Classic Movies - Film Noir

Today, let’s talk “Film Noir” Classics! Although it is not really a movie genre, “film noir” or black film/cinema is actually the style or mood depicted in certain films made during and after World War II. Downbeat, pessimistic, and gritty, “film noir” exposes the darker side of humanity. Many experts feel that this particular type of film-making (in America) began with John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon (1941), starring Humphrey Bogart, and ended with Touch of Evil (1958), directed by and starring Orson Welles. We believe the fundamental elements of “film noir” can best be expressed in six “D” words: Detective (private or police), Dame (sometimes innocent, often lethal), Double-cross, Darkness, Danger, and Death. Combinations of these elements are evident in the movie classics listed above and below.

Several of our favorite classic movies in “film noir” style are: This Gun for Hire (1942), The Glass Key (1942), and The Blue Dahlia (1946), all starring the dynamic duo of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake; Double Indemnity (1944), with Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson; Murder My Sweet (1944), with Dick Powell and Claire Trevor; and Out of the Past (1947), with Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, and Jane Greer. All are great pictures. See one soon!

The “film noir” classic movie in the spotlight today is Otto Preminger’s Laura (1944). Beautiful Gene Tierney shines in the title role while Dana Andrews deftly portrays the hard-boiled detective who falls in love with a portrait while investigating murder. Wonderful performances by Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson add to the intrigue and the sarcastic humor. With the hauntingly lovely strains of “Laura’s Theme” interwoven throughout, Laura is a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable “film noir”classic. We think you will want to watch it again and again. We do.

**Trivia Question for Today: Steve Martin once starred in a detective spoof featuring clips of famous “film noir” classics. Can you name it? The answer will appear in out next blog. Watch for “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: Stage Door (1937) is the film in which Katharine Hepburn said, “The calla lilies are in bloom again”. She starred in this movie with two rising superstars, Ginger Rogers and Lucille Ball. All played aspiring stage actresses living at the same boarding house. The poignant performance of Andrea Leeds, as the tragic Kay Hamilton, is most noteworthy and earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress.

Bonus Trivia Answer: A Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981) are the other two movies for which Katharine Hepburn won Academy Awards for best actress.