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List Of Film Noir
Film noir is not a clearly defined genre (see here for details on the characteristics). Therefore, the composition of this list may be controversial. To minimize dispute the films included here should preferably feature a footnote linking to a reliable, published source which states that the mentioned film is considered to be a film noir by an expert in this field, e.g. The terms which are used below to subsume various periods and variations of film noir are not definitive and are meant as a navigational aid rather than as critical argument. Because the 1940s and 1950s are universally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir, films released prior to 1940 are listed under the caption "Precursors / early noir-like films". Films released after 1959 should generally only be listed in the list of neo-noir titles. Precursors / early noir-like films Under Cover Man 1927 * ''Underworld'' 1928 * '' The Racket'' 1929 * ''Thunderbolt'' 1931 * '' The Big Gamble''Vernet, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Film Noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ''film noir''. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key, black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression. The term ''film noir'', French for 'black film' (literal) or 'dark film' (closer meaning), was first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, but was unrecognized by most American film industry professionals of that era. Frank is believed to have been inspired by the French literary publishing imprint Série noire, founded in 1945. Cinema historians and critics defined the category re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Payment Deferred (film)
''Payment Deferred'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film, starring Charles Laughton as a man so desperate for money, he resorts to murder. It was based on the 1931 play of the same name by Jeffrey Dell, which was in turn based on the 1926 novel of the same name by C. S. Forester. Laughton also played the lead role in the play, which opened on Broadway on September 30, 1931 and ran for 70 performances. Plot London bank clerk William Marble (Charles Laughton) is deeply in debt. When his boss learns of a lawsuit for an overdue bill, he warns Marble that he will be dismissed if he cannot settle the matter quickly. Then, Marble is visited by a rich nephew whom he has not seen in many years, James Medland (Ray Milland). All night, Marble tries to borrow money from him, having received a financial tip that could solve all his financial troubles. An increasingly uncomfortable Medland is not interested. Driven to desperation, Marble offers him a glass of whisky laced with cya ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Glass Key (1935 Film)
''The Glass Key'', released in 1935, was based upon the 1931 suspense novel ''The Glass Key'' by Dashiell Hammett, directed by Frank Tuttle, starring George Raft and featuring Edward Arnold, Claire Dodd, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams and Ray Milland. Ann Sheridan has a brief speaking role as Raft's character's nurse in their first film together. The film was remade in 1942, with Alan Ladd in Raft's role, Brian Donlevy and Veronica Lake in the roles previously played by Arnold and Dodd, and William Bendix in Guinn Williams' part. Plot Paul Madvig ( Edward Arnold) controls crime and politics in the city, helped by the brains and brawn of Ed Beaumont ( George Raft). As he throws his support behind Janet Henry's ( Claire Dodd) father, in a political campaign, Paul also plans to marry her. Janet's brother Taylor ( Ray Milland) is a gambler heavily in debt to O'Rory ( Robert Gleckler), a gangster whose club Paul intends to put out of business. Taylor, who has been romancing Paul's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
G Men
''G Men'' is a 1935 Warner Bros. crime film starring James Cagney, Ann Dvorak, Margaret Lindsay and Lloyd Nolan in his film debut. According to '' Variety,'' the movie was one of the top-grossing films of 1935. The supporting cast features Robert Armstrong and Barton MacLane. ''G Men'' was made as part of a deliberate attempt by the Warners to counteract what many political and business leaders claimed was a disturbing trend of glorifying criminals in the early 1930s gangster film genre. Although the gangster films were typically presented as moral indictments of organized crime where the criminal protagonist inevitably died, they nevertheless depicted a life of freedom, power and luxury enjoyed by gangsters in the midst of a real-life economic crisis. Foremost of these films were '' Little Caesar'', the original '' Scarface'', and perhaps the most memorable, '' The Public Enemy'', in which Cagney portrayed street tough Tom Powers, the role that catapulted him to stardom. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crime And Punishment (1935 American Film)
''Crime and Punishment'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg for Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was adapted by Joseph Anthony and S.K. Lauren from Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1866 novel of the same title. The film stars Peter Lorre in the lead role of Raskolnikov (here named Roderick instead of Rodion). Von Sternberg, who was contractually obliged to make the film, disliked it, later writing that it was "no more related to the true text of the novel than the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower is related to the Russian environment." The Library of Congress holds a print. Synopsis The American Film Institute provides a summary of the film's narrative: Cast * Peter Lorre - Roderick Raskolnikov * Edward Arnold - Inspector Porfiry * Marian Marsh - Sonya * Tala Birell - Antonya Raskolnikov * Elizabeth Risdon - Mrs. Raskolnikov (as Elisabeth Risdon) * Robert Allen - Dmitri * Douglas Dumbrille - Grilov * Gene Lockhart - Lushin * Charles Waldron - Univer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bordertown (1935 Film)
''Bordertown'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Paul Muni and Bette Davis. The screenplay by Laird Doyle and Wallace Smith is based on Robert Lord's adaptation of the 1934 novel ''Border Town'' by Carroll Graham. The supporting cast features Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette and Robert Barrat. Although the films '' They Drive by Night'' (1940) and ''Blowing Wild'' (1953) are not specifically remakes of ''Bordertown'', they include many of its plot elements and similar scenes. Plot After graduating from Pacific Night Law School in Los Angeles, feisty and ambitious Mexican American Johnny Ramirez loses his first court case because he is ill-prepared. His poor, Hispanic client's truck was destroyed by careless debutante Dale Elwell. Johnny is harassed by the opposing attorney, uppercrust Brook Manville, who is defending his lover, Elwell. Johnny reacts, losing his temper and the case. Disbarred for his actions, he journeys to a small town south o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Thin Man (film)
