a kiss before dying (1956)

"I had such plans."
Bud (Robert Wagner) is confronted with his girlfriends desire to get married, after she discovers she is pregnant. He goes along with her plans, but we know he has other ideas. When her sister dies, can Ellen (Virginia Leith) find out the truth of her supposed suicide.
Focusing wholly on Bud takes the suspense out of what could have been an effective detective thriller. What we end up with is ok, but it's a film where details, that could have been explored, (such as Buds war experiences), are skimmed over rather than developed.

screaming mimi (1958)

Anita Ekberg is Virginia, a woman commited to a mental asylum with traumatic stress, after she is attacked by an escaped lunatic, who is killed by her step brother. The psychiatrist falls for her and he helps her escape, vowing to cure her. She ends up dancing in a nightclub run by Gypsy Rose Lee and sparks the interest of the local nightlife reporter. Life then gets more complicated when she is attacked by a potential serial killer.
A film noir that exudes sex and torrid emotions from every angle. Maybe not the greatest noir, it still has enough style and twists to keep you interested, and some great nightclub scenes. As the poster says 'Suspense around every curve!' The story, by Fredrick Brown was later adapted very loosely by Dario Argento for his film The Bird With The Crystal Plumage.