IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

It’s November, but for film fans, it’s also Noirvember. The monthly theme is an excuse to explore the dark alleyways of cinema, especially the classic post-war Hollywood crime dramas produced between the early 1940s and the late 1950s. Just in time for Noirvember, the boutique home video label ClassicFlix has released a new restoration of the 1953 movie adaption of Mickey Spillane’s pulp detective novel, I, the Jury. The release is the label’s first foray into the 4K UHD and 3D Blu-ray markets. Their Special Limited Edition 2-disc package includes the movie on 4K UHD disc, along with a Blu-ray that includes both a 3-D and standard 2-D presentation of the film, with a well-curated collection of extras. It is an exceptional home video release, which will likely make my “Picks of the Year” list. However, before I go into detail on the ClassicFlix package in the “Video” section below, let’s look at the movie itself.

I should state at the outset that I’m not a fan of Mickey Spillane or his most famous character, Mike Hammer. I went through a pulp fiction phase in my late teens and early twenties. I read all of Raymond Chandler, most of Dashiell Hammett, and a lot of James M. Cain, Jim Thompson, Craig Rice, Norbert Davis, Horace McCoy, Fredric Brown, and many others. After a while, it made sense to sample Mickey Spillane, so I purchased the first Mike Hammer novel, I, the Jury. I found the prose to be so lousy that I wasn’t able to get through the first chapter. That said, I loved Robert Aldrich’s justly celebrated 1955 adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly, so I hoped the movie version of I, the Jury would also surpass its rotten source material.

The 1953 film had to blunt some of the salacious content in the novel, but it still feels appropriately sleazy. A few days before Christmas, a one-armed insurance investigator is gunned down in his apartment. Quick-tempered and slow-witted detective Mike Hammer (charisma-challenged actor Biff Elliot) barges onto the scene of the murder investigation and vows vengeance, because the victim was a war buddy who lost his arm while saving Hammer’s life. Homicide detective Pat Chambers (Preston Foster) allows Hammer to blunder his way through an investigation, which mostly consists of punching anyone standing directly in front of him, in order to draw out the killer. The list of suspects include the victim’s drug-addicted fiancée (Frances Osborne), a suave art collector (Alan Reed), a sexy psychoanalyst (Peggy Castle), an aging college student (Bob Cunningham), twins (Tani and Dran Seitz) a department store Santa (Elisha Cook, Jr.), and assorted others. None of it makes much sense, but it’s fun.

The mystery at the heart of I, the Jury is ridiculously convoluted, but that is nothing unusual for pulp-based noir. The authors of many of the pulps cared less about providing a coherent resolution to a mystery than they did about creating colorful characters for the protagonist to encounter during the investigation of the crime. That’s certainly the case here. The film is overflowing with skilled character actors that add a lot of spice to the proceedings, including Preston Foster, Alan “Flintstone” Reed, Tom Powers, Elisha Cook Jr., John Qualen, Nestor Paiva, and Joe “Stinky” Besser. The ladies in the story (and there are a lot of them) are also portrayed by a talented group of actresses, including Peggie Castle, Margaret Sheridan, Frances Osborne, Mary Anderson, and twins Tani and Dran Seitz. Castle, as the female love interest, and Sheridan, as Hammer’s “Girl Friday,” Velda, are especially good.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast tends to outshine the lead. Biff Elliot is missing that allusive “star quality” that makes some actors pop on screen where others fizzle. Elliot is a fizzler. Still, he’s actually a pretty good fit for the role of Mike Hammer. The character is a more of a blunt instrument than a thinking man’s detective, and “blunt” summarizes Biff Elliot’s acting style to a tee. There’s something a little “punch drunk” about his line readings that gives you the impression that Mike Hammer has taken one too many blows to the head.

For fans of film noir, there’s plenty to like in I, the Jury, because it is oozing with noir atmosphere. Despite being saddled with the requirements of stereoscopic photography, ace cinematographer John Alton was able to bring his signature shadowy style to the film. Whether viewing the film in 2- or 3-dimensions, the images are absolutely beautiful. Alton uses the 3-D process to convey depth, without a lot of gimmicky “stuff flying at the camera” tricks, so the movie plays just as well in 2-D. In addition, Franz Waxman’s score is appropriately bombastic, especially during in the opening sequence, as the dying man tries to crawl towards the camera.

