Noir
Just an example of the “noir†film genre from the 40’s and 50’s. These mostly black & white mysteries are famous for the evocative, often lurid, pulpy titles, the snappy dialogue, the tough guys in trench coats, (Bogart, Ladd) and dangerous tough women in wedgies (Joan Crawford, Gloria Graham).
“Noir†is experiencing a resurgence, (along with the coats and the shoes).
There was a great piece in the recent Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
It includes back ground on these thrillers, lots of pictures and some snippets of great dialogue – Out of The Past (“47):
“Is there a way to win?â€, the femme fatale asks and Robert Mitchum replies, “No, but there is a way to lose more slowlyâ€.
(Love it)
Also, small, independent movie theaters around the country plan double bill weekends for these clever little gems. There are new DVD box sets featuring the films of major directors of the era – Nicholas Ray, Fritz Lang and Samuel Fuller. The most famous of the group, Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity (’44) and Otto Preminger, Laura (’44) show up on PBS every few years.
I find these broody “who dunnits†very entertaining. The men are menacing, the women are manipulative and both are inclined to make some bad choices, but, what else could you expect with a title like – “I Wake up Screaming†(‘41), Victor Mature, Betty Grable, Carol Landis and Laird Cregar. Goes great with popcorn.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/03/noirdouglas200703