The Green Cockatoo

Although annoying in the convenience of its set-up, this is a decent little story. The fights are much better executed than in American films of its era, and the short length is economically utilised.

The Green Cockatoo (1937) is a British film from 1937 that's considered a Film Noir precursor. A country girls comes to the big city and gets tangled up in a murder, going on the run and hiding in dark alley and abandoned houses. This is just a cheap little thing and the Noir elements are just a way to cut corners in the production. With that said it does manage to create a dangerous atmosphere and entertains well enough for a low budget crime/romance.

"A highly entertaining curio of early British cinema." - Keith Uhlich

An interesting little film that manages to pack a lot in, despite the brief run-time. John Mills as a tough-guy character doesn't entirely work, and some of the dialogue seems more suited to a American gangster film than a British one, but the story is efficient and engaging with some surprisingly gritty fight sequences thrown in for good measure. The photography is interesting too, all dark and expressionistic. Noir ahead of its time.