HOT CARS features in Part 3 of the "B-noir marathon proposal" at the above link...it's sure-fire low-rent "noir nose candy" heaven, with all the elements you mention plus the very pneumatic blonde (Joi Lansing) that is de rigueur for the mid/late 50s.
For Angeleno natives, things kick off with a blast of nostalgia as the first shot takes you up the California Incline from the beach to the bluffs of Santa Monica. Some theorists might call it "film soleil" to distinguish it from its more shadowy cousins that were still lurking about at the time, but it might be one of the gateways toward what I like to call "martini noir," the variant that is literally gin-soaked in the atmosphere and lifestyle of "nightlife culture" as it is massaged into American life for those looking for kicks amidst the complacency being spoon-fed elsewhere in the societal landscape.
Here'a a link that should pop up on the page that will allow you to view it right here if you choose:
John Bromfield had an odd ~15-year career in Hollywood, which he abruptly jettisoned in the early 60s; if someone was going to retrace the steps of Elliot Lavine and Art Lyons to actually showcase "B-noir" again, he'd be more than worthy of a double or triple bill: if Don Castle deserves one, so does he.
Responses