Classic Film : Your favourite Noir films?

Your favourite Noir films?

Noir is one of my favourite film genres(please, no debates about whether it's really considered a style or genre, we could be here for years.)

I love watching these films more than any other, great stories and memorable characters; Noir characters are flawed characters, and they prove that we're not good, sunny and bubbly like Doris Day; we have equal doses of good and bad within us.

From the thrilling mysteries, distinctive lighting/look, to the tough guys and gals, world weary Private Detectives, cynics and femme fatales, Noir films have something for everyone.

What are your favourite Noir films? I love the following the most.

Farewell My Lovely (1944)
The Dark Corner (1946)
Pickup on South Street (1953)
The Narrow Margin (1952)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Big Combo (1955)
This Gun For Hire (1942)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
T-Men(1947)



Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Maddy, I must admit that I am often a little unsure as to what is considered a 'Noir' and what is not. Any B&W Crime film on TV is described as one in the listings nowadays, so forgive me if some on my list don't strictly come under that particular heading.

I totally agree with your choices, although I have never seen T Men or The Big Combo. Here goes...

Stranger On The Third Floor
Woman In The Window
Somewhere In The Night
Crossfire
The Long Memory
Kiss Of Death
Detour (the ending is absolutely startling)

"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I know, that's another debate that could last forever lol. I highly recommend both The T-Men and The Big Combo to you.

I love The Long Memory, I dearly wish Mills had got more roles like this. He's also good in two other Brit Noirs, The October Man and The Vicious Circle.

Stranger on the Third Floor is fantastic, Noir meets German Expressionism. Peter Lorre is terrific lurking in the shadows.





Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

MILDRED PIERCE
SCARLET STREET
THE MALTESE FALCON

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Maddy,The Long Memory is probably my favourite John Mills film, but I love The October Man! Vicious Circle is a neat little mystery too.If you haven't already seen them, I can also recommend 2 other John Mills crime dramas, Mr.Denning Drives North and Town On Trial.

"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Doubt anyone can argue that your choices are noir
Usually it has to be a film made btween 1940 and 1958 that is BW, mostly takes place in the dark, at night, has flowed characters, and you see a crime commited, and usually know who did it from the start. Its not a whodoneit. A femme fatale is desirable, but not essential.

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Probably the last time I'll get to answer this question on IMDb, so here goes:

Laura

Where the Sidewalk Ends

The Woman in the Window

The Window

The Verdict (1946)

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

The House on Telegraph Hill

In a Lonely Place

On Dangerous Ground

Double Indemnity

The Man Who Cheated Himself

Pushover

Elevator to the Gallows (French)

Night Train (Polish)

