Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, by Eddie Muller (Revised and Expanded Edition, 2021, Running Press, 448p.--E-BOOK VERSION)
EACH BLOG POST REPRESENTS A CHAPTER IN THE BOOK.
FILM ANNOTATIONS ARE IN THE ORDER OF THEIR DISCUSSION IN THE BOOK.
CLICK ON ANY T.O.C. LINK (COLOR AND UNDERLINE) TO LINK TO THE ANNOTATIONS FOR THAT CHAPTER.
CHAPTERS THAT HAVE LINKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR ARE IN PROCESS.
CHAPTERS IN LARGE TYPE WITHOUT LINKS ARE THE CHAPTER YOU ARE LOOKING AT.
CHAPTERS THAT ARE NOT LINKED ARE CHAPTERS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN ANNOTATED
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
C 3: "The Precinct: Battered bastion of law enforcement"
C 6: "Shamus Flats: Lost someone? Gumshoes for hire"
C 7: "Vixenville: Fiefdom of the femme fatale"
C 8: "Blind Alley: Crossroads of coincidence and Fate"
C 9: "The Psych Ward: Where vexed veterans are quarantined"
C 10: "Knockover Square: Deluxe district of heists and holdups"
C 11: "Losers Lane: Street of sorry psychopaths"
C 12: "The Big House: Last stop on a wayward course"
C 13: "Thieves Highway: The risky road out of town"
C 14: "The Stage Door: Enjoy a show... before it's too late
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C 3: "The Precinct: Battered bastion of law enforcement"
*=Blacklisted. For further information see the Introduction.
**=Trailer Available at Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
For other source notes, see the Introduction.
35. G-Men (Warner Brothers, 1935) (William Keighley) (New York Times Obituary--Jon Pareles, Jun. 26, 1984, P. B8).
Pressbook: (Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research via Internet Archive)
Cinematographer Sol Polito (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC] has 172 AFI credits in a career that spanned 35 years (1914-1949). He earned 3 Academy Award nominations.
Note: According to AFI, J. Edgar Hoover approved the script and was consulted with regard to the cast.
According to Wikipedia, G-Men grossed $1,963,000.
American Film Institute (AFI)
Internet Movie Database (IMDb)**
Rotten Tomatoes (RT)
Wikipedia (WIK) (error in link--corrected Dec. 13, 2022)
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36. The House on 92nd Sreet (Fox, 1945) (Henry Hathaway) (Los Angeles Times Obituary--Jack Jones)
DVD Commentary Track by Eddie Muller
Cinematographer Norbert Brodine (WIK) has 130 AFI credits in a 34 year career (1919-1953). He earned 3 Academy Award nominations.
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37. Boomerang! (Fox, 1947) (Elia Kazan) (Senses of Cinema--Jeremy Caar)
DVD/Blue Ray Commentary Track by Film Historians James Ursini and Alain Silver
Note: on mobile phones you will need to scroll down quite a way to the information.
Note: Cinematographer Norbert Brodine (WIK) has 130 AFI credits in a 34 year career (1919-1953). He earned 3 Academy Award nominations.
Boomerang! tied for 60th Top Grossing US Film of 1947 ($2,250,000), out of the top 75 that grossed $2,000,000 or more. (Variety, January 7, 1948, P. 63).
IMDb**
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38. Call Northside 777 (Fox, 1948) (Henry Hathaway) (Fredrik on Film--Fredrik Gustafsson)
Top Billed male star: James Stewart (Roger Ebert)
Top Billed female star: Helen Walker (Worcester Magazine, Worcester, Massachusetts--Craig S. Semon)
Script: Part 1 (The Daily Script)
Script: Part 2 (The Daily Script)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historians James Ursini and Alain Silver
Note: Cinematographer Joseph MacDonald (Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC] has 91 AFI credits in a 38 year career (1931-1969). He earned 4 Academy Award nominations.
Note: Alfred Newman (Moviemusicuk.us--Craig Lysy) composed the music. He was part of an extended family of composers that earned over 90 Academy Award nominations. His brother Emil had 193 AFI credits, and his nephew Randy is a well known song writer. Alfred, however, is by far the most famous. He has 282 AFI credits in a career that spanned 40 years (1930-1970). He earned an astonishing 45 Academy Award nominations (a record for composers until broken by John Williams in 2011) and won 9 times: 1938, Alexander's Rag Time Band, (Henry King); 1940, Tin Pan Alley, (Walter Lang); 1943, The Song of Bernadette, (Henry King); 1947, Mother Wore Tights, (Walter Lang); 1952, With a Song in My Heart, (Walter Lang); 1953, Call Me Madam, (Walter Lang); 1955, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, (Henry King); 1956, The King and I, (Walter Lang); and 1967, Camelot, (Joshua Logan). His final score, the year he passed, was for Airport (1970, George Seaton), the film that began the 1970's Disaster Film Genre.
