Noirvember: A Beginner's Guide to Essential Film Noir

Dive into the dimly lit alleyways of cinema's most enigmatic genre with this curated collection of must-see film noir classics. From fedora-clad detectives to femme fatales who could kill with a glance, these silver screen gems will transport you to a world where morality blurs and danger lurks around every corner. Grab your trench coat and join me on this thrilling expedition through the smoky, neon-lit landscape of noir's finest offerings.

I have omitted neo-noir films made after 1959 from this list. I will provide further analysis of these films below in future posts.

 

(Before) Proto Noir:

 

   Stranger on the Third Floor-1940 (the first "true" film noir).

     

 

 

       The Maltese Falcon-1941 (the first major work of the noir style).

 

This Gun for Hire -1942 (helped establish a number of conventions of the noir genre, including the hard-boiled for-hire killer and the overlapping double-cross).

 

 

Fly By Night-1942 (An Americanized version of The 39 Steps, this fun B-Movie is a fun combination of film noir and screwball comedy that works).

 

 

Shadow of a Doubt -1943 (the headline star is also the killer and Alfred Hitchcock's own favorite film of his).

 

 

Classic Noir:  

 

Phantom Lady -1944 (First to be released featuring a female sleuth).

 

 

Double Indemnity- 1944 (a quintessential film noir, follows the time-honored noir plotline of a man undone by an evil woman).

 

 

Murder My Sweet- 1944 (is one of the iconic works of film noir and one of the films that helped to define noir as a mode. Marlowe, meanwhile, is one of the great noir characters).

 

 

Laura- 1944 (notable as both a suspenseful mystery and a compelling account of obsession).

 

 

Detour- 1945 (low-budget, virtually ignored upon its initial release but was later championed by film critics and such directors as Martin Scorsese as one of the high points of the film noir genre).

 

 

Leave Her To Heaven- 1945 (In bright Technicolor that both embodies and deconstructs the femme fatale archetype).

 

 

Scarlet Street- 1945 (It sets a long-standing trend of a criminal not being punished for his crime and darkest noirs that were banned in some countries).

 

 

Mildred Pierce-1945 (female main protagonist).

 

 

The Big Sleep- 1946 (stylishly, emphasizes objects in the light and buries everything else in the shadows as they deceive each other and secrets unravel).

 

 

The Postman Always Rings Twice- 1946 (features all the elements: sexy leads, tight script and direction, and a shocking climax).

 

 

Gilda- 1946 (the exploration of the threat that femininity poses to masculinity).

 

 

The Killers- 1946 (an intense, hard-edged, stylish film noir of robbery, unrequited love, brutal betrayal, and double-cross. It featured two unknowns at the time).

 

 

Out of the Past- 1947 (With a touch of cynicism and bitterness, embracing the true essence of a classic noir protagonist, the clever play of light, shadows, a destructive seductive femme fatale, and a unique abundance of cigarette smoke). 

 

 

Nightmare Alley- 1947 (flawed complex characters, atmospheric sets, beautiful expressionistic cinematography, and a cruel plot.).

 

 

Crossfire- 1947 (Dealt with anti-Semitism, it employed great use of shadows, experimental tight closeups, and shots due to low budget constraints).

 

 

Odd Man Out- 1947 (uses the shadowy post-war city as the backdrop for a story that's a haunting mix of tragedy, love and intrigue).

 

 

Key Largo- 1948 (Released just a few years after World War II, reflecting the anxieties and tensions of the era, exploring themes of morality, redemption, and societal corruption).

 

 

Criss Cross- 1949 (packed with film noir themes and situations told in a flashback from the point where everything is speeding for the cliff).

 

 

White Heat-1949 (ultimate classic film noir psychotic gangster figure of the post-war era).

 

 

The Third Man-1949 (set against a Europe physically and morally devastated by war. Visually stimulating with strong screenplay, acting, musical score, and atmospheric cinematography).

 

 

Too Late For Tears-1949 (A Ruthless femme fatale lead in a darkly satisfying and atmospheric meditation on the covetous societal and materialistic ambitions of postwar middle-class America).

 

 

In a Lonely Place-1950 (No iconic noir imagery, just an intense darkness within).

 

 

Gun Crazy -1950 (prototypical noir style, grim narrative, and pervasive aura of eroticism).

 

 

Where the Sidewalk Ends- 1950 (Showcases a specific type of violence that is hidden beneath the surface of city life, which is often regarded as a crucial element in the noir style).

 

 

Tomorrow is Another Day- 1951 (a satisfying lovers-on-the-run noir with crisp dialogue, and sexy leads who sympathizes with its main character from start to finish).

 

 

Kansas City Confidential- 1952 (gritty entertaining noir with brutal crooked characters, layers of suspicion, oozing with pack-punching greed, scheming, and deception).

 

 

Sudden Fear-1952 (a tour-de-force performance using facial expression to convey the inner turmoil of a woman-in-distress who uses her intelligence in order to outsmart her scheming husband).

 

 

The Narrow Margin-1952 (Noir on a Train, received an Academy Award nomination for its taut and thrilling writing about a dangerous train journey).

 

 

The Hitch-Hiker-1953 (the only classic American film noir directed by a woman named actress Ida Lupino where the setting is not a city but, an uninviting and potentially deadly desert).