...and some others.



~~~~~
Proud to be Canadian! 🇨🇦

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I count myself a fan of the genre, as well, and have enjoyed quite a few over the years. The definition is somewhat nebulous. My absolute favorites, more or less in order:

The Big Sleep
Night of the Hunter
Out of the Past
The Maltese Falcon
Chinatown
Double Indemnity
Sweet Smell of Success
Sunset Boulevard

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Finally, "Out Of The Past" !! Yes!!

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I think over the years I started preferring foreign noirs to American.
Be they British (Carol Reed, Michael Powell), Mexican (Julio Branco, Roberto Calvadon (his Kneeling Goddess and La Otra are especially mezmorazing), or even Argentinan (several great noirs, particularly their version of 'M'), and to some degree French. (Louis Malle in particular, and Dassin faired better in France than in Hollywood)

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Here's my top 10 list, made some while ago (alphabetized).


The Big Combo
Black Angel
The Blue Dahlia
Born to Kill
Gun Crazy
Murder, My Sweet
No Man of Her Own
On Dangerous Ground
Raw Deal
Road House





"What seems to be trouble, Captain?"

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Yay, Paddy's here. You were the first person to be nice to me on CFB



The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

How nice of you to remember. We've had some fun gabs over the years.

I've slipped away these past few months, but it wasn't intentional. Just - life. I could never have envisioned a time when these boards would be no more.





"What seems to be trouble, Captain?"

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

The Blue Dahlia is great,Miss Paddy. I haven't seen Raw Deal in a long time, so perhaps it's time to give the DVD another spin.






"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Yes. I love the rainy setting in The Blue Dahlia. I think I appreciated Raw Deal more on my second or third viewing.





"What seems to be trouble, Captain?"

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

That scene with Raymond Burr sticks in my mind, but not much else, if I am honest, but I look forward to rediscovering it.

"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I particularly like that Claire Trevor narrates. Not too common for the femme to get that chore.





"What seems to be trouble, Captain?"

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Miss Paddy, I remember you from the "What movies did you see last week LITE" threads. Earlier I was trying to remember the names of the regular posters and for the life of me I just could not remember any of them. Although once I saw your post here it came back to me like a flash of light.

I hope you are doing well and land happily on another forum. And thank you for all the insights and recommendations you have provided over the years.




They say hindsight is 2020....the election I can hardly wait for, dump the twitter twerp.

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I recall you from those LITE threads as well. It was a pleasant way to get to know some nice folks.

I've been writing a classic movie blog (caftanwoman.com) for the last few years and have gotten to know even more fascinating movie fans. Check out the Classic Movie Blog Association for a lot of good reading, if you have the time and inclination.

I hope that life is treating you kindly.





"What seems to be trouble, Captain?"

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Many of my favourites have already been mentioned here and I don't like repetitions.

A masterpiece:

Louis Malle's Ascenseur pour l'échafaud ('Elevator to the Gallows') (1958)

Another French film: Jacques Becker's Touchez pas au grisbi (1954) ('Honour Among Thieves' in the UK, sometimes). I never get tired of watching it. A superb Jean Gabin as a mature man ('Max le Menteur') just a few days before he turned 50.





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Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

A truly superb piece of work. I really will have to do a top 120 french noir list.

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

Re: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud


I really will have to do a top 120 french noir list.


I would like to see it, but alas, you won't be able to 'publish' it here (unless you do it very soon), since the IMDb Lusitania will be torpedoed and sunk in only ten days...

PS. I'm glad you recovered from your illness.



🔺


Re: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

Rats! that should be 20 not 120

Thanks for the kind words

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

Re: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

120 seemed a tad excessive to me, hence my ironical "I would like to see it", but I didn't want to contradict you, lest...

You're welcome.

Be well.

🔺


Re: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud

Well here is a list I found of the relatively unknown French Film Noir

1947: Les gosses mènent l'enquête (Maurice Labro)
1950: Le roi du bla bla bla (Maurice Labro)
1951: Le bagnard (Willy Rozier)
1955: Interdit de séjour (Maurice de Canonge, based on André Héléna's novel)
1955: Le Couteau sous la gorge (Jacques Séverac)
1955: Sophie et le crime (Pierre Gaspard-Huit)
1959: La nuit des espions (Robert Hossein, based on Frédéric Dard's novel)
1960: Le pain des Jules (Jacques Séverac, based on Ange Bastiani's novel)
1960: Le Saint mène la danse (Jacques Nahum)
1960: Préméditation (André Berthomieu, based on Frédéric Dard's novel)
1961: Les bras de la nuit (Jacques Guymont, based on Frédéric Dard's novel)
1961: Espions à l'affût (Max Pécas)
1961: Dans la gueule du loup (1961, based on James Hadley Chase's novel)
1961: Callaghan remet ça (Willy Rozier)
1962: Maléfices (Henri Decoin)
1962: Jusqu'à plus soif (Maurice Labro, based on Jean Amila's novel)
1962: Dossier 1413 (Alfred Rode)
1962: Portrait-robot (Paul Paviot)
1963: Méfiez-vous, mesdames (André Hunebelle, based on Ange Bastiani's novel)
1963: Le captif (Maurice Labro)
1963: Des frissons partout (Raoul André)
1963: Les femmes d'abord (Raoul André)
1964: Les durs à cuire ou Comment supprimer son prochain sans perdre l'appétit (Jacques Pinoteau)
1965: Espions à l'affût (Max Pécas)
1965: La tête du client (Jacques Poitrenaud)
1965: Corrida pour un espion (Maurice Labro)
1965: Les chiens dans la nuit (Willy Rozier)
1966: Brigade antigangs (Bernard Borderie, based on Auguste Le Breton's novel)
1966: L'homme de Mykonos (René Gainville)
1967: La peur et l'amour (Max Pécas)
1967: Les racines du mal (Maurice Cam, based on Louis C. Thomas' novel)
1968: La main noire (Max Pécas)
1968: Le démoniaque (René Gainville)
1970: L'ardoise (Claude Bernard-Aubert, based on Pierre Lesou's novel)
1972: Un cave (Gilles Grangier)
1972: Les intrus (Sergio Gobbi)
1974: ...la main à couper (Etienne Périer, based on Pierre Salva's novel)
1977: Le coeur froid (Henri Helman, based on Georges-Jean Arnaud's novel)
1989: Le crime d'Antoine (Marc Rivière, based on Dominique Roulet's novel)
1993: Coma (Denys Granier-Deferre, based on Frédéric Dard's novel)
1996: Sortez des rangs (Jean-Denis Robert)

Re: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud


that should be 20


I'll have a go at making a top 19 right now

Re: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, and….

Yup, and so is The Seventh Juror. Thanks once again for the heads up on that film!

