Noir Nook: Top 10 Noirs I Adore

Noir Nook: Top 10 Noirs I Adore

I love a good list. And some of my favorite lists have to do with film noir.

I am always fascinated by the favorite noirs of other fans of this era – they vary so much. But my own favorites also vary depending on the day. Some of my top noir lists include these famous features like Double compensation (1944) and From the past (1947). Others will focus on more obscure functions – Somewhere in the night (1946) and The crooked way (1949) come to mind. And then there are those whom, for whatever reason, I simply adore. Some of these may be lesser known (and of even lesser quality) and may not appear on every (or any?) Top 10 noir list you will come across, but if you check them out, you’re guaranteed a noirish good time!

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Born to Kill (1947)

Why is?:

A man and woman (Lawrence Tierney and Claire Trevor) are drawn in together by their mutually depraved sensations.

What do I love most ?:

There are lots of noirs with memorable lines, but for my money Born to Kill has some of the best. In one scene, after finding out that Sam Wild (Tierney) committed a double homicide, his best buddy Marty (Elisha Cook Jr.) tells him, “You can’t just go around killing people when the idea occurs to you. It’s not doable. ”And another great line comes later in the film, courtesy of private investigator Albert Arnett (Walter Slezak):“ As you get older, you’ll find that life is very much like coffee. The aroma is always better than reality. “

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The medallion (1946)

Why is?

Laraine Day plays a sociopathic kleptomaniac with deep-seated problems that stem from a single incident from her childhood.

What do I love most ?:

You may know Laraine Day best from her nice girl roles like the nurse in the Dr. Kildare series or in films like Journey for Margaret (1942), Mr. Lucky (1943), or My dear secretary (1948), but it shows us a very different side in The medallion. When we first meet her as Nancy Fuller, she appears to be a pleasant, well-adjusted, perfectly conventional bride. As the minutes of the film go by, however, we learn that she is not just a thief and a liar, but a murderer too.

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Too late for tears (1949)

Why is?:

A housewife (Lizabeth Scott) ‘desire to keep up with the Joneses leads to murder.

What do I love most ?:

Scott’s character in Too late for tears is not just greedy or up to no good. She has an innate intelligence that enables her to be one step ahead of any situation she encounters; You can’t help but admire their intelligence. Because of this, she almost gets away with her crimes.

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bait (1946)

Why is?:

A femme fatale of the highest order (Jean Gillie) has mastered the art of the double and triple cross in order to be the sole owner of a supply of cash.

What do I love most ?:

There was never a fatal woman like Jean Gillies Margot Shelby. Beautiful, greedy, cunning and deadly, she would stop at absolutely nothing and betray absolutely anyone in order to achieve her means. Even on her deathbed, she refuses to give up or give in.

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Evil woman (1953)

Why is?:

A sexy drifter (Beverly Michaels) storms into a small town and wreaks havoc in the lives of an alcoholic bar owner, her handsome husband, and a whiny but cunning boarder.

What do I love most ?:

I’ve never seen the star of this film in any other film, but I don’t have to. As the evil woman of the title, she is everything. Michaels may not be the best actress in the world, but there’s no denying that she steals every scene she starred in. You can’t take your eyes off her.

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The damned don’t cry! (1950)

Why is?:

After a family tragedy, the lives of a wife and mother (Joan Crawford) are transformed from disaffected rags to dangerous wealth.

What do I love most ?:

in the Damn itOnce again, Crawford gives us an unforgettable feminine character. Ethel Whitehead starts out as a frightened mom who stays home, but her son’s untimely death inspires her transformation into a strong and fearless woman. Every step she takes leads her into a better situation, with greater risks but far higher returns – until, of course, her luck runs out.

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Shield for murder (1954)

Why is?:

Edmond O’Brien is a cynical cop whose desire for a wife, children, and traditional family life drives him to murder.

What do I love most ?:

I love this for all of the things that are going on. A crooked, murderous cop. His loyal partner. The burgeoning relationship between the corrupt cop’s girlfriend and his devoted partner. The crazy shootout in a public swimming pool. The witness to the murder of the policeman. The fate of the witness to the murder of the policeman. The gun whipping out of nowhere in a restaurant. And the perfect noir ending.

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The great Flamarion (1947)

Why is?:

A love triangle ends fatally in a variety circuit, between a sniper (Erich von Stroheim), an assistant in his act (Dan Duryea) and the assistant’s duplicitous wife (Mary Beth Hughes).

What do I love most ?:

Mary Beth Hughes must have one of the sweetest faces and the most unsophisticated auras in Hollywood; Before this film, I had only seen her in I blame my parentswhere she played the ignorant friend of a low-level hood. It’s a pleasant shock to see that her innocent countenance hides a sociopathic and rather evil personality in this movie that men use and discard in the blink of an eye.

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Nora Prentiss (1947)

Why is?:

A bored husband and father falls in love with a nightclub singer (Ann Sheridan) and will do anything to have her.

What do I love most ?:

The plot of Nora Prentiss, the way it unfolds and how it ends is one of the most unique in noir. You won’t find any cynical detectives, flashbacks, or even a true femme fatale, but you will find that what is going on yourself is engrossed.

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Desperate (1947)

Why is?:

Steve Brodie and Audrey Long play a newly married couple expecting their first child, who is on the run from the police and a vengeful Mafia leader (Raymond Burr).

What do I love most ?:

If you only know Raymond Burr as TV’s Perry Mason or Iron side, You are in a revelation. His Walt Radak is a callous, vengeful gangster with a sadistic streak that is hard to forget.

What are some of the noirs that you love? And why?

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– Karen Burroughs Hannsberry for Classic Movie Hub

You can read all of Karen’s Noir Nook articles here.

Karen Burroughs Hannsberry is the author of the Shadows and Satin blog, which focuses on films and performers from the Film Noir and Pre-Code era, and the Editor-in-Chief of The dark side, a bimonthly newsletter about film noir. Karen is also the author of two books on film noir – Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of the Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. You can follow Karen on Twitter below @TheDarkPages.

If you want to learn more about Karen’s books, you can read more about them here on Amazon: