Film noir: your favourites

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I've seen Pickup on South Street a few times, a few weeks ago most recently, one of those films who's charms grow on you, and you like it more the more you think about it. I was underwhelmed the first time I saw it, perhaps expecting more intensity after seeing the Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor. The scene where the spy beats the girl is still one of the more brutal things on film...

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 9 April 2004 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"pepe le moko" (directed by julien dudivier,starring jean gabin,FR 1936)it's one of the greatest noir movie ever ,I suggest you guys to see it soon :) good easter:))

― claudja, Friday, 9 April 2004 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Fritz Lang's "M" deserves a mention

― fcussen (Burger), Friday, 9 April 2004 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

"Side Street"!!!!! and if it counts as noir "Le Samurai"

― metfigga (metfigga), Friday, 9 April 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"M" is probably one of my favourite movies - I hadn't thought of it as a noir film. I've only seen the remake of "Night and the City", but really liked that, especially for the dialogue (which'll be totally different from the original) and Alan King. And the senselessness of "Father Time"'s heart attack.

― jazz odysseus, Friday, 9 April 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

American - The Man with the Golden Arm

French - Bob le Flambeur
Band of Outsiders

― webcrack (music=crack), Friday, 9 April 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The Man with the Golden Arm is great. I love that the main character's name was "Frankie Machine" - i'll say this again - his real name was "Frankie Machine" - and he wanted to change it to "Jack Duvall" for a stage name.

― jazz odysseus, Friday, 9 April 2004 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a think for french noir/gangster films...Touchez Pas au Grisbi, Rififi, Bob Le Flambour, Le Samurai, Le Cercle Rouge...there's a book on french noir I've been meaning to get, any recommendations, much appreciated. I've definately been meaning to check out Pepe le Moko.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 9 April 2004 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

If 'M' is considered noir, wouldn't it be the earliest?

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 10 April 2004 06:34 (twenty-two years ago)

My faves are "Scarlet Street" (Lang); "In a Lonely Place"; and of course "Double Indemnity."

I think the first noir was "Stranger on the Third Floor," 1940, RKO.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 10 April 2004 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Double Indemnity it being re-released on DVD in August. Looks barebones, though, as my price is only $9.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Monday, 10 May 2004 02:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the low price is because you only get one indemnity.

― jazz odysseus (jazz odysseus), Monday, 10 May 2004 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

shut your yap, bo' or i squirt lead!

― Dave Amos, Monday, 10 May 2004 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.

― Japanese Giraffe (Japanese Giraffe), Monday, 10 May 2004 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Any neo-noir recommendation, then?

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 08:50 (twenty years ago)

'devil in a blue dress'

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 09:02 (twenty years ago)

"Romeo is Bleeding," "The Last Seduction," "Blow Out."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 09:39 (twenty years ago)

Brick

― LOL Thomas (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 13:53 (twenty years ago)

No mention (unless I'm missing it) of Laura, a personal favourite.

― frankiemachine, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 14:16 (twenty years ago)

Brick was amazing, and is as noir as noir gets.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 14:35 (twenty years ago)

From today, actually:
http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/features/bnoir.asp

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 16:27 (twenty years ago)

No mention (unless I'm missing it) of Laura, a personal favourite.
I think lauren put it on her list. It should also be mentioned that someone once referred to Dr. Morbius the Waldo Lydecker of ILX.

In any case, frankiemachine, I would have thought you would have mentioned The Man With The Golden Arm, although I guess that's not a noir per se.

― Redd Temple Player (Two Headed Dogg) (Ken L), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 17:36 (twenty years ago)

post-noir:Blood Simple - Cohen bros.

― dont stop go, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 17:40 (twenty years ago)

four weeks pass...

I've been going to a bunch of those Bs Colin linked to, and highly recommend He Walked by Night -- John Alton-photographed, great LA sewer chase finale (year before Third Man), and the closeup on Richard Basehart as he removes a bullet from his side is an all-time masochistic moneyshot.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 13:54 (twenty years ago)

Man, I missed the whole thing, and was this close to going to see He Walked By Night.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 14:03 (twenty years ago)

Now that it's finally on DVD, Otto Preminger's Fallen Angel should be recognized as good if not better than Laura.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 14:24 (twenty years ago)

Oh yeah, I saw that on TCM last year during the Mitchum festival.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 14:30 (twenty years ago)

There are another few weeks, Ken! (DeForest Kelley -- unrecognizably young -- was in Canon City last night, and is in one of the Fuller pair I'm going to June 14.)

common '50s noir police descrip: "white American male"

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 14:32 (twenty years ago)

I haven't seen it yet, admittedly, but I want to pistol-whip whoever wrote Brick upthread.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 17:09 (twenty years ago)

I'll be at Heather's bar tonight from 8 till 1am, 13th off of A if you happen to be in NYC and have your pistol handy.

