On this day in movie history - The Big Heat (1953 movie & novel):

The Big Heat

directed by Fritz Lang,

written by Sydney Boehm,

based on the novel by William P. McGivern,

and the serial that ran in the Saturday Evening Post,

was released in the United States on October 14, 1953.
Music by Henry Vars.

Cast:

Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Lee Marvin, Jeanette Nolan, Peter Whitney, Willis Bouchey, Robert Burton, Adam Williams, Howard Wendell, Dorothy Green.

Recommended reading:

The Big Heat

By William P. McGivern.

First published 1953.

Published by Ibooks.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0743452704

ISBN-13: 978-0743452700

Description:

A tough suspense novel of hero cops, cool killers and hot broads...

“A powerful story, powerfully told.” – New York Times.

MURDER WAS IN THE AIR. A COP HAD KILLED HIMSELF, AND EVERY CROOK IN TOWN KNEW THAT WOULD BE SURE TO BRING ON THE BIG HEAT. It started almost innocently when a cop committed suicide – worry over ill health, said his wife. Detective Dave Bannion wasn’t so sure, but when he started digging, he was told to lay off – fast! Instead, he turned in his badge and started stalking the city streets and bars in search of the truth where he uncovers a red-hot story of murder and corruption that would blow Philadelphia’s underworld sky high. Bannion was big, strong, and angry enough to kill, but he was only one honest man in a city full of mobsters and crooked cops. The big heat was on.

On this day in movie history - Human Desire (1954):

Human Desire

directed by Fritz Lang,

written by Alfred Hayes,

based on the novel La Bête humaine by Émile Zola,

was released in the United States on August 6, 1954.

Cast:

Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford, Edgar Buchanan, Kathleen Case, Peggy Maley, Diane DeLaire, Grandon Rhodes, Benjie Bancroft, Paul Brinegar, Minta Durfee, Jean Engstrom, Victor Hugo Greene, Don C. Harvey, Carl Lee, John Maxwell, John Pickard, Dan Riss, Scott Seaton, Allen D. Sewall, Dan Seymour, Olan Soule, Hal Taggart, John Zaremba.

On this day in movie history - The Blue Gardenia (1953):

The Blue Gardenia

directed by Fritz Lang,

written by Charles Hoffman,

based on the novella The Gardenia by Vera Caspary,

was released in the United States on March 28, 1953.
Music by Raoul Kraushaar.

Cast:

Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern, Raymond Burr, Jeff Donnell, Richard Erdman, George Reeves, Ruth Storey, Ray Walker, Nat King Cole, Dolores Fuller.

On this day in movie history - Metropolis (1927):

Metropolis

directed by Fritz Lang,

written by Thea von Harbou and Fritz Lang,

based on the novel by Thea von Harbou,

was released in Germany on January 10, 1927.
Music by Gottfried Huppertz.

Cast:

Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp, Theodor Loos, Erwin Biswanger, Heinrich George, Brigitte Helm, Fritz Alberti, Grete Berger, Olly Boeheim, Max Dietze, Ellen Frey, Beatrice Garga, Heinrich Gotho, Dolly Grey, Anny Hintze, Gottfried Huppertz, Georg John, Walter Kuehle, Vera Kálmán, Margarete Lanner, Rose Lichtenstein, Hanns Leo Reich, Arthur Reinhardt, Curt Siodmak, Henrietta Siodmak, Olaf Storm, Erwin Vater, Rolf von Goth, Helen von Münchhofen, Helene Weigel, Hilde Woitscheff.