I think the battle between these two femme fatales .. Veronica Lake and Lana Turner, maybe their memorable hairstyles.
Veronica Lake (November 14, 1922– July 7, 1973), best known for her role in femme fatale roles in film noir with Alan Ladd during the 1940s, and her peek-a-boo hairstyle.
This Gun For Hire(1942). Crime/drama/noir, directed by Frank Tuttle and based on the novel A Gun for Sale by Graham Greene. The drama features Veronica Lake, Robert Preston, Laird Cregar, and Alan Ladd.
Please click here to view This Gun for Hire(1942) review.
The Blue Dahlia(1946). Film noir directed by George Marshall and written by Raymond Chandler. The film marks the third pairing of stars Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.
Three Navy officers, Johnny Morrison, Buzz Wanchek and George Copeland, return to their home in, Hollywood, California. Buzz is suffering from shell shock and has a metal plate in his head, George was released because of his eyesight and Johnny was given leave after his heroic actions.
Johnny soon learns his wife Helen, is having an affair with Eddie Harwood, owner of the Blue Dahlia nightclub. Helen drunk, confesses to Johnny, that their son Dickie, died in a car crash while she was driving drunk. Johnny leaves soon after.
Not knowing who Helen really is, Buzz goes to her apartment for a drink. After Eddie ends the affair, Helen blackmails him into seeing her again. Johnny, meanwhile, is picked up by Joyce Harwood, who is separated from Eddie. Neither shares their name and they spend the night in separate rooms in a Malibu inn.
The next morning, the radio announces that Helen has been murdered and all evidence points to Johnny. Newell, the house detective told police that Johnny had a fight with Helen and also saw Buzz and Eddie, at her apartment. Buzz and George, are later picked up for questioning.
Johnny, checks into a hotel under another name, Corelli, the hotel manager, finds Johnny's picture with Dickie and tries to blackmail him. Johnny beats Corelli up, then discovers that on the back of the photo, that Eddie is really the murder. Corelli, sells the info. on Johnny to a gangster named Leo, who kidnaps him.
Buzz and George go to see Eddie, at the Blue Dahlia, where they meet Joyce. As Joyce picks at a blue dahlia flower, the music playing in the background reminds him of the music he heard at Helen's apartment on that fateful night.
Eddie forces Johnny, to admit that he was involved in the shooting of a bank messenger. Leo tries to kill Johnny, but shoots Eddie instead. Johnny runs to the Blue Dahlia, where he finds the police trying to get Buzz to admit he killed Helen. Johnny tells Joyce, to turn up the music and Buzz remembers leaving Helen alive in her apartment. So who killed Helen?
This is Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake third film of the decade. William Bendix, wise-cracking lines are perfect for this film. This is a good crime story that keeps you guessing.
Lana Turner (February 8, 1921 – June 29, 1995). She became well known as a glamorous femme fatale, for her performance in the film noir, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Her popularity grew and one of her most popular films of the 50s was, The Bad and the Beautiful.
The Postman Always Rings Twice(1946). Drama-film noir based on the 1934 novel of the same name by James M. Cain. This adaptation of the novel is the best known, featuring Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, and Audrey Totter.
Please click here to view Postman Always Rings Twice(1943) review.
The Bad and the Beautiful(1952). Melodramatic film that tells the story of a film producer who alienates all around him. It was directed by Vincente Minelli and stars Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame and Gilbert Roland.
