Widow Helen Gordon (Ida Lupino) hires handyman Howard Wilton (Robert Ryan) to help with house repairs and cleaning. But he soon reveals himself to be paranoid, unstable and menacing, and he holds her prisoner in her home. "Beware, My Lovely" (1952) #filmnoir

Con artist Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) uses up every morsel of good will he might receive from friends as he scrambles to host wrestling matches in London. Fast talking only takes him so far, and he's stepped on some important toes in "Night and the City" (1950). #filmnoir

Sadistic prison security chief Capt. Munsey (Hume Cronyn) cruelly manipulates convicts into informing on one another and breaking prison rules so that he can punish them. But inmate Joe Collins (Burt Lancaster) has been pushed too far — in "Brute Force" (1947). #filmnoir

Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, ‘Scarlet Street’ (1945). Pure noir shows us the darkest side of average people caught in a downward spiral. (Click link to read) #filmnoir crimeonfilm.com/pure-noir-ex...

Det. Sgt. Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) must protect a gangster's widow, Mrs. Frankie Neall (Marie Windsor), who's on her way to testify before a grand jury. Trouble is, they're aboard a train and so are killers who want her dead, in "The Narrow Margin" (1952) #filmnoir

Few babysitters could be so heartily disrecommended as Nell Forbes (Marilyn Monroe) in "Don't Bother to Knock" (1952). An unsuspecting couple leaves her in charge of their little darling on elevator operator Eddie Forbes's (Elisha Cook Jr.) suggestion. Bad move. #filmnoir

Roy Roberts, Jack Webb, ‘He Walked by Night’ (1948). Jack Webb parlayed the docudrama style used in He Walked by Night and other films like it into Dragnet, a police procedural broadcast on radio and TV in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. #filmnoir (click link to read). crimeonfilm.com/skepticism-t...

Upstanding citizen Frank Enley (Van Heflin) isn't all that he seems to be. In "Act of Violence" (1949), former war buddy Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan) makes an unwelcome appearance and Frank's comfortable, small-town life will hereafter be shaken. #filmnoir

Cheating at craps is Johnny Farrell's (Glenn Ford) forte, until he's hired at a fancy Buenos Aires casino. Trouble is, he and his new boss's wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), were once involved and parted bitterly - but passion is not easily extinguished, in"Gilda" (1946). #filmnoir

Ex-con Bill Clark (Steve Cochran) has hardly tasted freedom before he and dance hall girl Cathy Higgins (Ruth Roman) are on the run. In "Tomorrow is Another Day" (1951), she's got a secret that may get her off the hook. Too bad Bill will have to face the music. #filmnoir

Agent Casey Reed (Gene Barry) must find an Arab prince kidnapped by communists. The Arab nation is about to sign an accord with the United States that would allow the U.S. to build a missile base there. The communists want to crush that. "Hong Kong Confidential" (1958) #filmnoir

Army Col. Dr. Tom Owen (Charlton Heston) is persuaded by socialite Helen Curtis (Lizabeth Scott) to leave the military and take a position in a clinic of dubious ethical standards. And he's headed down the aisle with Helen — they're "Bad for Each Other" (1953) #drama #filmnoir

Private investigator Dermot Kinross (Dan O'Herlihy) searches for the killer of an antiques dealer who witnessed the murder of an officer of the law. But the police officer's killer isn't the only one who had a motive to murder the victim. "City After Midnight" (1957) #filmnoir

U.S. intelligence agent Jim Carter (Lee Frederick) searches for Taro Matsudo (Katsuhiko Haida) in Japan. Matsudo aids communists who are sabotaging America's efforts in the Korean War. And Carter is Matsudo's old college buddy. "Tokyo File 212" (1951) #espionage #noir

Lorna Gale (Mary Shipp) hires Agnes Langley (Ida Lupino) to replace the missing Jennifer as caretaker for the Gale family's estate. Agnes finds a diary belonging to Jennifer and becomes obsessed with finding the cause of her disappearance. #filmnoir

Maj. Michael Curragh (Robert Taylor) sweeps Melinda Greyton (Elizabeth Taylor) off her feet and they are wed. Marital bliss proves elusive when she learns he's harboring a secret. Worse news: he must quiet her before nasty rumors circulate. "Conspirator" (1949) #filmnoir