 

 

City That Never Sleeps-1953 (a mixture of realistic film noir, and procedural crime drama with a quirky character study of lives intertwined during one day in Chicago).

 

 

Pickup on South Street- 1953 (hard-boiled repartee and raw energy define this Cold War-inspired national security thriller with intimate portraits of three characters who get caught up in big events of soul searching, brutality, and expertly crafted moments of devious suspense).

 

 

The Big Heat- 1953 (With a male femme fatale, it skillfully explores the shady raw world of corporate crime and its pervasive influence on society).

 

 

The Big Combo-1955 (stylishly shot film noir at its best, shot in stark high contrast using shadows and silhouettes to create tension and menace to a group of cops and hoodlums locked in a fierce orgy of destruction).

 

 

Kiss Me Deadly -1955 (Is widely regarded as the ultimate low-budget, apocalyptic, nihilistic, film noir of all time, with a bleak and nihilistic tone, and a sleazy and tawdry narrative that truly pushes the boundaries of the style).

 

 

The Night of the Hunter- 1955 (surpasses the noirish style and truly embodies the essence of film noir, standing out as one of the most unnerving films of its time).

 

 

Bad Day at Black Rock- 1955 (wide-screen color cinematography contributes to the sense of desolation of a Western town offering a thrilling paranoiac small-town murder story).

 

 

The Killing- 1956 (the quintessential film heist noir with criminals, cops in trench coats, a patsy with a cheating wife, a double cross, and plenty of essential film noir fatalism).

 

 

Murder by Contact (1958) (known for its spare style, peculiar sense of cool and the Film most influenced by Martin Scorsese).

 

 

Touch of Evil- 1958 (one of the final gems of the classic film noir period of the 1940s and '50s. With its use of unconventional camera angles and low-key lighting).

 

 

Odds Against Tomorrow-1959 (late noir film race-relations jazz-fuelled heist film noir making the most use of the gritty city where black and white are the very subject of the film).

 

🎥 Review: The Crooked Way (1949)

In the heart of the city, where shadows whisper secrets and light unravels truths, The Crooked Way from 1949, unfolds like a puzzle waiting to be solved. Actor John Payne steps into the shoes of a man lost in a fog of forgotten memories, thrust into a world of deception and danger. A protagonist turned reluctant detective, navigating the murky depths of his past with a determination that belies his amnesiac state. Intriguing story right? 

 

 

 

Payne portrays Eddie Rice, a man recently discharged from a veteran's hospital after having a piece of shrapnel removed from his brain—and with it, his memories. He returns to Los Angeles to uncover who he was before his military service. It turns out he had a life as a gangster. Upon stepping out of the train station, he's arrested by the police for being someone previously warned to steer clear of the city. A woman on the street identifies him as her ex-husband and makes it clear that she despises him. Additionally, a gang leader gives him a severe beating due to an old betrayal. Welcome back, Eddie. 

 

The cast includes the softly photographed Ellen Drew, who was discovered by actor William Demarest and changed her name from Terry Ray after appearing in 25 films; the intimidating Sonny Tufts, referred to as "The Find of 1943," who gained recognition for his performances in So Proudly We Hail (1943) and the cult classic Cat-Women of the Moon (1953); and the humorous Percy Helton, who depicted the tipsy Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). They both appeared in that movie, though not together.

 

Musical comedy star turned tough guy actor Payne appeared in a few film noirs. The Crooked Way is his second noir role, but he isn't quite rough around the edges yet. His performance lacks depth here. He later excels in noirs like Kansas City Confidential (1953) and 99 River Street (1952).

 

 

 

 

 

The film's plot, reminiscent of the 1946 amnesia noir Somewhere in the Night, is decent. However, it stands out due to its stunning visuals, thanks to cinematographer John Alton.

 

 

Cinematographer John Alton

Alton was responsible for the camera work on numerous classic film noirs during the golden age of cinema. His role in An American in Paris (1951) earned him an Academy Award for best cinematography. If you're familiar with An American in Paris, you’ll notice his exceptional talent in employing color. Through his skillful manipulation of chiaroscuro, he orchestrates light and shadow to heighten the dramatic intensity. Chiaroscuro, an Italian term meaning ‘light-dark,’ is a visual technique that originated with Baroque artists. This method involved studio lighting that cast stark shadows, defining shapes and forms. 

 

 

Eventually, this technique transitioned into photography and made its way into films as well. In many ways, the use of chiaroscuro in film noir was essential. Given that these films often operated within tight budgets and limited options for opulent sets, lighting specific areas of a scene allowed filmmakers to save costs. Additionally, using less expensive sets designed to be obscured by darkness and only partially illuminated as necessary was a practical approach.

Director Richard Florey (Frankenstein's initial director) excelled at creating fast-paced films with a cynical tone and dramatic lighting. His background in expressionism and surrealism perfectly enhances Alton's work. Both create a narrative that enhances its lackluster storyline, while also exploring profound themes of identity and memory. It's a visual feast that's definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet.

 

 

 

 

If you're interested in watching more of Alton's film noir creations, be sure to check out these movies: He Walked by Night (1948), The Amazing Mr. X (1948), Raw Deal (1948), and The Big Combo (1955).