As noir is one of my favorite cinematic subjects I thought it would be fun to post some trivia for those who might not be familiar with this type of film or are newly interested in the subject. These dark crime dramas about the seedy underbelly of American life have built up a huge following since the peak of the noir era in the 1950s, and some entries in the canon have become cult classics.
The noir era started to flourish in 1944 with the release of the sensational Double Indemnity. The film’s title refers to the provisions which are part of some life insurance policies wherein the insurer will pay out double what is stated in the contract, but only applies in cases of proven accidental death. Double Indemnity is the provocative tale of insurance agent Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) and scheming housewife Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) who plot to bump off her husband, make it look like an accident and collect the large insurance payout.
What they don’t count on is that insurance adjuster Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) who is suspicious by nature, works persistently to uncover the truth of the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death. Double Indemnity is a quintessential noir feature, hitting all the marks regarding plot: where the criminal narrates his own story, use of flashbacks as a major thematic element, premonitions of doom, and complex plot structures. The story also hits the spot with filmic style: dark and oppressive lighting, prevalent shadows and seedy locations.
Ideal noir films like Double Indemnity are also noteworthy for compulsive criminality and characters with a penchant for acting on sexual impulses. However, what many people don’t know is that Stranger On The Third Floor (1940) is now considered to have launched the noir movement. This obscure B level picture makes superb use of the shadows, distorted camera angles, and menace rooted in German Expressionism which goes hand in glove with black & white cinematography.
Stranger On The Third Floor is like the forgotten gem which has been found and polished up to its former luster. The chilling dream sequences depicting the harshness of the American justice system are outstanding for their time and Stranger is a harrowing example of an innocent man struggling to clear himself of murder charges. Another important aspect of films noir is that most of them are based on the gritty, hard-boiled novels of such acclaimed authors as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Cornell Woolrich among others.
This brings us to The Maltese Falcon (1941) which introduced audiences to the quintessential noir protagonist: the cynical, world-weary urban detective. Falcon was adapted from Hammett’s novel of the same name and became the standard by which all the following detective-themed noirs would be judged. The story centers around detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) and his dealings with a set of unsavory characters who are each trying to get their hands on a fabled, jewel- encrusted falcon statuette worth a proverbial mint. The Maltese Falcon is also known for making character actor Bogart a major star and leading box-office draw of the 1940s.
The Maltese Falcon also set another precedent as it was the directorial debut of John Huston who would be one of Hollywood’s leading directors over the following two decades. Huston directed other famed noir features such as Key Largo and Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (both 1948). The provocative content which typifies the noirs naturally would often lead to conflict with the various censorship boards of the era, necessitating the toning down of what could be depicted on the silver screen.
Regarding that censorship issue, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) may be one of the most sensational, sizzling noirs to run afoul of the notorious Production Code which sought to control the reins of Hollywood’s onscreen morality since 1934. In any event, an acceptable but still titillating adaptation (for that time) was eventually released. Both Postman and Double Indemnity were based on the novels of James M. Cain and became potent moneymakers. The Postman Always Rings Twice concerns a drifter named Frank Chambers (John Garfield) who becomes the handyman at a rural diner/gas station in the countryside north of Los Angeles.
The business is owned by the strait-laced, Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway) and his beautiful, sensual, and much younger wife Cora (Lana Turner). Soon enough, Frank and the femme-fatale Cora engage in a steamy affair and start scheming to kill her husband since she realizes that a divorce would leave her with nothing. With her husband out of the way, she and Frank could be together and take over the business. The phrase “the postman always rings twice” was the title of the novel and subsequent film since it referred to the postman making sure that the recipient knew their mail had come and also because fate ensures that people will get punished for their crimes.
Much like Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice became an outstanding example of film noir due to the prominence of the femme fatale, the alienated male caught up in her schemes, the breaks with the conventional morality of the times, and the cynical, pessimistic tone of the narratives. For those newly interested in this genre/style of cinema – the four films discussed above are great features to begin with.
Some fun trivia about these films:
The Maltese Falcon: received three Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet), Best Adapted Screenplay (John Huston). It was also one of the first 25 films selected by the Library Of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Double Indemnity: was nominated for seven Academy Awards – but didn’t win any of them! It was also added to the National Film Registry. The American Film Institute ranked the film at #38 as one of the 100 Best Films Of All Time in 1998.
Raymond Chandler: creator of famed detective Philip Marlowe. This character from Chandler’s novels The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, and The Lady In The Lake were all adapted for screen. The Big Sleep has the dubious distinction of having one of the most complicated plots of any mainstream film in Hollywood history!
Dashiell Hammett: authored The Maltese Falcon and The Glass Key – both of which became successful film adaptations. His creation of Detective Sam Spade in the former became one the most famous characters in Hollywood history.
James M. Cain: authored three highly popular novels, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and The Postman Always Rings Twice which are not only stellar examples of film noir adaptations to screen, but also were among the most popular dramatic films and biggest moneymakers of the 1940s.
Note: The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity The Postman Always Rings Twice, and The Big Sleep are all available at www.Netflix.comhttp://www.netflix.com