Chris Hunter (Ann Sheridan) stabs a man to death in her home while her husband is away. The victim's name is Tanner and she claims he's a stranger whom she killed in self-defense. Then a sculptural bust of Chris signed by Tanner turns up. "The Unfaithful" (1947) #murdermystery

Luigi (Cesar Romero) meets Barbara Gale (Kay Kendall), the wife of a gambler, and after a brief romance she agrees to go away with him. But Luigi's ex-girlfriend, Angele Abbé (Simone Silva), is found stabbed to death in his apartment. "The Shadow Man" (1953) #crimedrama

With its often languid pace, "Bullitt" (1968) lulls us into a trance-like state — until it doesn't. Hollywood had seen few gasoline-fueled spectacles like the tire-screeching, engine-growling anarchy this film unleashes amid the impossibly steep hills of San Francisco. #neonoir

Dark, haunted police Det. Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan), known for brutalizing suspects, is sent upstate to cool down. There, he investigates a murder and his brash methods and principles are tested. Co-starring Ida Lupino and Ward Bond — “On Dangerous Ground” (1951). #filmnoir

Maj. Larry Briggs (Alan Ladd) takes a flying job from a profiteer to raise money for his friend Capt. Mike Perry (Douglas Dick) whose days are numbered. But courier Susan Cleaver (Veronica Lake), whom Larry transports, adds romantic complications. "Saigon" (1948) #crimefilm

Tormented Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark) is the son of a murderer who was hanged. Bullied his entire life, Danny is harassed as an adult by Jerry Sykes (Lloyd Bridges). The two finally fight and Danny lands in more trouble than he could have imagined. "Moonrise" (1948) #filmnoir

"The Friends of Eddie Coyle" (1973) is a study of desperation and despair. The weary, resigned Eddie (Robert Mitchum), a low-level hood, is at the end of his rope as forces outside his narrow field of vision scuttle his last hope of redemption. #neonoir

Bouts of ennui unsettle middle class insurance man John Forbes (Dick Powell) in "Pitfall" (1948). His View Park home, good job, wife and child are not enough to ease a persistent sense of emptiness. Then, he meets Mona Stevens (Lizabeth Scott). #filmnoir

Charles McGraw, Dennis O’Keefe, ‘T-Men’ (1947). A trend in documentary-style procedurals produced noirs that were no longer skeptical of authority — they rooted for it. (Click link to read article.) #filmnoir crimeonfilm.com/skepticism-t...

Joe Gillis is the stand-in for every shlump who ever pounded out a hack script on a Royal typewriter and wished for immortality. He got it, all right — he also got the swimming pool he wanted, in "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), a pitch-black comedy narrated by a dead man. #filmnoir

After a swift plunge from the ivory tower into the netherworld, mild mannered Prof. Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) is snared in a shadowy world of murder and blackmail, in "The Woman in the Window" (1944). His family is out of town — and trouble seems to find him. #filmnoir

One of the more creative uses of filmic montage must be the dramatic cut from the face of a woman about to shriek in terror, to a train whistle's piercing blast. In "The 39 Steps" (1935), Mr. Hitchcock upends our expectations and bracingly moves the story forward. #filmnoir

MGM's Louis B. Mayer hated "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950) with a purple passion. Fortunately, John Huston was allowed to direct it anyway — it became the heist movie blueprint for all time. Its procedural detail raised censors' eyebrows — an instruction manual for crooks? #filmnoir

Claims adjuster Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) has a theory about the murder plot that drives "Double Indemnity" (1944), and it fits together like a watch, he declaims. The same is true of the film — crafted and assembled like the movement of a fine Swiss timepiece. #filmnoir

Boxing, the "sweet science," is nearly through with "Stoker" Thompson (Robert Ryan), a down at the heels prize fighter. Like many aging pugilists, Stoker has stayed too long at the dance, in "The Set-Up" (1949). One last bout could be his salvation — if he survives. #filmnoir

Some call it overblown melodrama, bombastic and camp. Others compare King Vidor's "Beyond the Forest" (1949) to a Euripidean tragedy. Bette Davis is in overdrive in this, her last Warner picture as a contract player, in which she sneers the immortal line, "What a dump!" #filmnoir

In "Pickup on South Street" (1953), pickpocket Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) swipes microfilm from a spy ring courier. Street peddler Moe (Thelma Ritter) can help G-Men recover top-secret information after she figures out that Skip is their man. But her info ain't free. #filmnoir

