Gunny's 50 Greatest Film Noirs

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Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
I've seen all of 'em so far, and I was going to re-rank them, but that's an egotistical waste of time. Just watch them whenever you see them. I am claiming to be the first though to predict his #1: Out of the Past.
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will.15's Avatar
Semper Fooey
I predict number one won't be Out of the Past.

An argument could be made The Maltese Falcon is not a pure film noir. It has many of the classic ingredients, but the Spade detective is not a classic noir protagonist. He is always in control, the cinematography doesn't have the German gothic look, and is a remake of an early thirties movie that told the same story,

But I wouldn't take any bets it takes the top spot.
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#24

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)



Director - Robert Aldrich

Cast - Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart and Cloris Leachman




Ralph Meeker is PI Mike Hammer who one night picks up a stranger (Cloris Leachman) along a dark road. Hammer is then thrust into a twisted and complex plot centered around a mysterious box.

Kiss Me Deadly is a classic and excellent example of film noir. Robert Aldrich spins a fantastic, suspenseful and hard-hitting tale with Ralph Meeker nailing the role of Mike Hammer. The acting across the board is solid and the film itself is captivating. This is a movie that never tires or gets old.

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#23

Kiss of Death (1947)



Director - Henry Hathaway

Cast - Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, Coleen Gray, Richard Widmark and Taylor Holmes




Nick Bianco (Victor Mature) is a crook who goes to prison on a stiff sentence for a crime and refusal to rat out his crew. While behind bars he discovers tragedy has struck his family and needs to get out so he decides to cooperate with the authorities. One of the men he testifies against (Widmark) seeks revenge against Bianco who now has a new life.

A perfect example of a true noir, this is a timeless and gritty classic. Hathaway is at the top of his game directing while Richard Widmark portrays a memorable, psychotic killer which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Kiss of Death is a shocking and thrilling film that is a must-see of the noir genre.



#22

White Heat (1949)



Director - Raoul Walsh

Cast - James Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien




James Cagney is Cody Jarrett, a ruthless leader of gang whom is extremely close to his mother and is sent to prison. An undercover agent (Edmond O'Brien) is sent in to extract information from him (they believe he's committed more serious crimes than what he was sentenced for) and to find out Jarrett's fence. Cody finds out another member of his gang is trying to take over and have him killed. Jarrett attempts to make an escape from prison and pull off another heist.

A classic of the early gangster films, White Heat is a prime example of noir, containing all of the elements of the genre. Cagney is terrific playing the role of a psychotic gangster. The supporting cast is extremely impressive including Margaret Wycherly as Jarrett's equally psychotic mother, Edmond O'Brien as the undercover agent and Virginia Mayo playing the double-crossing femme fatale. Walsh directs an amazing film and it's elements can be seen in several future gangster movies. White Heat is pure delight and never ceases to entertain.



#21

Detour (1945)



Director - Edgar G Ulmer

Cast - Tom Neal and Ann Savage




While hitchhiking, Al (Tom Neal) is picked up by a man. Later the man dies and Al dumps his body as well as steals his car, money and identification. Afterwards Al picks up an attractive woman named Vera (Ann Savage). Little does Al know that Vera knew the man who died and recognizes the car. A twisted tale of blackmail ensues.

Detour, in my humble opinion, is a severely underrated movie and is often dismissed in talks of great noirs. Ulmer proves that a classic film can be made through simplicity and solid acting. There's nothing fancy or gimmicky about Detour. Just a great, straight-forward film. Excellent acting, directing and a great story makes this a cult classic that will live on forever in noir lore.








[size=2]#23

Kiss of Death (1947)

I am a big fan of this one
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will.15's Avatar
Semper Fooey
Detour rated way too high. I like it, but it sure ain't better than The Killers, The Asphalt Jungle, and Touch of Evil.



#20

Ace in the Hole (1951)



Director - Billy Wilder

Cast - Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur and Porter Hall




Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) is a shady and corrupt reporter who ends up in New Mexico and talks his way into a job for a small local newspaper. He discovers a story about a man trapped in a cave. Tatum decides to cash in on the situation along with the victim's wife (Jan Sterling) by convincing the rescuers to use a slower rescue method so he can receive longer national attention.

