the lens and seeing what appears.