Video

Charlton Heston cuts an impressive figure in his first starring performance as a war hero-turned-two-bit hustler in William Dieterle's solid, if not exactly classic, 1950 film noir, Dark City. After two accomplices (Ed Begley and Jack Webb) fleece a gullible gambler out of five grand, the poor sap hangs himself, sending his psycho sibling on a mission of vengeance. Lizabeth Scott hits the right note as a wide-eyed nightclub singer hopelessly in love with Heston's cynical yet ultimately redeemable character. Kudos to the recently launched independent Olive Films for getting the rights to this Paramount title for its long overdue home-video release. Other noir pieces from the studio's vault include "Union Station" (1950) and Appointment with Danger (1951), which add to an eclectic selection (Westerns, sf, foreign, etc.) from the niche-market distributor. Other video recordings are reviewed.