# Film Noir Appreciation Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222 "2010-08-23T23:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/41 "2010-08-26T10:36:15Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Let me guess–_The Wizard of Oz_ is a noir, too, right? You’d certainly think so with all the strawmen you introduce in your arguments. and _Singing In The Rain_ ? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/42 "2010-08-26T14:19:59Z")
I watched _Crime of Passion_ last evening with Barbara Stanwyck and while a little-known film and more on a B-level with stilted dialogue and bizarre plot, it was definitely great fun to see manipulative, conniving Stanwyck. Can’t believe she never got an Oscar for her body of work (other than an honorary one in 1982). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/43 "2010-08-26T14:33:55Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > I watched _Crime of Passion_ last evening with Barbara Stanwyck and while a little-known film and more on a B-level with stilted dialogue and bizarre plot, it was definitely great fun to see manipulative, conniving Stanwyck. Can’t believe she never got an Oscar for her body of work (other than an honorary one in 1982). One tough lady. Have you noticed the resemblance between her and Virginia Madsen? One almost noir from recent years that’s fun on several levels is [The Hot Spot (1990)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099797/) where one of those levels is some topless pre-reduction Jennifer Connelly! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/44 "2010-08-26T14:46:23Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Let me guess–_The Wizard of Oz_ is a noir, too, right? You’d certainly think so with all the strawmen you introduce in your arguments. I could see a _Wicked_-style alternate presentation of the _Oz_ events from the point of view of this hapless chump Dorothy dupes into protecting her. Think of all the life-threatening crap the Scarecrow has to deal with only to have Dorothy disappear when she’s through with him. Assaulted by trees, set on fire, torn to shreds, compelled to attempt a prison break… that could easily fit as a Noir. (The singing and dancing would have to go, and the over-saturated colors, and the happy ending.) ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/45 "2010-08-26T15:32:42Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > > [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > > > Let me guess–_The Wizard of Oz_ is a noir, too, right? You’d certainly think so with all the strawmen you introduce in your arguments. > > I could see a _Wicked_-style alternate presentation of the _Oz_ events from the point of view of this hapless chump Dorothy dupes into protecting her. Think of all the life-threatening crap the Scarecrow has to deal with only to have Dorothy disappear when she’s through with him. > Assaulted by trees, set on fire, torn to shreds, compelled to attempt a prison break… that could easily fit as a Noir. > (The singing and dancing would have to go, and the over-saturated colors, and the happy ending.) So, basically _Tin Man_, yeah, I’ll buy that. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/46 "2010-08-26T15:53:19Z")
As mentioned, Double Indemnity and Detour, for sure. Not yet mentioned: Cape Fear. And, if you want to stretch the noir definition: Night of the Hunter. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/47 "2010-08-26T18:58:46Z")
The cat’s in the bag and the bag’s in the river. I just like saying that. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/48 "2010-08-26T19:14:53Z")
As a self-employed artist, I just keep the television on for companionship (but much like what is broadcast). Here is what I’ve watched recently… 1940 - _The House Across the Bay_ - Mediocre 1944 - _Double Indemnity_ - does it get any better? 1944 - _Ministry of Fear_ - Ray Milland was a really great actor when he was young! Very Hitchcockian film. 1944 - _When Strangers Marry_ - Not bad to see a young Robert Mitchum in an interesting role 1945 - _Bewitched_ - Oddly named early film on multiple personalities. 1945 -\* Danger Signal\* - Pretty good. Not the best, but well-acted with Zachary Scott as the smarmy lothario. 1946 - _The Killers_ - Burt Lancaster’s first and damn, he is one fine man. Ava Gardner is no slouch either. 1947 -\* Born to Kill\* - Claire Trevor has probably one of my most favorite femme fatale speeches EVER in a noir film in this flick. 