All this month, The Pink Smoke will be delving into the inarguably excellent but strangely undervalued work of French-expatriate Jacques Tourneur. From his hand in creating the Platonic ideal of film noir with Out of the Past to redefining the horror genre by focusing on its psychological elements with Cat People, Tourneur's role in cinema history is substantial and (get this!) multifarious - so, why isn't his name uttered in the same breath as Howard Hawks, Tod Browning or even Edward G. Ulmer?

By exploring the filmmaker's body of work, The Pink Smoke hopes to shine a light on the filmmaker's influence, introduce readers to some of his more overlooked films and make a case for why you (yes, you!) should mutter his name in your canonical exhalations - or at least nod your head in thoughtful appreciation every time his name comes up in casual conversation at your local Carl's Jr./Hardee's.

{AGAiNST AUTEURiSM: CAT PEOPLE
& CURSE OF THE DEMON}
{THE MOViE SHELF: NiGHTFALL}
{NiGHT OF THE DEMON}
{SECOND CHANCES: OUT OF THE PAST}

The latest episode of The Pink Smoke podcast sends us spiraling farther into the depths of Tourneur month with a look at the French expatriate's "strangers on a train" thriller, Berlin Express. The first Hollywood film shot in post-war Germany, this murder mystery traverses the European countryside from Paris to Frankfurt as spies and civilians alike engage in a series of double-crosses and counter-espionages.

Hosts John Cribbs and Christopher Funderburg discuss this fleet-footed thriller (with big ideas on its mind) in the context of Tourneur's larger career, the limits of the auteur theory, Operation Paperclip, Beerfest, and post-war international ideological conflicts. Find out why this film should make its way to the top of your must-see list!

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TO HEAR THE EPiSODE!}