Note: This film is based on a true story. The story is told in the AFI link below.
Call Northside 777 tied for 29th Top Grossing US Film of 1948 ($2,700,000--$33 million), out of the top 93 that grossed at least $1,500,000--$18 million. Top grossing film in 1948 was Road to Rio (Norman Z. McLeod) ($4,500,000--$55 million). Road to Rio was released in late 1947. (Variety, January 5, 1949, P. 46).
IMDb**
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39. The Naked City (Universal, 1948) (Jules Dassin*)
Script: (The Daily Script)
Note: One of the screen writers, Albert Maltz*, was one of the "Hollywood 10", who were cited for Contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about their alleged Communist connections.
Note: this film received two Academy Awards, for Film Editing and Black and White Cinematography
Note: Naked City (William Daniels) was tied for 40th on the American Society of Cinematographers [ASC] 1894-1949 Best Shot Films list.
Note: this was Bruce Gordon's film debut (Gordon later became famous for his portrayal of gangster Frank Nitti on TV's The Untouchables). He was not credited in this film. He played the role of a policeman.
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40. Walk a Crooked Mile (Columbia, 1948) (Gordon Douglas)
Pressbook: (Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research via Internet Archive)
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41. Walk East on Beacon (Columbia, 1952) (Alfred L. Werker)
Pressbook: (Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research via Internet Archive)
Note: The star of this film, George Murphy, later became a United States Senator.
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42. T-Men (Eagle-Lion, 1948) (Anthony Mann)
Note: T-Men (John Alton) was 30th on the American Society of Cinematographers [ASC] 1894-1949 Best Shot Films list.
IMDb**
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43. The Street with No Name (Fox, 1948) (William Keighly)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historians James Ursini and Alain Silver
IMDb**
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44. Raw Deal (Reliant Pictures/Eagle-Lion, 1948) (Anthony Mann)
Note: Raw Deal (John Alton) tied for 46th on the American Society of Cinematographers [ASC] 1894-1949 Best Shot Films list.
IMDb**
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45. 99 River Street (United Artists, 1953) (Phil Karlson)
IMDb**
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46. Wicked Woman (United Artists/World Films, Inc., 1953) (Russell Rouse)
IMDb**
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47. Down Three Dark Streets (United Artists/Challenge Pictures, Inc, 1954) (Arnold Laven)
Note: The producers (Arthur Gardner and Jules V. Levy) and director Arnold Laven, later collaborated on the TV series The Rifleman
IMDb**
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48. New York Confidential (Warner Brothers/Challenge Pictures, 1955) (Russell Rouse)
IMDb**
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49. The Naked Street (United Artists, 1955) (Maxwell Shane)
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50. The Killers (Universal, 1946) (Robert Siodmak) (Senses of Cinema--Chris Justice)
Robert Siodmak has been called the quintessential Noir Director. Depending on the source, he directed 11 or 12 Noirs. In 1946, three of his films (The Spiral Staircase, The Killers, and Dark Mirror, in total earned 6 Academy Award nominations.
Note: The Killers was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Robert Siodmak for Best Director
Note: The Killers (Elwood Bredell) tied for 47th on the American Society of Cinematographers [ASC] 1894-1949 Best Shot Films list.
IMDb**
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Films written by or adapted from fiction by Leo Rosten
51. The Dark Corner (Fox, 1946) (Henry Hathaway)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historians James Ursini and Alain Silver
Note: The Dark Corner (Joseph MacDonald) tied for 47th on the American Society of Cinematographers [ASC] 1894-1949 Best Shot Films list.
IMDb**
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52. Lured (United Artists/Oakmont Pictures, 1947) (Douglas Sirk)
IMDb**
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53. Sleep My Love (United Artists/Triangle Productions, 1948) (Douglas Sirk)
Note: This was Mary Pickford's last credited listing on an American Film (Co-Producer)
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54. The Velvet Touch (RKO/Independent Artists, 1948) (Jack Gage)
Note: this was the only film Jack Gage ever directed. He left film for TV after this film.
