Film Noir Favorites

[Widebrim]

Miss Golightly, great group of Noirs, although While the City Sleeps has it detractors.

 

[Widebrim]

These are the "darkest" noirs visually that I've seen so far, some of the best known noir aren't necessarily the darkest ;-)

Armored Car Robbery
The Asphalt Jungle
The Big Combo
Black Angel
Border Incident
The City That Never Sleeps
Crime Wave
Criss Cross
The Crooked Way
Crossfire
Cry Of The City
The Dark Corner
Dead Reckoning
Desperate
Detour
Double Indemnity
Edge of Doom
Fallen Angel
He Walked By Night
Hollow Triumph (The Scar)
Killers Kiss
The Killers
The Killing
Kiss Me Deadly
The Narrow Margin
Night And The City
99 River Street
The Phantom Lady
Raw Deal
Red Light
Scarlett Street
The Seventh Victim
The Strange Lives of Martha Ivers
Sudden Fear
Storm Warming
T Men
The Set Up
The Street With No Name
They Live By Night
They Made me a Fugitive
Too Late For Tears
Touch Of Evil
Where Danger Lives
Where The Sidewalk Ends
The Window

Another excellent roster. You've included some of my favorites: The Seventh Victim, Where the Sidewalk Ends, T-Men, Criss Cross, The Crooked Way, Double Indemnity, The Dark Corner, and the simple, yet superb The Set Up.

 

[Miss Golightly]

Miss Golightly, great group of Noirs, although While the City Sleeps has it detractors.

Thank you! I'm sure I am leaving some of my faves out though!

Did you like While the City Sleeps? To be honest I didn't know too much about it and it was another Amazon recommendation so I haven't heard anything negative about it - just wondering what the detractors say about it?

I'm doing an evening class here in September that covers cinema from 1910 to the 60s and it's going to cover Film Noir - very excited about that - looking forward to discussing and analyzing some greats and maybe uncovering some overlooked but quality movies.

 

[rjb1]

Both of those are great lists. I was pleased with myself for having seen most of them - most several times.
Here is one that isn't on the lists and may or not be considered a pure film noir since it breaks or avoids some of the noir rules.
Before naming it I will consider what it does and doesn't have of the noir conventions:
Does not have: Not set in New York or LA - No detectives - other?
Does have: Set in the fifties - Disillusioned war-vet back home who now "doesn't fit" - many important scenes at night - doomed love affair - hero fights against the "establishment": both Gangsters and US Gov't. - Excellent B&W cinematography - Great dialogue - Robert Mitchum in his prime - Robert Mitchum in his prime (counts twice!)
The movie: "Thunder Road".
Anyone agree or disagree as to whether it counts as a film noir? (I think it is...)

 

[Widebrim]

Did you like While the City Sleeps? To be honest I didn't know too much about it and it was another Amazon recommendation so I haven't heard anything negative about it - just wondering what the detractors say about it?

I apologize for making a mistake. I confused that film with Lang's next (and last American) film, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

 

[Miss Golightly]

I apologize for making a mistake. I confused that film with Lang's next (and last American) film, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

No worries! I was wondering what could possibly be wrong with WTCS - you had me worried there!

I watched Beyond a Reasonable Doubt a couple of months ago - from what I can recall there were a lot of plot holes and the ending was a little on the obvious side (well maybe now it is as that kind of scenario has been covered in many movies since) - it was still quite watchable though.

 

[DesertDan]

Ordered some new DVDs for the collection:

To Have And Have Not
Notorious
Touch Of Evil
Double Indemnity
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Hitchcock's first american film Rebecca, not sure if it is film noir but it sure was creepy. Kept me on the edge of my seat.

 

[Heather]

My husband has finally taken an interest in watching film noirs with me (yay!!). So far, his favorites are "99 River Street" and "Tension". Any recommendations for movies that are similar? Thanks!

 

[Widebrim]

My husband has finally taken an interest in watching film noirs with me (yay!!). So far, his favorites are "99 River Street" and "Tension". Any recommendations for movies that are similar? Thanks!

Love both of those. I would also recommend Kansas City Confidential (same lead actor and director), and Outside the Wall (same lead actor).

 

[Professor Plum]

Asphalt Jungle & Border Incident

 

[Locrian]

I recently saw for the first time — don't know how I missed seeing it for so long — The Two Mrs Carrolls. Great acting (as you'd expect) from Barbara Stanwyck — and some nice sharp dialogue along the way. Bogart chews up the scenery.

 

[Widebrim]

Recently re-viewed The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Really good storyline and acting, and what an ending!

 

[Alex Oviatt]

So many great ones--I love Double Indemnity, Laura, DOA, Dark Passage--I count Sunset Blvd and Gilda as Film Noir, too. I love neo-noir--not spoofs of film noir, but latter day offerings like Choose Me and even that great French classic Diva..... Men in hats, wet, dark streets, stylish interiors, women reeking of Tailspin perfume and deceipt, chiarascuro lighting--it is all so good.

 

[Widebrim]

^^All good ones, and good motifs.

 

[cchgn]

I liked
"Call Northside 777"
No music, good lighting, Jimmy Stewart - what's not to like with J-J-J-Jimmy in it?

I just watched that yesterday,,,that was a true story......very good Stewart.

 

[cchgn]

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Call Northside 777 (1948)

Pickup on South Street (1953)

The Big Heat (1953)

- Ian

I'll have to check out KC Confidential( I lived in KC, love to see it back then),,,,L.A. Confidential a noir feel.

 

[cchgn]

Btw, I just watched the Maltese Falcon on TCM and afterwards, the director of Bonhams was on there and said that they're auctioning 100 yrs of memorablilia. Things like the Maltese Falcon, the fat man's chair, Bogart's suit in The Big Sleep, etc. She said the full catalog was at Bonhams.com/TCM

 

[Gregg Axley]

I know the Bachelors chair is on there, but $200K is a bit high.

 

[A Bomber General]

My favorites are Murder, My Sweet (1945) and The Maltese Falcon (1941). The dialogue and lighting in Murder, My Sweet set the bar pretty high for any film that followed in this genre. Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet faced off again in 1942's Across the Pacific, which certainly had some film noir elements.

Not sure that Rear Window classifies as a 'film noir' per se, but it is also a great film.