''The Thin Man'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy-mystery directed by W. S. Van Dyke and based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. The film stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a leisure-class couple who enjoy copious drinking and flirtatious banter. Nick is a retired private detective who left his very successful career when he married Nora, a wealthy heiress accustomed to high society. Their wire-haired fox terrier Asta was played by canine actor Skippy. In 1997, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry having been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film's screenplay was written by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, a married couple. In 1934, the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The titular "Thin Man" is not Nick Charles, but the man Charles is initially hired to find – Clyde Wynant (part way through the film, Charles describes Wynant as a "t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Midnight (1934 Film)
''Midnight'' is a 1934 American drama film, the first directed by Chester Erskine, and starring Sidney Fox, O.P. Heggie, Henry Hull and Margaret Wycherly. It was based on a Theatre Guild play with the same name by Paul and Claire Sifton. The film was produced for Universal and was shot on a modest budget of $50,000 at Thomas Edison Studios, which producer/director Chester Erskine had re-opened specifically for the shoot.Allen Eyles, ''Bogart'', Macmillan, 1975 p 32 Humphrey Bogart had a supporting though key role. The film was re-released as ''Call It Murder'' by Screen Guild Productions (Guaranteed Pictures) in 1949 after Bogart became a star; he was given top billing, although he is present in few scenes and was credited eighth in the original release. Plot The movie begins at the murder trial of Ethel Saxon, a woman who shot her lover in a crime of passion. During the trial, Edward Weldon, the jury foreman, asks the defendant a question, which ultimately leads to a guilty ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Journal Of A Crime
''Journal of a Crime'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime drama film produced by First National Pictures. It was directed by William Keighley and stars Ruth Chatterton, Adolphe Menjou and Claire Dodd. The film is a remake of the 1933 French film ''Une vie perdue'',per TCM host, Ben Mankiewicz, introduction on September 22, 2012. written by Jacques Deval. Plot Francoise is a jealous wife who spies on her playwright husband Paul one evening after a play and overhears Paul and his lover Odette, the star of the show, quarreling. Odette demands that Paul leave Francoise, but he does not want to hurt his wife. Paul returns home at 3 a.m. and finds Francoise waiting for him. She pretends that she knows nothing of the affair and then attempts to seduce him but fails. Francoise consults a lawyer to prevent Paul from divorcing her, but she learns that she cannot legally compel Paul to remain in the marriage. That night at the theater, Paul tries to tell Odette why he was not able to tell F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crime Without Passion
''Crime Without Passion'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur and starring Claude Rains. It is the first of four pictures written, produced and directed by Hecht and MacArthur for Paramount Pictures. Sixty to seventy percent of the film was directed by cinematographer Lee Garmes. Plot The plot centers around a clever and suave but unscrupulous and dishonest lawyer Lee Gentry (Rains) who boasts that he "lives by lies". His attempts to finish his affair with a clinging, besotted cabaret artist do not go according to plan. Cast Critical reception In ''The New York Times'', Mordaunt Hall found "a drama blessed with marked originality and photographed with consummate artistry," and cited one of its many pluses as "that of having Claude Rains in the main rôle." Bibliography * Eames, John Douglas, ''The Paramount Story'', London: Octopus Books, 1985 References External links * *"''Crime without Passion'' (1934). Three stars." Review an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Private Detective 62
''Private Detective 62'' is a 1933 American pre-Code detective film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring William Powell as a private detective who falls for a woman whom he has been hired to frame in a scandal. Plot In France, United States State Department employee Donald Free ( William Powell) is caught trying to steal French state papers. Free is released from his job and is deported. Back in the US, Free has a hard time finding another job due to the Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio .... Free convinces Dan Hogan ( Arthur Hohl), the crooked and incompetent owner of the Peerless Detective Agency, to partner with him. Without Free's knowledge, Hogan becomes financed by gangster Tony Bandor ( Gordon Westcott) and business booms. Bandor compl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood Money (1933 Film)
''Blood Money'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code crime drama film directed by Rowland Brown about a crooked bail bondsman named Bill Bailey, played by George Bancroft, with Chick Chandler as crime boss Drury Darling, Judith Anderson as Drury's sister and Bailey's lover, and Frances Dee as a thrill-seeking, larcenous beauty who fatefully catches Bailey's eye. The film was considered to be lost for nearly forty years before reappearing. This marked the film debut of Anderson (better known for her next role, housekeeper Mrs. Danvers in the 1940 '' Rebecca''). Cast *George Bancroft as Bill Bailey *Frances Dee as Elaine Talbart *Chick Chandler as Drury Darling *Judith Anderson as Ruby Darling * Blossom Seeley as Singer *Etienne Girardot as Bail Bond Clerk * George Regas as Charley Dee, normally cast in wholesome roles, described Talbert in the 2002 Turner Classic Movies documentary ''Complicated Women'' as rather weird character, to say the least. She was a kleptomaniac, a nymphomani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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