Pun Salad

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I found myself in the Noir mood, and this oldie from 1947 was available (free-to-me-with-ads) on the Tubi service, so… It's the real deal, with Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Lizabeth Scott providing a lot of black and white chemistry.

Burt plays Frankie Madison, just out of the slammer after 14 years. He didn't squeal on his criminal partner, Noll Turner (Kirk) back then, and he's looking to redeem a promise Noll made to him just before he was nabbed about being 50-50 partners.

After escaping the law, Noll did OK for himself, acquiring a fancy nightclub and a sultry blonde singer/girlfriend, Kay. (That is, of course, Lizabeth Scott.) Only problem is that Noll is kind of a greedy, manipulative weasel; he has no intention of making Frankie his co-partner. If only Frankie had paid attention in Criminal School, where they taught that there's no honor among thieves!

The movie details Frankie's efforts to get what's coming to him, involving shifting alliances with Kay, and also Noll's bookkeeper, Dave (Wendell Corey!). Eventually there's a savage beating (delivered mainly by Mike Mazurki!), a murder, a frame-up, a shootout, …

So, pretty standard fare, but I stayed awake.