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55. Where Danger Lives (RKO, 1950) (John Farrow) The Films of John Farrow (Filmink, Stephen Vagg)
IMDb**
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56. He Walked by Night (Eagle-Lion, 1948) (Alfred L. Werker; Anthony Mann--uncredited)
IMDb**
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57. Trapped (Eagle-Lion, 1949) (Richard Fleischer)
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58A. SOuthside 1-1000 (Allied Artists, 1950) (Boris Ingster)
Note: The famous Angels Flight funicular railroad (Los Angeles) was featured in film. For a list of other films that featured the railroad see the Angel's Flight In the Movies Page.
For more information about those films see the Angel's Flight entry at AFI.
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58B. Bonus Film: The Stranger on the Third Floor (RKO, 1940) (Boris Ingster)
Note: Some film historians credit Ingster with directing the first true Noir of the classic (1940-59) period.
IMDb**
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59. Canon City (Eagle-Lion, 1948) (Crane Wilbur)
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60. Where the Sidewalk ends (Fox, 1950) (Otto Preminger)
DVD Commentary Track by Eddie Muller
IMDb**
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61. On Dangerous Ground (RKO, 1951) (Nicholas Ray; Ida Lupino (uncredited)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historian Glen Erickson
Note: Music for this film was written by Bernard Herrman. Note the similarity in some of the music to the music he wrote for Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest in 1959.
AFI (Note: AFI dates this film 1952)
IMDb**
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62. Detective Story (Paramount, 1951) (William Wyler)
Note: Detective Story was nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Actress (Eleanor Parker) Best Supporting Actress (Lee Grant, on debut); and Best Writing (Screen Play) (Philip Yordan and Robert Wyler).
IMDb**
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Films Directed by Fritz Lang
Movie Maker Magazine (February 2004) Interview with Lang (The Lost Interview, 1972)
63. The Big Heat (Columbia, 1953)
Note: This film was first introduced to me in a Film Survey class taught by David Bordwell in the Fall of 1973. It had a powerful impact on me then, and still packs quite a punch even after seeing it multiple times. It is one of the best examples of Noir style, subject matter, and genre that I have ever seen. Lang was one of the greatest directors in the history of film, in my opinion. Anyone new to Noir could use TBH as an archetype for this kind of film.
IMDb**
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64. M (Nero-Film AG, 1931)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historian Eric Rentschler and Historian Anton Kaes (author of Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Persistence of War and M (British Film Institute [BFI] Film Classics)
In 2022, Site and Sound (BFI) named its decennial 250 greatest films of all time. M was voted 36th.
IMDb**
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65. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (Nero-Film AG, 1933)
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Films directed by Joseph Losey*
66. The Prowler (United Artists/Horizon Pictures, 1951)
Note: According to AFI "Although not listed in the credits, Dalton
Trumbo* co-wrote the film's screenplay with credited writer Hugo
Butler*. Trumbo was the uncredited "radio voice."
IMDb**
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67. The Boy with Green Hair (RKO, 1948)
Note: this is a color (technicolor) film, the first color film referenced in the book.
IMDb**
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68. The Lawless (Paramount/Pine-Thomas, 1950)
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69. The Big Night (United Artists/Philip A. Waxman, 1951)
Note: According to AFI: "Although only Joseph Losey* and Stanley Ellin were given screen credit for the film’s screenplay when the picture was initially released, blacklisted writers Ring Lardner, Jr.* and Hugo Butler* co-wrote the screenplay with Losey and Ellin. The writing credits of Lardner and Butler were restored by the WGA (Writers Guild of America) in 2000."
Note: at the beginning of the film there is a credit that says the film was "photographed with Garutso Balanced Lens". This refers to a lens technology that appeared in several films of the period. According to AFI, in its catalog item for Member of the Wedding (Columbia/Stanley Kramer, 1953) (Fred Zinneman) "Director Fred Zinnemann, in his autobiography, stated that the new lenses gave an enormous depth of focus."
IMDb**
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70. Shield for Murder (United Artists/Schenck-Koch, 1954) (Edmond O'Brien/Howard W. Koch)
Note: This was Edmond O'Brien's directorial debut. He directed two
films in addition to his 60 AFI catalog credited acting performances.
IMDb**
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71. Rogue Cop (MGM, 1954) (Roy Rowland)
Note: Rogue Cop received an Academy Award nomination for Best
Cinematography--Black and White (John F. Seitz)
Note: Cinematographer John F. Seitz (International Encyclopedia of Cinematographers [IEC]) has 148 AFI credits in a career that spanned 43 years (1917-1960). He earned 7 Academy Award nominations and is listed as one of IEC's top 100 cinematographers.