Billy Wilder directs a cold and shocking masterpiece with Ace in the Hole with Kirk Douglas at the top of his game. The film delivers hard-hitting dialogue in this cruel, dark and twisted tale. To this day Ace in the Hole remains powerful and fascinating. While not Wilder's greatest film, one could make a good argument that it is in his top 5.




#19

The Killing (1956)



Director - Stanley Kubrick

Cast - Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C Flippen and Elisha Cook Jr




Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) is a career criminal who along with his crew is planning a daring and complex heist at a horse track. Deceit, backstabbing, double-crosses and murder ensue.

When you think of Kubrick's greatest films and achievements this film is usually left out. And that may be a mistake. This is a forgotten gem by Kubrick who captivates you with the mood, atmosphere, dialogue and camera-work in this suspenseful, fast-paced and thrilling noir. The acting is outstanding all the way around in this gritty adventure. Along with Asphalt Jungle this is one of the great early heist films. A must-see of the noir genre.









#18

Night and the City (1950)



Director - Jules Dassin

Cast - Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers and Herbert Lom





Richard Widmark is Harry Fabian, a low-level hustler and con artist. One day he concocts a scheme to make a lot of money using a famous wrestler and his son (Herbert Lom), a mob boss.

Night and the City is a historical and important film of the noir genre. Dassin directs a dark and suspenseful classic with sharp and witty dialogue and creates a traditional noir mood through camera techniques and lighting. Widmark, as always, is fantastic paired with the talented and beautiful Gene Tierney. A standard of the genre, Night and the City hooks you and doesn't let go until the very end.






#17

DOA (1950)



Director - Rudolph Mate

Cast - Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton and Luther Adler





Edmond O'Brien is Frank Bigelow. While on vacation he is poisoned by someone unknown at a club with a mysterious substance. Bigelow investigates to find out who his killer is and why he was targeted before he dies as he races against the clock.

Mate creates a classic as he incorporates tremendous mood, atmosphere, suspense and camera-work associated with noirs in an excellent example of the genre. O'Brien shows his acting talent convincingly portraying a dying man attempting to solve his own murder before it's too late. The film yanks you into a dark and twisted world from the very beginning and is told through flashbacks. DOA is a tremendous achievement in noir and helped lay the groundwork for many films to come in the genre. A definite must-see.






#18

Night and the City (1950)



Director - Jules Dassin

Cast - Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers and Herbert Lom





Richard Widmark is Harry Fabian, a low-level hustler and con artist. One day he concocts a scheme to make a lot of money using a famous wrestler and his son (Herbert Lom), a mob boss.

Night and the City is a historical and important film of the noir genre. Dassin directs a dark and suspenseful classic with sharp and witty dialogue and creates a traditional noir mood through camera techniques and lighting. Widmark, as always, is fantastic paired with the talented and beautiful Gene Tierney. A standard of the genre, Night and the City hooks you and doesn't let go until the very end.




I think this is the best noir has produced in terms of cinematography (of the ones I've seen at least). Gene Tierney is monumental and the whole film is so dark and brooding with such terrific photography. It's a splendid film. I thought this would be a shoe-in for top 10. Still, some big contenders left, but not a whole lot.



#16

Force of Evil (1948)



Director - Abraham Polonsky

Cast - John Garfield and Thomas Gomez




Joe Morse (John Garfield) is a corrupted lawyer who works for a gangster who seeks to take over all of the numbers racket and together they hatch a plan. Morse's brother is one of those running the numbers and circumstances soon get out of control that end with a thrilling and violent conclusion.

Polonsky pieces together a terrific crime film and a classic of the noir genre. The movie is in-your-face and the dialogue is smooth and captivating. Along with The Postman Always Rings Twice, this is Garfield's best performance. He steals the show in this gritty and stylistic masterpiece.









#15

The Narrow Margin (1952)



Director - Richard Fleischer

Cast - Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White





Detective Brown (Charles McGraw) is given the important task of protecting the wife of a slain mob boss aboard a train on her way to testify to a grand jury as the mob are in hot pursuit.

While Fleischer had better success with his other films I firmly believe The Narrow Margin was his best. He captures the classic noir mood and atmosphere along with top-notch examples of shadows and lighting of the genre. The script is almost perfect as Fleischer gets the most out of this thrilling and suspenseful low-budget "B" film. An extremely underrated movie, The Narrow Margin proves you can create a timeless classic out of very little with creative and talented minds.