While Mickey Spillane isn’t exactly my cup of tea (or shot of rye), I enjoyed I, the Jury (1953) a good deal more than I was expecting. It’s a well made, if unsubtle, noir mystery with lots of atmosphere and fun performances. It makes a nice companion piece to the better known Mike Hammer film, Kiss Me Deadly (1955). Whether you are a fan of Mike Hammer, film noir, 3-D, or pulp mysteries, the movie, and the ClassicFlix Special Limited Edition release are highly recommended.

USA/B&W-88m./Dir: Harry Essex/Wr: Harry Essex (based on the novel by Mickey Spillane)/Cast: Biff Elliot, Preston Foster, Peggie Castle, Alan Reed, Margaret Sheridan, Mary Anderson, Tom Powers, Bob Cunningham, Frances Osborne, Tani Guthrie, Dran Hamilton, Joe Besser, Paul Dubov, John Qualen, Nestor Paiva, Elisha Cook Jr.

For Fans of: If you love Kiss Me Deadly (1955) or film noir in general, you will find plenty to like in I, the Jury (1953).

Video: Over the past few years, ClassicFlix has become one of the most reliable boutique video labels for fans of classic cinema. While the quantity of their releases has been low, the quality has been outstanding. Their I, The Jury Special Limited Edition 4K UHD/BD/3DBD Combo is their first foray into the 4K Ultra HD and 3-D Blu-ray markets, and it’s an exceptional release. The restoration by the UCLA Film and Television Archive in collaboration with PKL Pictures and Romulus Films is absolutely flawless, and the transfer in 4K UHD and Blu-ray could not be better. The image has great contrast, appropriate film grain, and sharp detail.

I only viewed the film in 2-D (on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray), as I do not have the 3DTV or 3D projector and compatible glasses needed to view the 3-D presentation. Still, in perusing comments and reviews on the web, fans of 3-D video have given the disc very high praise.

The DTS-HD mono audio is also solid. Dialogue, music, and sound effects are clear. I understand that the original theatrical release did have stereo sound, but the mono track sounded great to my ears, supporting the film very well. Finally, optional English subtitles are provided for the feature.

ClassicFlix has also assembled a nice group of extras for this package. The 4K UHD disc contains the audio commentaries (which can also be found on the Blu-ray). The remainder of the extras are confined to the Blu-ray.

BONUS FEATURES:

• Audio commentary by Mike Hammer continuation writer Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition), co-author of Spillane – King of Pulp Fiction (with James L. Traylor): This is a entertaining and thorough overview of the production and the various characters involved.
• Archival commentary with Biff Elliot from 2004 with nephew Josh Shalek (with thanks to Connie Elliot)
• Excerpts from archival interview with Biff Elliot from 2006
• Deep in the Shadows – The 3D World of I, The Jury: This explains the unique 3-D process that was employed for the film.
• Unaired Mike Hammer TV Show Pilot from 1954 written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Brian Keith: Max Allan Collins introduces the pilot, which is my favorite feature on the disc. Blake Edwards is a better writer than Spillane and Brian Keith is a better actor than Biff Elliot, so it makes for an interesting contrast with the main feature.
• Two rarely seen O. Henry Playhouse TV episodes, one with Preston Foster and the other with Peggie Castle
• Episode of TV Series Public Defender featuring Biff Elliot

Streaming: At the time of this review, I, the Jury (1953) was unavailable to stream on any of the major subscription services. It was also unavailable to download as a digital rental or purchase.

More to Explore: The gold standard of Mike Hammer movies in Kiss Me Deadly (1955), which is a great film, despite its source material. In addition, the following Mike Hammer movies have been released on Blu-ray: My Gun is Quick (1957), The Girl Hunters (1963), and the remake of I, the Jury (1982).

Trivia: Biff Elliot wasn’t a fan of Mickey Spillane’s writing or the character of Mike Hammer, which he considered a thug. Still, he was proud of the film and his performance in it.

For More Info: You can read the original source material for I, the Jury, along with the follow-up novels My Gun is Quick and Vengeance is Mine! in the The Mike Hammer Collection, Volume I, but I wouldn’t recommend it.