There was a time, 30-plus years ago, when if you were willing to stay up till three or four in the morning, you could count on seeing Beal several times a year. Since then it’s dropped almost completely out of sight. Too bad; it’s near the top of my list of Great Movies You Never Heard Of, and long overdue for (re)discovery. Until then, your essay fills the bill nicely. Thanks!

Another old movie that I think is just great, whether you like black and white or not, is Murder Incorporated. It starred a very young Peter Falk (columbo) and it was a very, very good movie. It kind of seemed modern in some ways.

terrific site you’ve got here, can’t wait to devour it.

Lori

After consulting with Alan K. Rode, he mentioned that Los Angeles will host the Film Noir Festival featuring Noir City’s movies (including Alias Nick Beal) from Apr 02, 2009 – Apr 19, 2009 at the Egyptian Theatre. You can see more about this event at Alan’s website here.

There is also a planned visit of the Noir City crew to Chicago for later this year, with the exact dates to be announced later.

Btw, if you are anywhere near Los Angeles, Alan K. Rode is also hosting a Warner Brothers Festival from March 12 – 22, 2009 this month in LA, with a chance to see classics (some not on dvd) such as The Sea Wolf, High Sierra, Ladies They Talk About and The Hard Way on the big screen. Interviewees who will be present after some films include Richard Erdman, Joan Leslie, and Cass Warner (Harry Warner’s granddaughter and the author of “The Brothers Warner”). Details here.

Thanks for your interest, Mary. I’ll try to post more info as it becomes available here.

“Is Ray Milland’s character supposed to be Mephistopheles?”

The screenplay, while weaving many intriguing implications into the story, avoids specifying his precise status in the kingdom of hell. It is quite evident in the course of the film that Milland‘s “Nick Beal” could easily be following the cloven-hoofed career path of a Mephistopheles.

“Also, is there any chance it will ever be shown on TCM or come out on DVD?”

I believe that Alias Nick Beal (1949) has been shown on TCM in the distant past. With the new 35mm restoration, I’m hoping that Universal will greenlight a dvd release of this memorable, long out-of-print film. I would keep checking with the Film Noir Foundation to see if there is an imminent release and for upcoming appearances as part of the Noir City 7‘s planned road show in cities around the country. If I lived near one of those venues, I’d jump at the chance to see this movie on the big screen.

I’ll be sure to post here if news of a DVD release comes my way. Thanks very much for your interest in this blog piece.