“Steve,” portrayed by Burt Lancaster, is generally a likable person, but he's got a significant weakness. His former spouse, “Anna” (Yvonne De Carlo), is someone who skillfully controls him and understands how to get her way. Any chance of them getting back together disappears when he learns she’s now married to local crime boss “Slim” (Dan Duryea). As his desperation grows, he develops a clever scheme to gather enou…

I feel like I should have intervened. I really wish I’d stopped it. Criss Cross was directed by Robert Siodmak and adapted by Daniel Fuchs from a novel by Don Tracy. The cast includes Burt Lancaster, Yvonne de Carlo, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Miklós Rózsa composed the music, and Franz Planer was in charge of cinematography. Steve Thompson (Lancaster) and his former love Anna (de Carlo) begin to reconnect,…

I’ve always been fascinated by the music choices in film noir. It’s interesting to note that unlike some self-conscious noirs like *Farewell, My Lovely* and *Body Heat*, most of these films feature orchestral scores rather than jazz soundtracks. That familiar wailing saxophone over a Robert Mitchum voice-over is often parodied, as seen in the Guy Noir segments from *A Prairie Home Companion*. However, you rarely hear…