10 Best Film Noir Films in Black & White

1) Double Indemnity.

Fred McMurray is an insurance salesman so no one expects ethics from him.  Barbara Stanwyck's the bored wife of a wealthy man.

2) The Letter.

The original Rashomon.  Bette Davis is a victim, not such a victim, actually the killer.  The story twists and turns.

3) The Third Man.

Acting only, Orson Welles is still a force to be reckoned with..

4) The Big Sleep.

Bogart and Bacall sizzle enough to fill in the many plot holes.

5) The Postman Always Rings Twice.

Lana Turner's largely well preserved in many of her films.  This is one of the few where she's actually beautiful and the chemistry between her and John Garfield carries this film.


6) The Stranger. 

This thriller finds Orson as new good guy in town married to Loretta Young who slowly realizes nothing is as it seems.

7) The Maltese Falcon.

No Bogart film festival would be complete without this classic.

8) The Damned Don't Cry.

Joan Crawford made a number of film noir films.  This one works so well because it's similar to the shop-girl films she made in the thirties.  More than any other film actress -- including Veronica Lake -- Joan Crawford did film noir over and over -- and did it stunningly well.

9) Mildred Pierce. 

Joan Crawford had another comeback thanks to this film and she also won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

10) This Gun For Hire.

Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake became a team as a result of this film (The Glass Key and The Blue Dahlia would follow).