Brick was a more accurate translation of just about every Raymond Chandler book I've read then any Film Noir I've seen, including say, The Big Sleep or Murder, My Sweet.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 17:33 (twenty years ago)

Has anyone seen Naked City yet? I have just read that a film was made (after the Weegee book?). I'm intrigued to say the least.

I'm such a dumbass for only now realizing it refers to the shadows in the film.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 17:35 (twenty years ago)

The Big Combo is my favourite. It has all you need: tough-talking hoods, no-good, dime-store molls, flashes of machine-gun fire, cigarette smoke curling in the blinking neon light of a burlesque sign, and inky blackness.

― David Orton (scarlet), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 18:21 (twenty years ago)

Brick was a more accurate translation of just about every Raymond Chandler book I've read then any Film Noir I've seen, including say, The Big Sleep or Murder, My Sweet.

How? Be specific. Give examples.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 18:28 (twenty years ago)

(Bearing in mind that my favorite Chandler adaptation I've seen is the least "faithful": Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye.)

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 18:28 (twenty years ago)

army of shadows, though it stretches the definition of "noir" just a tad

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 18:30 (twenty years ago)

up until the very last scene, Altman's Long Goodbye is pretty damn faithful to Chandler, or at least the character of Marlowe.

(though similarly, my favorite Hammett adaptation is Miller's Crossing)

Anyone seen The Girl in Lover's Lane? I watched it as an MST3K episode, but it seemed like a really successful small town noir.

― p@reene (Pareene), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 18:39 (twenty years ago)

1. Deadline at Dawn
2. A Bout de Souffle

― JTS (JTS), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 19:36 (twenty years ago)

Now that it's finally on DVD, Otto Preminger's Fallen Angel should be recognized as good if not better than Laura.
-- Alfred, Lord Sotosyn

Oh yeah, I saw that on TCM last year during the Mitchum festival.
-- Sons Of The Redd Desert

Actually, I haven't seen that one, but it looks pretty good. I was talking about Angel Face, which is mentioned in the very first post of this thread.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

I've mentioned it on both the Mitchum and Robert Wise threads, but I'm going to third my recommendation for Blood On The Moon - a straight-up hard boiled noir, only it's a western.

― LOL Thomas (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

Other obscure faves...

- House Of Bamboo (Robert Stack & Robert Ryan in post-WWII gangster Tokyo. Sam Fuller directs)
- Scandal Sheet
- Nightmare Alley (Tyrone Power as a carny mentalist)

― LOL Thomas (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 20:01 (twenty years ago)

I wasn't that into the Naked City...and Night and the City is my favorite movie ever pretty much, so I wanted to love it. (both Dassin).

I found the dialogue in Brick, like Millers Crossing, totally stylized in a way similar to the books, they also shared the protaganist as punching bag cliche so common in the books. There was just something about the way the lead in Brick kept being knocked out, then seeing just a hint of light, then passing out again, then waking up somewhere else, then getting beat up, that to me represented the feeling I get from the Chandler books. Murder, My Sweat is one vintage noir that does this, of course, with it's expressionistic passing out sequence. The complicated plot that really doesn't matter so much, crime lords and their henchmen, the playing of sides against each other. All classic pulp fiction/film noir things.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 20:01 (twenty years ago)

I'm glad someone mentioned Nightmare Alley, it's one of my favorite movies.

― Bluebell Madonna (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 20:02 (twenty years ago)

I've mentioned it on both the Mitchum and Robert Wise threads, but I'm going to third my recommendation for Blood On The Moon
Chris, you also plugged it on this thread

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Wednesday, 31 May 2006 20:14 (twenty years ago)

One of the things I love most about noir is the black humour. Have just remembered D. Indemnity and some of the lines, like Neff's double entendre about insurance coverage when Phyllis is barely ‘covered’ by clothing:

"I’d hate to think of your having a smashed fender or something while you’re not, uh, fully covered."

It's still amazing that they could get away with some of this stuff considering the times.

Neo-noir can also be fab.

