Film Noir on DVD

Detour (DVD - 2000)

Annotation:A hitchiker (Tom Neal) catches a ride with a man who dies suddenly. Fearing that he will be blamed for the death, he assumes the driver's identity. Later he's blackmailed by a woman (Ann Savage) who finds out what happened. Vintage noir.

Murder, My Sweet (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:Dick Powell plays PI Philip Marlowe in this classic Raymond Chandler story. Marlowe is hired to find Velma, a guy named Moose Malloy's girlfriend. The plot features twists and turns involving blackmail and eventually murder. A noir classic.

This Gun for Hire (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:A tough guy killer, played by Alan Ladd, is double-crossed and takes a beautiful nightclub performer (Veronica Lake) as his hostage.

High Sierra (DVD - 2003)

Annotation:Humphrey Bogart plays a gangster who robs a hotel with a couple of sidekicks. When the deal goes bad, Bogart ends up on the run with a woman (Ida Lupino) and a dog.

The Maltese Falcon (DVD - 2006)

Annotation:Classic PI movie, based on the book by Dashiell Hammett. Bogie plays Sam Spade who investigates his partner's murder. A beautiful woman (Mary Astor), and assorted shady characters (Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre) are on the trail of a valuable statuette - "the stuff that dreams are made of."

Key Largo (DVD - 2005)

Annotation:Atmospheric movie set in the Florida Keys during a hurricane. Lauren Bacall plays Nora, the widowed daughter in law of an innkeeper (Lionel Barrymore). Their hotel is taken over by hoods, led by Edward G. Robinson as "Johnny Rocco." A friend of Nora's ex-husband from the service (Humphrey Bogart) is visiting at the same time and intercedes on their behalf.

The Big Sleep (DVD - 2005)

Annotation:Another moody Bogart-Bacall film. Bogart plays Philip Marlowe, a gumshoe who doesn't want to get involved with the daughter of a wealthy family (Bacall). Lots of plot twists and turns.

Double Indemnity (DVD - 2006)

Annotation:Barbara Stanwyck plays a bored wife who plans to kill her husband for the insurance money with the help of her lover (Fred MacMurray). Based on the book by James M. Cain.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:Lana Turner plays the beautiful wife of a roadside diner owner. When a drifter (John Garfield) takes a job there, the two become involved, then plot to kill her husband.

In A Lonely Place (DVD - 2003)

Annotation:Humphrey Bogart plays a Hollywood screenwriter with a violent temper. He is a suspect in the murder of a young woman. Bogie's romance with a sultry neighbor (Gloria Grahame) is challenged when she begins to question his innocence. Great California setting.

Pickup on South Street (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:After a small time thief (Richard Widmark) unknowingly steals a woman's purse that contains microfilm, he is watched by the FBI and communists. Outstanding supporting role by Thelma Ritter.

The Big Clock (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:Ray Milland plays an editor of a true crime magazine who gets involved in a real-life crime when his boss (Charles Laughton) tries to frame him for the murder of his mistress. Fast paced with a modern New York skyscraper setting.

Out of the past (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:Former PI Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is tapped to look for the ex-girlfriend of a gangster (Kirk Douglas) who absconded with his money. Bailey finds the girl and sparks fly, but can he trust her?

The Blue Gardenia (DVD - 2000)

Annotation:Movie takes its name from the title song by Nat King Cole. A young woman (Anne Baxter) can't remember what happened the night before, then her escort for the evening turns up dead.

Dark Passage (DVD - 2003)

Annotation:Great Bogart-Bacall movie. Bogart plays a convict who escapes from jail and a woman (Bacall), who believes he is innocent, hides him in her apartment while be recovers from plastic surgery to change his identity.

Laura (DVD - 2004)

Annotation:Stylish movie with Gene Tierney as the beautiful young prodigy of an older columnist. He becomes jealous of her relationships with younger men. When a murder occurs, a young detective (Dana Andrews) gets the case.

The Dark Corner (DVD - 2005)

Annotation:Lucille Ball, in a non-comedic role, plays girl Friday to a PI who's trying to escape a frame.

The Killing (DVD - 1999)

Annotation:A group of men plan a heist to rob the local race track. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this excellent 1950s noir film has a realistic feel. Quentin Tarantino made his version of the film as "Reservoir Dogs."