Among noir heroes, he may well be the most intrinsically existential. And that being was the key to why he was a great actor. In crime films, he’s as natural as cheap carpet and cigarette smoke. What he lacks in nuance, he makes up for in essence. His shopworn good looks and imposing physical presence make him a natural to play men stalking darkened city streets at three in the morning. His voice, a kind of rapid-fire bellow, is made for the clipped dialogue of a suspicious cop or a surly thug. He made many different kinds of films, but noir is his métier. What makes Hayden fascinating is that, as an actor, he really only makes sense within the context of film noir. In some ways he might be the hardest to pin down. John Payne was The Ass-Kicker, a one man demolition crew.Īnd then you have Sterling Hayden. Robert Ryan was the ultimate Man on the Edge, the embodiment of unchecked fury. Robert Mitchum was the King of the Suckers, ultra laidback and super smooth but always and forever a chump for the ladies. Sterling Hayden never wanted to be part of the movie business but became one of the most iconic men of film noir.There were many great leading men in the heyday of classic film noir and each one seemed to carve out a little piece of the kingdom for himself.
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