~~~~~
Proud to be Canadian! 🇨🇦

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Aloysius,I adore Touchez Pas Au Grisbi! What a superb film.Jean Gabin is one of my favourite actors of any nationality (Le Jour Se Leve; Quai Des Brumes; Pepe Le Moko), and Jacques Becker's direction is phenomenal (I also love his prison drama Le Trou). Again, I was uncertain as to whether Touchez...would be considered "Noir", but it certainly is a fantastic film, so it gets my vote!





"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

If you like Gabin

I Think GAS OIL from a year or so later - also with Jeanne Moreau - has had an R2 release of late.

Tell mama, Tell mama all....

Re: If you like Gabin

Thanks very much for the recommendation, Tim.I have not come across Gas-Oil before, but from the synopsis and stars, it looks right up my street.Much obliged.

"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: If you like Gabin

I recorded Gas-oil from ARTE. It's not a masterpiece, but it's worth watching. I actually liked it. A VERY different Jean Gabin, though: working class. A lot of action, American style.


Re: Your favourite Noir films?


Aloysius, I adore Touchez Pas Au Grisbi!

...

Again, I was uncertain as to whether Touchez...would be considered "Noir",



Canterbury,

Film Noir is an American invention for American films but using a French word...

Some people consider it a "Noir" or "gangster Noir" film https://whatisfilmnoir.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/touchez-pas-au-grisbi/while others would classify it as a "crime" film.

There 's no objective, scientific definition for "Noir" and anyway I don't believe in "genres" (we recently had a discussion about that when someone affirmed or suggested that 'The Naked Jungle' (1954 again) is... a Sci-Fi film). Also, I don't like pigeonholings of any kind. I use genres, but in a very flexible way. In France, the genre of 'Touchez' can be film dramatique, film policier, film d'action, Thriller, etc...

Many centuries ago, Byzantine theologians and philosophers wasted their time for many years trying to determine the gender of angels and... didn't find the answer, of course, among other reasons because they weren't able to catch a single one, dead or alive. Talking about "Noir": Some people consider that Barack Obama is the first "black" president of the United States, but other people object and say that he is a "mulatto", given that his father was a"black-black" Kenyan, while his mother was a "white-white" American.

This is subjective. I consider that Touchez pas au grisbi (in French you don't capitalise so much) is "Noir enough" Other people won't agree with this, so I say: well, fine, let's agree to disagree...

Same thing for the very notion of Classic Film: is it because of its age or its quality or what? Is a 1984 film a classic film? where is the dividing line? 1980? 1975? 1970? 1945?

(Excuse me for the digression).



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Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Thank you,Aloysius. As you say, genre definitions can often be very subjective.I am aware of all the staples of Film Noir: The narrative, the doom laden plot line, the moral ambiguity, the femme fatale, and of course, the dark,shadowy cinematography. I am also aware that not all Noir Films are about crime, or vice versa (even though most Crime films of the 40's and 50's seem to be labelled Noir in TV listings today). As to whether Noir is a style or a genre... Well, that debate can rage on without any comment from me.It is rather like "What was the first Rock and Roll record?", everyone (interested) has an opinion, but ultimately the questions are simply exercises in chasing one's own tail.





