A Reference Guide To The American Film Noir 1940-58

Copyright 1981 by Robert Ottoson

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In his 1981 book, Robert Ottoson has selected over 200 films as a representative group of films important to the study of Film Noir. Each of these titles is fully annotated with an in-depth critical review. A secondary list of films is also noted in shortened form. Both lists are reproduced below – the distinction between the two lists is best explained by reproducing Robert Ottoson's introduction to the 2^nd list between the two.

Accused, the – 1948

Ace In The Hole – 1951

Act of Violence – 1949

Alias Nick Beal – 1949

All My Sons – 1948

Angel Face – 1952

Asphalt Jungle, the - 1950

Beyond the Forest – 1949

Big Clock, the – 1948

Big Combo, the – 1955

Big Heat, the – 1953

Big Knife, the – 1955

Big Night, the – 1951

Big Sleep, the – 1946

Black Angel – 1946

Blood On The Moon – 1948

Blue Dahlia, the – 1946

Body and Soul – 1947

Boomerang! – 1947

Border Incident – 1949

Born To Kill – 1947

Brasher Doubloon, the – 1947

Breaking Point, the – 1950

Brute Force – 1947

Caged – 1950

Call Northside 777 – 1948

Canon City – 1948

Caught – 1949

Champion – 1949

Chase, the – 1946

Chicago Confidential – 1957

Christmas Holiday – 1944

City Across the River – 1949

City That Never Sleeps – 1953

Clash By Night – 1952

Confidential Agent – 1945

Conflict – 1945

Cornered – 1945

Crack-Up – 1946

Criss Cross – 1949

Crooked Way, the – 1949

Crossfire – 1947

Cry Of the City – 1948

D.O.A – 1950

Damned Don’t Cry, the – 1950

Dark City – 1950

Dark Corner, the – 1946

Dark Mirror, the – 1946

Dark Passage – 1947

Dark Past, the – 1948

Dark Waters – 1944

Dead Reckoning – 1947

Deadline At Dawn – 1946

Deadly Is The Female – 1950

Desperate – 1947

Desperate Hours, the – 1955

Detective Story – 1951

Detour – 1945

Don’t Bother To Knock – 1952

Double Indemnity – 1944

Dragonwyck – 1946

Edge Of Doom – 1950

Enforcer, the – 1951

Experiment Perilous – 1944

Fallen Angel – 1945

Fallen Sparrow, the – 1943

Fear In The Night – 1947

File On Thelma Jordan, the – 1950

Flamingo Road – 1949

Force Of Evil – 1948

Fourteen Hours – 1951

Furies, the – 1950

Gangster, the – 1947

Gaslight – 1944

Gilda – 1946

Glass Key, the – 1942

Guest In The House – 1944

Guilty Bystander – 1950

Hangover Square – 1945

He Ran All The Way – 1951

He Walked by Night – 1948

High Wall – 1947

His Kind Of Woman – 1951

Hollow Triumph – 1948

House By The River – 1950

House Of Strangers – 1949

House On 92nd Street – 1945

Human Desire – 1954

I Married A Communist – 1949

I Wake Up Screaming – 1941

I Walk Alone – 1947

I, The Jury – 1953

In A Lonely Place – 1950

Ivy – 1947

Johnny O’Clock – 1947

Journey Into Fear – 1943

Key Largo – 1948

Killers, the – 1946

Killing, the – 1956

Kiss Before Dying, A – 1956

Kiss Me Deadly – 1955

Kiss Of Death – 1947

Kiss The Blood Off My Hands – 1948

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye – 1950

Lady From Shanghai, the – 1947

Lady In The Lake – 1947

Laura – 1944

Lawlesss, the – 1950

Leave Her To Heaven – 1945

Locket, the – 1946

Lodger, the – 1944

Long Night, the – 1947

Lost Moment, the – 1947

Lost Weekend, the – 1945

M – 1951

Maltese Falcon, the – 1941

Man Hunt – 1941

Man With My Face – 1951

Mask Of Dimitrios, the – 1944

Mildred Pierce – 1945

Ministry Of Fear – 1944

Moonrise – 1948

Murder, My Sweet – 1944