A federal bureaucrat's dreadful intro and faux documentary voice-over narration can't sink "T-Men" (1947). Cinematographer John Alton's pools of dark, inky shadows inhabit the frame, and figures dappled in light emerge like denizens of a saturnine underworld. #filmnoir

"Little Caesar" (1931) is about career advancement — for hoodlums. Nouveau riche gangster Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello (Edward G. Robinson) is ruthless, except when it comes to his buddy, Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.). And that's his downfall. #GangsterFilm #CrimeMovie

We're doomed to repeat our mistakes, especially if Jane Greer is involved. In "Out of the Past" (1947), gas station owner Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) thinks he left his days of shady dealings behind. But gambling kingpin Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas) thinks otherwise. #filmnoir

It's a no-no to be seen in public wearing the same accessory as another. Identical chapeaus roil the waters in "Phantom Lady" (1944), a story of murder, gaslighting and fashion faux pas. The film also boasts one of noir's wildest jazz band scenes, to boot. #filmnoir

Crossed wires allow Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck) to overhear talk of a murder plot, in "Sorry, Wrong Number" (1948). While faulty phone service is a drag, being a target for murder is worse. And hubby Henry J. Stevenson (Burt Lancaster) has left her home alone. #filmnoir

Det. Sgt. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is on the trail of police corruption, as mobsters and bought-off cops scramble to get him off their backs. Fritz Lang explores the obsessions of an honest officer who's been driven to the brink, and the dark machinations of evil men. #filmnoir

Fresh out of the pen, Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) assembles a rogues' gallery of career criminals to rob a racetrack counting room, in "The Killing" (1956). Too bad that cohort George Peatty (Elisha Cook Jr.) is the weak link that threatens to make the caper crumble. #filmnoir

Things are looking up for unemployed mining engineer Mike Lambert (Glenn Ford) — in noir, that spells trouble. Theft, a murder plot and an identity swap lie in store for him in "Framed" (1947). His gal pal seems like a peach. But, of course, that's an illusion. #filmnoir

Some would argue that "The Sweet Smell of Success" (1957) isn't noir. Balderdash! It's got the look, the feel and Burt Lancaster as J. J. Hunsecker, a ruthless viper of a gossip columnist. No one's likable — maybe Martin Milner, as the world's squarest jazz musician. #filmnoir

Olivia de Havilland, ‘The Dark Mirror’ (1946). Twin sisters or a dual personality? (Click link to read) crimeonfilm.com/noir-mirrors...

Everett Sloane, ‘The Lady from Shanghai’ (1947). In film noir, a mirror is more than a dressing table fixture or a room ornament. It can symbolize a character’s inner thoughts and the duality of one’s personality. (Click link to read). #filmnoir crimeonfilm.com/noir-mirrors...

When you're on the lam from the cops, it's an awkward time for a romantic triangle. Just ask convict Joe Sullivan (Dennis O'Keefe). In "Raw Deal" (1948), his main squeeze and his social worker both vie for his affections — as if he didn't already have enough problems. #filmnoir

A motley gaggle of adventurers enlist private investigator Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) to help locate a missing jewel encrusted statue, the "dingus," as Spade calls it, in "The Maltese Falcon" (1941). The search is an exercise in futility. The film itself? Exhilarating. #filmnoir

Thespian Anthony "Tony" John (Ronald Colman) is an affable gentleman offstage — at least when he's acting in comedies. Trouble is, dramatic plays send him into a psychological tailspin. In "A Double Life" (1947) he opts to play Othello, and no one in his life is safe. #filmnoir

Leo Morse (Thomas Gomez), a small timer in the numbers racket, is like a pressurized canister of hydrogen about to explode, in "Force of Evil" (1948). His brother, crooked lawyer Leo (John Garfield), is the spark that sets him off. A two-fisted dramatic powerhouse. #filmnoir

"With its relentless pace, expressive cinematography by the great Russell Metty, and punchy, clever script by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer, this is an overlooked treasure from the heyday of 1940s film noir." #filmnoir

The hootch business is unrecognizable to Frankie Madison (Burt Lancaster) after 14 years in the jug — it's gone corporate. In "I Walk Alone" (1947), Frankie wants his cut, but Noll "Dink" Turner (Kirk Douglas) ain't paying. B-list Burt and Kirk, but still hard-boiled. #filmnoir