"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

You're welcome, Canterbury. Thank you, I entirely agree with what you say. In fact I have discussed so often the "what-is-and-what-is-not-Noir" issue, even at La Sorbonne, where I studied (History, not Cinema); even with 'Cahiers du cinéma' old friends and acquaintances of mine; even at La Cinémathèque française when it was at Chaillot (Paris), and so long ago, that, frankly, it bores me. And in my opinion, it's a totally sterile debate as well. Like the gender of the angels...



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Re: Your favourite Noir films?

You're welcome, Canterbury. Thank you, I entirely agree with what you say. In fact I have discussed so often the "what-is-and-what-is-not-Noir" issue, even at La Sorbonne, where I studied (History, not Cinema); even with 'Cahiers du cinéma' old friends and acquaintances of mine; even at La Cinémathèque française when it was at Chaillot (Paris), and so long ago, that, frankly, it bores me. And in my opinion, it's a totally sterile debate as well. Like the gender of the angels...



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Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I have 13 10/10s - these are through the IMDb noir filter though. I'm going to do a proper top 50 one of these days...

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang 1932
Night and the City 1950
The Lost Weekend 1945
White Heat 1949
Angels with Dirty Faces 1938
The Maltese Falcon 1941
Strangers on a Train 1951
Gaslight 1944
The Big Sleep 1946
The Night of the Hunter 1955
Riot in Cell Block 11 1954
Sunset Boulevard 1950
The Third Man 1949


The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Spike, Night And The City is absolutely sublime! Seeing your mention of I Am A Fugitive... has reminded me of two others, both from 1947,Alberto Cavalcanti's They Made Me A Fugitve, and Carol Reed's Odd Man Out. Both wonderfully dark films with superb performances, particularly James Mason as the wounded IRA foot soldier in OMO.

"Barney Sloane...That's my new name...My old one's a little more Italian."

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Absolutely! Both 9/10 films for me. Odd Man Out (1947) just gets better with each viewing, it's the gift that keeps on giving. They Made Me a Fugitive (1947) is still surprisingly something of an under seen gem, Howard brings his "A" game, Heller's photography has noirville written all over it, whilst there's some dark humour in it as well (gotta love the funeral parlour setting!). Due a rewatch for me

The Spikeopath - Hospital Number 217

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I have posters (reproductions sadly) of these five hanging in our TV room, I reckon that makes them favourites.

Kiss Me Deadly
This Gun For Hire
Gun Crazy
Nightmare Alley
Brighton Rock (almost a noir, imdb lists it as a noir)

Kiss Me Deadly is one of the crazier films to come out of the 50s.

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I'm restricting my list of "noir" films to those made after WWII, when so many European and American films reflected the "social darkness" the world was facing in those years.

I put White Heat (1949) with James Cagney as the psychopathic Cody Jarrett at the top of my list. No other film of that period comes close to capturing the totally amoral mindset of the criminally inclined in an era when social and moral standards almost disappeared.

I'm really unsure whether Night of the Hunter (1954) falls into the "noir" category or not, but it seems to fit the prevailing "noir" template of those times. Imagine Cody Jarrett as a psychopath southern preacher.

I don't know if The Naked City (1948) fits into the "noir" template or not, but it is a wonderful exploration of urban police work in the early post-war era.


Most of my friends who have inferiority complexes are absolutely right.

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Classic American -

Out of the Past
The Killers

Non-American -

The Third Man

Neo-noir -

Chinatown
Body Heat


"He was a poet, a scholar and a mighty warrior."

in chronological order (neo noir included)

THE SHANGHAI GESTURE
LAURA
MILDRED PIERCE
IN A LONELY PLACE
SUDDEN FEAR
TOUCH OF EVIL
CHINATOWN
BAD TIMING
BODY HEAT
THE GRIFTERS

Tell mama, Tell mama all....

