Cinema is losing its heroes in pairs at the moment. After Bergman and Antonioni passed-away in quick succession last year, the past week has seen the deaths of Richard Widmark and Jules Dassin – my favourite screen actor and one of my favourite directors, respectively. Apart, they were involved in some sublime movies. Together, they created one of the finest noir films – Night and the City. I’ll be writing a fuller appreciation of these two greats later this week, but for now my Widmark and Dassin top-5 lists will have to suffice. I’d recommend that you buy, borrow or rent as many of these films as possible – they’re all essential:
Richard Widmark
Pickup on South Street
Panic in the Streets
Night and the City
The Street with No Name
Kiss of Death
Jules Dassin
Brute Force
Night and the City
The Tell-Tale Heart
Du rififi chez les hommes
Thieves’ Highway
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