― salexander (salexander), Thursday, 1 June 2006 02:10 (twenty years ago)

Murder, My Sweat is one vintage noir that does this...

Is this the one about the athelete with really stinky perspiration?

I second the recs for Detour and Long Goodbye because they seem to not get as much respect as they deserve.

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 1 June 2006 17:55 (twenty years ago)

I think "The Thin Man" is considered to be the first noir?

This is madness, surely? "The Thin Man" may be a Hammet adaptation, but it's still basically a screwball comedy where the main characters solve crimes!

Are these as good as that warner bros gangster box set that they resemble?

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Thursday, 1 June 2006 21:15 (twenty years ago)

I haven't seen the gangster sets, but I have vol. 1 of those noir sets and it is single-source-lighting-tastic.

― Keywords: revenge, knife, granddaughter, demonic-possession, rock-star, eel (Aus, Thursday, 1 June 2006 21:19 (twenty years ago)

Is there a good website out there with a concise list (and/or blurbing) of the best of noir?

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Thursday, 1 June 2006 23:55 (twenty years ago)

http://noiroftheweek.blogspot.com

Not exactly what you're asking for, but it's in my bookmarks.

― Keywords: revenge, knife, granddaughter, demonic-possession, rock-star, eel (Aus, Thursday, 1 June 2006 23:56 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, that's a good site.

― Sons Of The Redd Desert (Ken L), Friday, 2 June 2006 00:00 (twenty years ago)

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I cannot keep under the silver lake and southland tells apart in my head and always forget which is which.

― dan selzer, Sunday, 6 July 2025 00:27 (eleven months ago)

Also Silverlake Life: The View From Here.

― nickn, Sunday, 6 July 2025 03:23 (eleven months ago)

Do you mean that the film treats 'Nam as subtext? If so, I would argue that it is not all off-screen. Heard has a memorable speech that addressed it directly.

I didn't explain that very well, cryptosicko but yeah, Vietnam is right there in places but there's something else. It's probably that noir trope of the 'world as predator' but it does feel particularly strong here.

― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Sunday, 6 July 2025 09:11 (eleven months ago)

A drink? You know, it’s the daily grind that drives me to drink. Tragedy I take straight.

― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Sunday, 6 July 2025 10:52 (eleven months ago)

four months pass...

Guilty Bystander (1950) currently on Criterion, is not a great movie, but has enough great bits to recommend it. Zachary Scott is a washed up ex-cop turned to booze, Mary Boland (in her final screen role) is a blowsy flophouse owner, and her dumpy joint, along with seedy bars, waterfront warehouses, and the New York subway, is much better photographed than movies this low-budget generally are. It was thought to be a lost film until its recent restoration, and it looks perfectly shadowy and sleazy.

― Gacy and the Sunshine Band (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 16:03 (six months ago)

i really liked Deadline at Dawn from the current "Blackout Noir" collection. it's definitely a noir but has more mystery elements and humor than in your typical noir. it was written by Odets and does lots of wandering off to focus on some tangential character for a minute and has some incredibly florid dialogue (including maybe the first filmed use of "what's the diff" as an abbreviation for "what's the difference"). the ostensible lead character is a doofus but he fades into the background as the ensemble grows, and Susan Hayward and Paul Lukas are both great. overall kinda goofy but it worked for me

― na (NA), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 17:51 (six months ago)

Been doing a lot of the 50's French stuff. Diaboliques feels very formative for that genre. They also do a lot of village noirs.

― a ZX spectrum is haunting Europe (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 18:23 (six months ago)

Village Noir should be a Criterion Channel programming theme one of these Noirvembers.

― cryptosicko, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 18:41 (six months ago)

I absolutely love Deadline at Dawn. So happy it’s back for a rewatch.

― Gacy and the Sunshine Band (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 18:48 (six months ago)

watched “sweet smell of success” recently - so good

― ||||||||, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 20:02 (six months ago)

one month passes...

Witness to Murder (1954) is fun. Not great, but the cinematography is extra-noiry, and I’ll watch pretty much anything Stanwyck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Btx0ApKXU

― cinematic hobo hip-hop rock ‘n’ roll blues-jazz soul-review (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 16 December 2025 15:31 (five months ago)

George Sanders too, it seems.

― Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 December 2025 16:35 (five months ago)

Oh, the cinematographer is John Alton!

― Nicholas Raybeat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 December 2025 16:47 (five months ago)

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