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I won't debate the style vs genre, and I won't debate what years are acceptable, and whether or not it's an America-only thing; I'll just note that my own feeling is that "classic" noir extends roughly from '40-64 - a nice round 25 years, and that it's a worldwide phenomenon. So my list take these personal criteria into account - here are a top 25 roughly in order:

Krakatit
The Reckless Moment
Out of the Past
Touch of Evil
Bab el hadid / Cairo Station / The Iron Gate
Detour
Night of the Hunter
The Third Man
Christmas Holiday
Black Angel
Shadow of a Doubt
The Big Sleep
Try and Get Me
Sunset Blvd
Kiss of Death
Mildred Pierce
Champion
The Red House
The Lady from Shanghai
Act of Violence
The Scar / Hollow Triumph
Blues in the Night
The Naked Kiss
The Big Heat
The Seventh Victim


Here's to the fools who dream

Krakatit Bollywood.

Awesome to see Krakatit on your list Ale! Florence Marly is such an underrated Femme Fatale,with Marly being stunning in Krakatit & The Damned,are there any other Marly movies you enjoy?

And to reply to your question on another thread,with you being a fan of Blaxploitation,I highly recommend the book Funky Bollywood,which looks at the unique "genre" films from 70's Bollywood,and is the only book on the subject (after half a dozen I've read) that has found a space on my shelf:

https://www.fabpress.com/funky-bollywood.html

Re: Krakatit Bollywood.

The only Marly films I've seen are Krakatit and Queen of Blood where she plays a VERY fatal femme of another kind. Les maudits is on my to-see list, someday. Looks like she didn't make that many films, and most of them look somewhat hard to find.

Here's to the fools who dream

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Of course, you get into a problem. What is a film noir and what is crime film? (Wasn't there some CFB/FG old timer who kept running around making fun of Film Noir?)

The Third Man
The Lady from Shanghai
The Big Heat
Elevator the Gallows
Night and the City
Odd Man Out
DOA
The Narrow Margin
The Killers
Laura
Pickup on South Street
The Set Up
Quai des Orfèvres
The Singing Detective

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Hi Maddy,I hope you are having a good week,and want to say that I would like you to pm details on your upcoming blog. For my top Noir's (not counting Neo or other Noir sub-genres) my top 20 (in no order) are:

1: Chair de poule ( Julien Duvivier)

2: Classe Tous Risques ( Claude Sautet )

3: Casque d'Or (Jacques Becker)

4: Death of a Killer (Robert Hossein )

5: Krakatit ( Otakar Vávra)

6: Panic (Julien Duvivier)

7: Night Is Not for Sleep (Robert Hossein)

8: The Damned (Rene Clement)

9: Who Killed Santa Claus? (Christian-Jaque)

10:The 7th Juror ( Georges Lautner)

11: Razzia sur la chnouf ( Henri Decoin)

12: Le monte-charge (Marcel Bluwal)

13: Goupi mains rouges (Jacques Becker)

14:Manon (Henri-Georges Clouzot)

15: Assassins et voleurs (Sacha Guitry)

16: Retour de manivelle ( Denys de La Patellière)

17: Le Jour se Leve (Marcel Carné)

18: Pépé le Moko (Julien Duvivier)

19: The Murderer Lives at Number 21 (Henri-Georges Clouzot)

20: Terrain vague (Marcel Carné)

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

If I could only pick one it would be Double Indemnity (1944). It has all the basic elements of film noir, in spades. Femme Fatale, etc.
I just love the way Edward G. Robinson was constantly (and unknowingly) worked against the truth of what happened and the way he kept after the insurance fraud case.

Billy Wilder had a wide range.

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

Without a doubt my all-time favorites are Double Indemnity, Laura and Out of the Past.

But from your list I also really love Pickup on South Sreet, Farewell My Lovely, This Gun for Hire, and The Dark Corner.

And then there are these I can't leave out: The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Crossfire, and Kiss of Death.

The time of the singing of the birds has come.

Re: Your favourite Noir films?

I love film noirs, though I have 'only' seen, according to IMDb, 114 of them. My favorites are the following.


Double Indemnity (1944)
Out of the Past (1947)
Scarlet Street (1945)
The Killing (1956)
The Reckless Moment (1949)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
In a Lonely Place (1950)
The Big Heat (1953)
Too Late for Tears (1949)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Kiss of Death (1947)
Act of Violence (1949)
The Woman in the Window (1944)
The Night of the Hunter (1955) & Sunset Boulevard (1950) (if you consider them film noir)

So many more I want to include, but these are some of my most often watched and most beloved.

---
My All-Time Favorite Movies:http://www.imdb.com/list/ls031367581/
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