My Name Is Julia Ross – 1945

Mystery Street – 1950

Naked City, the – 1948

Narrow Margin, the – 1952

Niagara – 1953

Night And The City – 1950

Night Has A Thousand Eyes – 1948

Night Without Sleep – 1952

Nightfall – 1957

Nightmare – 1956

Nightmare Alley – 1947

99 River Street – 1953

No Way Out – 1950

Nocturne – 1946

Notorious – 1946

On Dangerous Ground – 1952

One Way Street – 1950

Out Of The Past – 1947

Panic In The Streets – 1950

Paradine Case, the – 1947

Phantom Lady – 1944

Phenix City Story – 1955

Pickup On South Street – 1953

Pitfall – 1948

Port Of New York – 1949

Possessed – 1947

Postman Always Rings Twice, the – 1946

Private Hell 36 - 1954

Prowler, the - 1951

Pursued – 1947

Pushover – 1954

Railroaded! – 1947

Raw Deal – 1948

Reckless Moment, the – 1949

Red House, the – 1947

Reign Of Terror – 1949

Ride The Pink Horse – 1947

Road House – 1948

Rope – 1948

Ruthless – 1948

Saboteur – 1942

Scarf, the – 1951

Scarlet Street – 1945

Secret Beyond The Door... – 1948

Set-Up, the – 1949

Shadow Of A Doubt – 1943

Shock – 1946

Side Street – 1950

Sleep, My Love – 1948

Sniper, the – 1952

So Dark The Night – 1946

So Evil My Love – 1948

Somewhere In The Night – 1946

Sorry, Wrong Number – 1948

Sound of Fury – 1950

Spiral Staircase, the – 1946

Strange Affair Of Uncle Harry, the – 1945

Strange Love Of Martha Ivers, the – 1946

Stranger On The Third Floor – 1940

Stranger, the – 1946

Strangers On A Train – 1951

Street Of Chance – 1942

Street With No Name, the – 1948

Sudden Fear – 1952

Suddenly – 1954

Sunset Blvd – 1950

Suspect, the – 1944

Suspicion – 1941

Sweet Smell Of Success – 1957

Tall Target, the – 1951

Tension – 1950

They Live By Night – 1948

They Won’t Believe Me – 1947

Thieves’ Highway – 1949

This Gun For Hire – 1942

Three Strangers – 1946

T-Men – 1947

Too Late For Tears – 1949

Touch Of Evil – 1958

Two Mrs Carrolls, the – 1947

Undercover Man, the – 1949

Unseen, the – 1945

Unsuspected, the – 1947

Voice In The Wind, A – 1944

Web, the – 1947

Where Danger Lives – 1950

Where the Sidewalk Ends – 1950

Whirlpool – 1949

White Heat – 1949

Window, the – 1949

Woman In The Window, the – 1944

Woman On The Beach, the – 1947

This appendix consists of an annotated filmography of film noirs that have a number of thematic similarities to the films previously cited. Because of these similarities and their relative obscurity, they are presented here in a shortened form.

Amazing Mr X., the – 1948

Appointment With Danger – 1951

Backfire - 1950

Blue Gardenia, the - 1953

Crime Of Passion – 1957

Cry Danger – 1951

Danger Signal – 1945

Decoy – 1946

Dial 1119 – 1950

Fear – 1946

Flaxy Martin – 1949

Framed – 1947

Guilty, the – 1947

Highway 301 – 1950

Killer’s Kiss – 1955

Ladies In Retirement – 1941

Long Wait, the - 1954

Macao – 1952

Manhandled – 1949

Man Who Cheated Himself, the – 1950

Moss Rose - 1947

Naked Alibi – 1954

Night Editor – 1946

No Man Of Her Own – 1950

No Questions Asked – 1951

People Against O’Hara, the – 1951

Quicksand – 1950

Racket, the – 1951

Red Light – 1949

Secret Fury, the - 1950

711 Ocean Drive – 1950

Shield For Murder - 1954

Sleeping City, the - 1950

Storm Fear – 1956

Strange Triangle – 1946

Temptation – 1946

Undertow – 1949

Unfaithful, the – 1947

Union Station – 1950

Walk East On Beacon! - 1952

When Strangers Marry – 1944

Without Warning! - 1952

Witness To Murder – 1954

Woman In Hiding – 1950