Turner Classic Movie’shost,Eddie Muller, is the ultimate connoisseur of thefilm noirgenre and the host of the channel’s popular segment,Noir Alley. Every Saturday night and Sunday morning, fans tune in for Muller’s choice of classic noirs, such asOut of the Past,The Big Sleep, andTouch of Evil. Even though the host recognizes mainstream noirs, he also gives an equal spotlight to lesser-known noirs, which is the real beauty of his program.
While Muller is never short on films or extensive knowledge for viewers, the TCM host believes some movies, includingCriss Cross,Night and the City, andThe Maltese Falcon, will withstand the hands of time and remain to be beloved classic noir films passed down from generation to generation. From the 1948 filmMoonrisetoIn a Lonely PlacestarringHumphrey Bogart, these are ten great classic noir films recommended by Noir Alley’s Eddie Muller.
10’Moonrise' (1948)
Directed by Frank Borzage
In a small town in Virginia, Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark) is the son of a murderer who was executed for the crime, but all his life, Hawkins has been bullied and haunted by his father’s past sins. When he gets into a fight with another boy, Jerry Sykes (Lloyd Bridges), he accidentally kills him in self-defense. Soon after, the police discover Sykes' body and start to close in on Hawkins, who has unexpectedly fallen in love with Sykes' fiancé, Gilly Johnson (Gail Russell).
Despite being a flop at the box office,Moonrisehas since gained immense support and, today, is considered to be a staple of the film noir genre.
The criminal noirMoonriseis a bittersweet tale of love, murder, and remorse, surrounding the strength and courage to break a vicious family cycle by owning up to one’s actions. Based on the 1946 novel by the same name written byTheodore Strauss,Moonrisealso features other notable stars, includingHarry Carey Jr.andEthel Barrymore.Despite being a flop at the box office,Moonrisehas since gained immense support and, today, is considered to be a staple of the film noir genre.
Rent on Amazon Prime
9’Out of the Past' (1947)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Image via RKO Pictures
Robert Mitchumstars inOut of the Pastas a small-town gas station owner, Jeff Bailey, who is recognized by a former associate, forcing him to meet with the man’s boss, Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). Through a series of flashbacks, Bailey recalls Sterling hiring him to find his former girlfriend, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), who shot Sterling before making off with a hefty sum of cash. Bailey finds Moffat, and the two fall in love, but when she leaves and returns to Sterling, the boss has a score or two he needs to settle with Bailey.
Out of the Pastis an adaptation of the 1946 novelBuild My Gallows Highwritten byDaniel Mainwaringunder the pseudonymGeoffrey Homesand is considered to be one of the first official noir films. The film is a near-to-perfect noir, featuringa complex, fatalistic plot, immersive cinematography, and an ideal femme fatale exceptionally portrayed by Greer, all solidifyingOut of the Pastto be a quintessential film noir classic.
Out Of The Past
8’Night and the City' (1950)
Directed by Jules Dassin
In the British film noirNight and the City,Richard Widmarkstars as a two-bit con man, Harry Fabian, whose latest scheme involves promoting an aging Greek wrestler, Gregorius the Great (Stanislaus Zbyszko). When Fabian convinces Gregoius to fight a rival wrestler known as The Strangler (Mike Mazurki), he wins but unfortunately dies from the exhausting match. Since Fabian’s greed put Gregious in the ring, everyone blames him for the wrestler’s death, forcing Fabian into hiding as the underworld closes in on him.
Night and the Cityhas been credited for its authentic depiction of racketeering and the lack of sympathetic characters, especially Widmark’s character, who meets a grizzly ending. Initially, the film was not well received by critics, mainly due to its raw portrayal of the dark corners of the underworld of crime, but as the film noir genre gained traction,Night and the Cityhas since been reevaluated and is recognized today by many as a gritty and wicked noir.
Night and the City
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7’Nightmare Alley' (1947)
Directed by Edmond Goulding
Nightmare Alleyis an essential noir horror filmstarringTyrone Poweras Stanton Carlisle, who visits a traveling carnival and is fascinated by the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena (Joan Blondell), and her alcoholic husband, Pete (Ian Keith). Carlisle tries relentlessly to convince Zeena to reveal the secret of the act to him, but she refuses. When Pete unexpectedly dies, Zeena decides to train Carlisle to be his replacement. Once Carlisle masters the act, he takes off and reinvents himself as “The Great Stanton,” but as the old saying goes, fame always comes at a price.
Initially, the movie earned mixed reviews, but today,Nightmare Alleyhas gained more support and is considered to be a rare gem of the film noir genre.
According to Muller’s introduction,Nightmare Alleyserves as a solid exampleof how the film noir genre reaches past the traditional melodrama, and the self-destructive protagonist wasn’t limited to criminal dramas. Based onWilliam Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel,Nightmare Alleytells a brutal tale of selfish ambition and the destructive consequences that can come with fame and fortune.Initially, the movie earned mixed reviews, but today,Nightmare Alleyhas gained more support and is considered to be a rare gem of the film noir genre.
6’The Maltese Falcon' (1941)
Directed by John Huston
Humphrey Bogart stars as the famous San Francisco private eye, Sam Spade, who is hired by a mysterious woman, Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor), to find her sister, who has supposedly run off. As Spade begins his investigation, he soon finds himself entangled with several seedy and dangerous characters who are in search of a priceless jewel-encrusted statue known as the Maltese Falcon. Spade eventually figures out that if he wants to make it out of this alive, he must find the statue before the others, sending him on a wild, intense goose chase.