IMDb**
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72. The Man Who Cheated Himself (Fox/Phoenix Films, 1951) (Felix E. Feist)
IMDb**
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73. Pushover (Columbia, 1954) (Richard Quine)
IMDb**
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74. Private Hell 36 (Filmakers, 1954) (Don Siegel)
Note: Cinematographer Burnett Guffey (Cinematographers.nl) (over 90 credits in the AFI catalog) won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Black and White (From Here to Eternity--Columbia, 1954--Fred Zinnemann) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967--Warner Brothers--Fred Zinnemann). He was also nominated for Academy Awards for 3 other films
Note: this was Director Sam Peckinpah's first credited film. He was credited as David Peckinpah, Dialogue Director.
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75. Touch of Evil (Universal, 1958) (Orson Welles)
DVD Commentary Tracks by Film Critic F.X. Feeney; Welles authors Jonathan Rosenbaum and James Naremore; (Restorer of the Film) Rick Schmidlin; Actors Charleton Heston and Janet Leigh
Note: The evolution of the film from its original release through its 1998 "restoration", according to Welles' written wishes, is almost as interesting as the film itself.
IMDb**
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Sidebar: Gloria Grahame
76. Crossfire (RKO, 1947) (Edward Dmytryk*)
DVD Commentary Tracks by Film Historians Alain Silver and James Ursini, with an interview with Director Edward Dmytryk
Note: Although Dmytryk was one of the original "Hollywood 10" Blacklist, he appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951, answered all their questions, and named 22 people in the industry (Wikipedia) who had been members of the Communist Party. Included were 7 directors. By 1952, Dmytryk, who had left the US after his original blacklisting, was back in the states, making movies. He has 24 Directorial credits after 1952 listed at AFI.
Note: Producer Adrian Scott* (IMDb) was also one of the original "Hollywood 10". According to AFI: "When Dmytryk testified a second time for HUAC in 1951, he implicated others, including Scott, as Communists, and thereby removed himself from Hollywood's blacklist." His next American-made film was the 1952 picture Mutiny. Scott, however, continued to be blacklisted and never produced another picture."
Note: Crossfire received 5 Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Robert Ryan), Best Supporting Actress (Grahame), Best Director and Best Screenplay (John Paxton). It also won "Best Social Film" at the Cannes in 1947 and received Ebony Magazine's annual "Improving Interracial Understanding" award. The Academy Award for Best Picture of 1947 went to Gentleman's Agreement, also a film about antisemitism, just as was Crossfire.
Note: Compare the opening murder scene here to the opening murder scene in Samuel Fuller's Underworld USA (1961) (see #33 in the link to Chapter 2 at the top and bottom of this page).
IMDb**
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77. Macao (RKO, 1951) (Josef von Sternberg; Nicholas Ray
(uncreditied); Robert Stevenson (uncredited)
DVD Commentary Tracks by Screenwriter Stanley Rubin, Eddie Muller, and Actress Jane Russell
This was one of Josef von Sternberg's final films. He directed what some call
the first Gangster film, Underworld (AFI), in 1927. For more on von Sternberg, see the Senses of Cinema article by Tag Gallagher.
IMDb**
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78. The Bad and the Beautiful (MGM, 1952) (Vincent Minnelli)
Note: This film was nominated for 6 Academy Awards. It won 5:
Best Supporting Actress (Grahame); Best Screen Play (Charles Schnee); Best Art Direction--Black and White; Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Edward Carfagno/Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and F. Keogh Gleason; Best Cinematography--Black and White: Robert Surtees, Best Costume Design--Black and White: Helen Rose. Kirk Douglas was nominated for Best Actor, but lost out to Gary Cooper (High Noon).
Note: Gloria Grahame won her Academy Award based on 9 minutes and 32 seconds of screen time (Wikipedia). It was the shortest performance for any Academy Award until 1977, when Beatrice
Straight won Best Supporting Actress with a 5:02 performance in Network.
IMDb**
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79. A Woman's Secret (RKO, 1949) (Nicholas Ray)
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80. In a Lonely Place (Columbia, 1950) (Nicholas Ray)
Note: Cinematographer Burnett Guffey (Cinematographers.nl) (over 90 credits in the AFI catalog) won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Black and White (From Here to Eternity--Columbia, 1954--Fred Zinnemann) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967--Warner Brothers--Fred Zinnemann). He was also nominated for Academy Awards for 3 other films
IMDb**
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81. Sudden Fear (Columbia, 1952) (David Miller) (David Bawden Interview--1982)
DVD Commentary Track by Film Historian Jeremy Arnold. There is also a Blue Ray version but there is no information about it's commentary track. (Note: on mobile phones you will need to scroll down quite a way to the information).
