A Brief History of Film Noir

Dark, mysterious and centred around nefarious characters with dubious morals and questionable motives, film noir is one of the most respected and loved genres in all of cinema. Known for its frightening femme fatales, lascivious love triangles, dapper detectives and an ultra-cool monochrome aesthetic, film noir has had an incalcuable influence on the rest of cinema since its inception in the 1940s.

The term ‘film noir’ was first coined by French film critic Nino Frank in 1946, who is considered to have identified this new trend in Hollywood filmmaking. This stylish and beloved genre developed throughout the next decade and entered a golden age in the 1950s. Due to changing trends in cinema in the 1960s, the popularity of film noir declined for a time, before re-emerging in the 1970s as neo-noir with films such as The Long Goodbye (1973) and Chinatown (1974).

Here we have listed a selection of key film noir movies that we feel serve as a strong introduction to this expansive genre of film. We have attempted to procure a collection of titles that exemplify film noir and are notable for different reasons. There are hundreds of movies to discover within this category, but if you are a noir-novice, then our list will serve as a good place to begin your journey into this dark and sinister cinema style…

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

Directed by Boris Ingster and starring Peter Lorre and John Maguire, Stranger on the Third Floor is generally considered to be the first film noir.

16th August, 1940

High Sierra (1941)

Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino this classic crime thriller was directed by Raoul Walsh. High Sierra marked a breakthrough in Bogey’s career from supporting actor to leading man.

21st January, 1941

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Written and directed by John Huston, this classic film noir stars Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre and Mary Astor.

3rd October, 1941

This Gun For Hire (1942)

Directed by Frank Tuttle This Gun For Hire starred Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd in their first screen appearance together.

24th April, 1942

Double Indemnity (1944)

Directed by Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity stars Fred MacMurray, Barabara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson.

3rd July, 1944

Laura (1944)

Laura stars Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews and was directed by German filmmaker Otto Preminger.

11th October, 1944

Detour (1945)

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, Detour is now in the public domain and can be viewed freely from various online providers.

15th November, 1945

Notorious (1946)

Starring screen legends Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, Notorious was directed by master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock.

15th August, 1946

The Big Sleep (1946)

Directed by Howard Hawks and starring real-life couple Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, The Big Sleep is one of the all time classic film noir movies.

23rd August, 1946

The Killers (1946)

Based on the Ernest Hemmingway short story of the same name, The Killers was directed by film noir giant Robert Siodmak and stars Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster.

30th August, 1946

The Lady From Shanghai (1947)

Written and directed by Orson Welles who also stars in the film, The Lady From Shanghai features the incredible Rita Hayworth.

24th December, 1947

Brighton Rock (1948)

Starring Richard Attenborough, Brighton Rock is a British entry in our film noir list that you should definitely check out.

8th January, 1948

The Third Man (1949)

Directed by Carol Reed and starring Orson Welles, The Third Man is another British production that is considered to be one of the most significant film noir movies of all time, and is regarded by the BFI as the greaest British movie ever made.

1st September, 1949

White Heat (1949)

Another entry directed by Raoul Walsh, White Heat stars James Cagney in his most iconic role.

2nd September, 1949

Gun Crazy (1950)

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis, Gun Crazy is an exciting story about a murderous couple starring Peggy Cummings and John Dall.

20th January, 1950

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Another John Huston classic, The Asphalt Jungle stars Marilyn Monroe and Sterling Hayden in a tale about a team of small time crooks planning to steal $1 million worth of jewells.

12th May, 1950

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Another classic Billy Wilder directed feature, Sunset Blvd. is widely considered to be amongst the very best film noir movies and one of the greatest films of all time.

10th August, 1950

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Starring Farley Granger and Robert Walker, Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train is one of the most iconic film noir movies ever made.

30th June, 1951

The Night of The Hunter (1955)

Starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters, Night of the Hunter is the only film directed by Charles Laughton.

26th July, 1955

Touch of Evil (1958)

A masterclass in suspense and mystery and directed by Orson Welles, Touch of Evil can be considered as a perfect culmination of all the aspects of the film noir genre.

23rd April, 1958

So, that’s our brief history of Film Noir!

What’s your favourite film noir? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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