John Hustonmade hisdirectorial debut withThe Maltese Falcon, whichreigns as one of the greatest classic noir filmsand is a solid adaptation of the 1930 novel written byDashiell Hammett. Bogart is beyond sensational as the rough-around-the-edges Spade, who is joined by a highly capable supporting cast includingSydney GreenstreetandPeter Lorre.The Maltese Falconwas a major success and received three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Greenstreet, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Huston.
The Maltese Falcon
5’Double Indemnity' (1944)
Directed by Billy Wilder
In the1944 film noirDouble Indemnity,Fred MacMurraytakes on the role of an insurance salesman, Walter Neff, who crosses paths with the beautiful but married Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). As the two begin a secret, steamy affair, they soon start to plot and execute the murder of Dietrichson’s husband, but just as they think they’ve pulled it off, Neff’s co-worker and insurance investigator, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) takes a closer look at the case.
Billy Wilder’sDouble Indemnityhas been credited for setting the traditional standard for film noir and also as a trailblazer of the genre. Despite some feeling as though the plot was far-fetched and implausible,Double Indemnitystill earned rave reviews, many commending the cast’s incredible performances and the storyline’s high level of thrilling intensity and unpredictability.Double Indemnityreceived seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Stanwyck’s impeccable performance.
Double Indemnity
4’The Asphalt Jungle' (1950)
Sterling Haydenstars in the classic heist noir,The Asphalt Jungle, as a recently released criminal, Dix Hadley, who plots to steal a million dollars worth of jewels and recruits a team of various crooks with special skills for the job. While the robbery is a success, the men soon let their emotions and insatiable greed get the best of them and find themselves wrapped up in a web of lies and murder that could ruin everything for everyone.
While the story is painted against a grim backdrop,The Asphalt Junglestill conveys Huston’s traditional notion of thrills and excitement.
John Huston’sThe Asphalt Jungleis a modern story of crime and punishment, which also starsJean Hagen,Sam Jaffe, andMarilyn Monroein one of her earliest film roles. While the story is painted against a grim backdrop,The Asphalt Junglestill conveys Huston’s traditional notion of thrills and excitement, effectively luring audiences into the dangerous heist. The movie was well received and earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Jaffe’s memorable performance.
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3’Sunset Boulevard' (1950)
William Holdenstars in the 1950 classic noirSunset Boulevardas an aspiring writer, Joe Gillis, who finds himself in the presence of a former Silent film star, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), and agrees to write her a script that will reboot her career. As their professional relationship takes a slight personal turn, Desmond becomes obsessed and possessive of Gillis, who realizes he’s in way over his head and must escape Desmond’s grasp before it’s too late.
Swanson gives a tour de force performance in Billy Wilder’sSunset Boulevard, which isthe pure epitome of a traditional film noir. The film effortlessly conveys an ominous, eerie atmosphere tailored to the dark side of Hollywood and the unforgiving studio system, topped off with a raw backdrop of a decaying city. Swanson is simply sublime, authentically conveying the outcome of Desmond’s fall from grace into a world of denial and delusion that eventually consumes her in this torrid tale of fame, love, and murder.
Sunset Boulevard
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2’Criss Cross' (1949)
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Burt Lancasterstars as Steve Thompson, who returns to Los Angeles in search of his ex-wife, Anna (Yvonne De Carlo), in the hopes that they can rekindle their relationship. He resumes his former job as a driver for an armored truck company, and when he finds Anna, he discovers she is remarried to a local gangster, Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea), but despite her marriage, the two begin a secret affair. In an attempt to keep Dundee off their trail, Thompson lures Dundee into a robbery of his truck, but things take an unexpected turn when Dundee double-crosses him.
Criss Crossis full of unwavering suspense and phenomenal performances.
Inone of his many introductions, Muller states thatCriss Crossis a noir that deserves to be in the top five of any list and praises the film’s overall direction, performances, and the dream-like state it conveys to audiences. Directed byRobert Siodmak, who is easilyone of the best film noir directors of all time,Criss Crossis full of unwavering suspense and phenomenal performances, making it a unique film noir and a must-see for any diehard fan of the genre.
Rent on Apple TV
1’In a Lonely Place' (1950)
Directed by Nicholas Ray
Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) is a lonely woman who falls under the spell of a prone-to-violence screenwriter, Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart). Just when the two begin to develop a romantic relationship, Steele becomes a suspect in the murder of a woman he briefly met. Gray believes he is innocent and stands by her new love interest, helping him clear his name. As Gray and Steele become closer, Steele begins to show his true colors, acting violently and erratically, leading to Gray wondering if he is actually capable of murder.
In a Lonely Placeis a riveting film noir featuring one of Bogart’s finest performances, which is often overshadowed by his other work. Similar to other noirs released in 1950,In a Lonely Placesurrounds the severe pitfalls of Hollywood success as well as fame that can sometimes lead people down a dark and destructive path of no return. Cited asone of Muller’s all-time favorite noirs,In a Lonely Placemight not be a noir in every film fan’s book, but according to Muller, what he loves most about this film is that it’s never confined by its tropes and refuses to succumb to any genre expectations, cementing it as a one-of-a-kind classic noir.