Note: Sudden Fear was nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Actress (Joan Crawford); Best Supporting Actor (Jack Palance); Best Cinematography--Black and White (Charles Lang), and Best Costume Design--Black and White (Sheila O'Brien)
Note: Sudden Fear tied for 61st Top Grossing US Film of 1952 ($1,650,000), out of the top 119 that grossed $1,000,000 or more. (Variety, January 7, 1953, P. 61).
IMDb**
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82. The Big Heat (Columbia, 1953) (Fritz Lang)
See also under #63 above, Films directed by Fritz Lang.
Note: This film was first introduced to me in a Film Survey class taught by David Bordwell in the Fall of 1973. It had a powerful impact on me then, and still packs quite a punch even after seeing it multiple times. It is one of the best examples of Noir style, subject matter, and genre that I have ever seen. Lang was one of the greatest directors in the history of film, in my opinion. Anyone new to Noir could use TBH as an archetype for this kind of film.
IMDb**
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83. The Glass Wall (Columbia, 1953) (Maxwell Shane)
Note: The Glass Wall won a Prize for Artistic Quality at the 1953 Locarno International Film Festival.
Note: Joseph Biroc (WIK) was the Director of Photography. He received 78 AFI credits as either Photographer, Cinematographer, or Director of Photography in a career that spanned more than 50 years. His first Photographer credit was for It's a Wonderful Life (1948). In 1953 he was the Photographer for the first ever 3D film, Bwana Devil. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (with Fred J. Koenekamp) for The Towering Inferno in 1974 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Cinematography for Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte in 1964.
IMDb**
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84. Human Desire (Columbia, 1954) (Fritz Lang)
Note: Burnett Guffey was the Cinematographer on this film. See above (Private Hell 36--#74) for more information on him.
Note: If you love trains, you'll love this film.
IMDb**
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85. Naked Alibi (Universal, 1954) (Jerry Hopper)
Note: In a 43 year career Cinematographer Russell Metty (International Encyclopedia of Cinematography [IEC]) accumulated more than 150 credits (AFI) as Photographer or Director of Photography. He won an Academy Award for Cinematography--Color for Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick--1960) and was nominated for another (Flower Drum Song--Henry Koster--1961). He was Director of Photography for Touch of Evil (Orson Welles--1958--see #75 above). He also photographed 11 films in collaboration with Director Douglas Sirk.
IMDb**
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86. Odds Against Tomorrow (United Artists/HarBel [Harry Belafonte] Productions, 1959) (Robert Wise)
Note: Harry Belafonte recruited blacklisted Abraham Polonsky* to write the screenplay. The credit went to front John O. Killens, an African American novelist. Polonsky did not receive proper credit until 1996.
Note: Some film historians have called Odds Against Tomorrow the final Noir of the Classic Noir era.
Note: Odds Against Tomorrow is notable for its opening credits, its music, and its treatment of racism.
IMDb**
==============================
Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, by Eddie Muller (Revised and Expanded Edition, 2021, Running Press, 448p.--E-BOOK VERSION)
EACH BLOG POST REPRESENTS A CHAPTER IN THE BOOK.
FILM ANNOTATIONS ARE IN THE ORDER OF THEIR DISCUSSION IN THE BOOK.
CLICK ON ANY T.O.C. LINK (COLOR AND UNDERLINE) TO LINK TO THE ANNOTATIONS FOR THAT CHAPTER.
CHAPTERS THAT HAVE LINKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR ARE IN PROCESS.
CHAPTERS IN LARGE TYPE WITHOUT LINKS ARE THE CHAPTER YOU ARE LOOKING AT.
CHAPTERS THAT ARE NOT LINKED ARE CHAPTERS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN ANNOTATED
==============================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
C 3: "The Precinct: Battered bastion of law enforcement"
C 6: "Shamus Flats: Lost someone? Gumshoes for hire"
C 7: "Vixenville: Fiefdom of the femme fatale"
C 8: "Blind Alley: Crossroads of coincidence and Fate"
C 9: "The Psych Ward: Where vexed veterans are quarantined"
C 10: "Knockover Square: Deluxe district of heists and holdups"
C 11: "Losers Lane: Street of sorry psychopaths"
C 12: "The Big House: Last stop on a wayward course"
C 13: "Thieves Highway: The risky road out of town"
C 14: "The Stage Door: Enjoy a show... before it's too late
