Film Noir Favorites, Summer 2020

Ava Gardner in The Killers

Dark themes, stark camera angles, and high contrast lighting are the characteristics of films of the 40s and 50s that were later called called "film noir" by French film critics who fell in love with them after WWII. These films tell realistic stories about crime, mystery, femme fatales, and moral conflict. Most were originally conceived as low budget “B” movies but many are now regarded as ground-breaking suspense classics with great acting, writing and directing.                                             

The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor star in this 1941 film that some consider the best detective drama ever, as well as the first true film noir. Sidney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre are the criminals who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a priceless, jewel encrusted statuette. John Huston directed and wrote the screenplay based on the Dashiell Hammett story. 

Mystery Street.  Ricardo Montalban stars in this 1950 crime drama as a Cape Cod police officer who turns to a Harvard forensic expert to identify and track down the murderer of a skeleton washed up on a dune. Elsa Lancaster, Jan Sterling, and Sally Forrest are featured in one of the first films to employ forensics. Directed by John Sturges with famed cinematographer, John Alton. 

Sorry, Wrong Number. Barbara Stanwyck stars as a wealthy, bedridden woman who dials a telephone number one night only to overhear two men plotting to murder an unidentified woman. This 1948 film is a classic example of suspense and terror. Stanwyck received an Oscar nomination for her performance. Burt Lancaster co-starred. 

Touchez Pas au Grisbi. After WWII, French filmmakers discovered American films that they labelled "film-noir." They appreciated and admired these dark films and began to produce their own. In this 1954 film Jean Gabin stars as an aging gangster who comes out of retirement when his best friend is kidnapped for ransom. 

The Killers. Two hit men gun down a gas station attendant for no apparent reason. An insurance investigator tries to get to the bottom of the story with tragic results. Robert Siodmark directed this 1946 classic based on a story by Ernest Hemingway. Burt Lancaster stars in his film debut along with Ava Gardner and Edmund O’Brien. 

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Barbara Stanwyck stars as the wealthiest and most powerful woman in a Midwestern factory town. However, she shares a dark secret with her unhappy, alcoholic husband played by Kirk Douglas in his film debut. When an old acquaintance comes to town, things fall apart. Directed by Lewis Milestone, this 1945 film also features Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott. 

Force of Evil. John Garfield stars as an unscrupulous lawyer who helps a syndicate take over the numbers racket in New York City. Abraham Polonsky directed this 1948 film that was filmed on location. Thomas Gomez plays his brother who falls victim to the syndicate. Marie Windsor plays a sultry temptress.

Classe Tous Risque. After hiding out in Milan for over a decade, a fugitive gangster chief, played by Lino Ventura, returns to Paris even though a death sentence hangs over his head. He is accompanied by a young Jean-Paul Belmondo in a role that makes us see why he became such an international star. Claude Sautet directed this 1960 French noir classic. Click on this link for trailer or see the video clip below. 

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