Favorite Film Noir Movies
"FAVORITE FILM NOIR MOVIES"
Below is a list of my favorite "Film Noir" movies of all times. Not all of them are liked by the critics. And some films that are highly regarded did not make my list. This list is about what I like . . . not what are allegedly the best in this genre:
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) - Based upon James Ellroy novel, this Oscar winner told the story about three police officers in 1953 Los Angeles and their involvement in what seemed like a simply robbery-murder . . . and cascaded into something more complex and sinister. It starred Kevin Spacey, Guy Pierce, Russell Crowe, James Cromwell and Oscar winner Kim Basinger. This is my favorite noir film.
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) - Billy Wilder’s classic about a down-on-his-luck Hollywood screenwriter who becomes ensnared in the clutches of a fading and slightly insane screen actress. One of the remarkable aspects of this film is that the story is told from the screenwriter’s point-of-view . . . after he had been killed. William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson were the stars. My second favorite noir film.
CHINATOWN (1974) - Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Oscar winner Robert Towne, this tale of greed and corruption in 1937 Los Angeles centered around a successful private investigator discovering a scandal involving the city’s water supply and a major real estate scam that would reverberate in the city’s history. It starred Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston and Perry Lopez. Third favorite.
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) - Another Billy Wilder classic that is based upon James Cain’s pulp novel. It is basically about a murder plot hatched by an insurance salesman and a femme fatale to kill her husband. It is filled with the usual snappy dialogue, sex, violence and backstabbing. A real gem. Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson starred.
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995) - Based upon Walter Mosley’s novel, the movie centers around a World War II veteran who finds himself out of a job. To earn extra money, he agrees to find a missing woman for a local politician running for mayor and finds himself ensnared in murder and corruption. Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals, Tom Siezmore, Don Cheadle, Mel Winkler, Terry Kinney and Maury Chaykin.
THE BLACK DAHLIA (2006) - Although not a favorite with critics, I became a big fan of this murder mystery written by James Ellroy and centered around two L.A.P.D. detectives’ investigation of the real-life gruesome death of Hollywood wannabe Elizabeth Short. It starred Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hillary Swank and Fiona Shaw.
AFTER THE THIN MAN (1936) - Centered around characters created by Dashiell Hammett, William Powell and Myrna Loy played Nick and Nora Charles for the second time, as they investigate the death of Nora’s cousin-in-law. The movie also starred Elissa Landi, Sam Levene, Jessie Ralph, James Stewart, Penny Singleton, Joseph Calleia and Alan Marshal.
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?(1988) - Robert Zemeckis directed this Disney noir spoof about a cartoon rabbit in 1947 Hollywood, framed for the murder of a local real estate mogul who happened to be owner of a piece of property called “Toon Town”. A Disney gem that starred Bob Hoskins, Joanna Cassidy, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye; and the voices of Charles Fleischer and Kathleen Turner.
HEAT (1995) - Michael Mann directed this saga about two men - an L.A.P.D. detective and the man he is trying to bring down, a successful and ruthless thief. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Diane Verona, Ashley Judd, Tom Siezemore, Jon Voight, Mykelti Williamson, Natalie Portman, Wes Studi, Dennis Haysbert, Ted Levine, and Amy Brenneman.
THE THIN MAN (1934) - Based upon Dashiell Hammett’s novel, this is the first film featuring the sleuthing couple - Nick and Nora Charles. They investigate three deaths linked to a missing industrialist. Starred William Powell, Myrna Loy, Nat Pendleton, Maureen O’Sullivan, Minna Gombell and Porter Hall.
THE BIG HEAT (1953) - Directed by Fritz Lang, this movie is about a cop who takes on the crime syndicate that controls his city after the brutal murder of his beloved wife. It starred Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahamme, Lee Marvin, Jocelyn Brando, Jeanette Nolan and Alexander Scourby.
THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) - John Huston directed this third and best version of Dashiell Hammett’s novel about a San Francisco private eye hired to search for an artifact that his murdered partner had been searching. Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Lee Patrick, Elisha Cook and Jerome Cowan starred.
COLLATERAL (2004) - Here is another film directed by Michael Mann about two men. Set during the space of a few hours, it is about a Los Angeles cab driver who discovers that he is acting as chauffer to a professional hit man who arrives in the city to carry out his assignment - a half dozen murders on behalf of a drug lord. The movie starred Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo and Jada Pinkett.
MURDER MY SWEET (1944) - Based upon the Raymond Chandler novel, “Farewell My Lovely”, this is the first movie to feature private-eye Philip Marlowe. In it, he is hired by a recent ex-convict to find his missing sweetheart. Dick Powell played the famous detective and is supported by Claire Trevor, Anne Shirley, Otto Kruger and Mike Mazurki. Robert Mitchum remade it in 1975 with the original title.
THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) - This is Robert Altman’s version of Raymond Chandler’s novel about detective Philip Marlowe’s investigation into the charges of a friend who is suspected of murder and later, suicide by the cops. Altman seemed to go out of his way to avoid the usual film noir clichés, making the movie an unusual entry of the genre. It starred Elliot Gould, Nina Van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden, Henry Gibson, Jim Bouton and Mark Rydell.