1947 - _Crossfire_ - This is a bridge film; I like noir with a femme fatale and this has more to do with antisemitism although Gloria Grahame shines a little as the small role as the dark girl. 1947 - _The Arnelo Affiar_ - Interesting in that the narrator is a woman. Usually it is the male gumshoe or the man in trouble providing the dialogue tract and here it is a stunning Frances Gifford. Song-and-dance man George Murphy is the oblivious husband, John Hodiak is the swarthy lothario, and a young Dean Stockwell is the son. 1947 - Nightmare Alley - noir in a carnival. Fascinating display of the downfall of a man. 1952 - _Wings of Danger_ - Interesting Brit noir. Somehow hearing the intrigue with the accent makes it all that much more elegant. 1945 - _Detour_ - Bordering on the “so bad it is brilliant.” Such a classic in improbability but so great to watch. One of my favorites. 1945 - _The Strange Mr. Gregory_ - Fairly lame magician seduces a wife and frames a husband to get her. Meh. 1946 -\* The Glass Alibi _- Really bad and very predictable. 1946 - The Crooked Mile - Almost hard to follow and really hard to finish. Very forgettable. 1947 -_ Bury Me Dead\* - Should have been better but too many laughable characters who couldn’t take themselves seriously as actors. Not a bad ending, considering. 1947 - _Calcutta_ - Due for a restoration. A young Alan Ladd brings it all together. 1947 - _Dancing with Crime_ - A British Noir with a young Richard Attenborough who looked as though he was barely ready to shave. Quite fun to hear the gangsters ordering tea. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/49 "2010-08-26T19:40:58Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > 1945 - _Detour_ - Bordering on the “so bad it is brilliant.” Such a classic in improbability but so great to watch. One of my favorites. It is a bad movie. It’s overwrought – a textbook case of over-doing technique. Literally, I have a textbook that discusses just this issue. The acting isn’t great. And there’s that whole sequence where the driver is sitting on the right side of the car because they had to flip the film when they realized that they filmed the car driving in the wrong direction and they could afford to film it again. Yet, I like the film without too much ironic detachment. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/50 "2010-08-26T20:04:19Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > One almost noir from recent years that’s fun on several levels is [The Hot Spot (1990)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099797/) where one of those levels is some topless pre-reduction Jennifer Connelly! Why is _The Hot Spot_ an “almost noir”? It’s neo-noir, certainly, but I’d say it has all the elements of classic noir. It’s not a bad movie. Don Johnson is surprisingly well cast, and does a decent job. And, well, Jennifer Connelly. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/51 "2010-08-26T20:23:00Z")
Does _Sunset Boulevard_ count as film noir? ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/52 "2010-08-26T22:36:10Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Does _Sunset Boulevard_ count as film noir? Oh, definitely. We have the ubiquitous voice-over. We know there was a crime from the get-go but are not sure who the guilty party is. The protagonist’s downfall is a complicated woman. And there are lovely, dark shots and shadows. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/53 "2010-08-26T22:40:42Z")
_Sunset_ is easily one of my favorite films, along with _A Touch of Evil_ and _Anatomy of a Murder_ (which I was surprised at the frankness of in describing a rape scene). I’ve wondered what films I should add as “essential Noir”. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/55 "2010-10-18T11:50:33Z")
My favourites, \*Out Of The Past \*(also known as _Build My Gallows High_) and _Double Indemnity_ already got mentioned so I’d like to add _Gilda._ Man, Rita Hayworth was really something. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/56 "2010-10-18T12:22:48Z")
Because of this thread, I bought copies of _High and Low, Mirage and Kiss Me Deadly_ All held up wonderfully. I last saw them 20-25 years ago. Really good stuff at the time, it has only gotten better with age, especially _High and Low_. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222/57 "2010-10-18T14:14:26Z")
Would _Mulholland Falls_ be considered noir? There’s no voiceover, but it’s got many noir features: a murder, a femme fatale, the protagonists’ past as his flaw, and tough amoral men in hats. Despite the California sun, the mood is dark. ETA: Did they use a body double for Connelly in the voyeur footage? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/film-noir-appreciation-thread/551222.md?page=2)