The BEST Detective/Crime films of the Film Noir era?

[C44Antelope]

In A Lonely Place-Bogart.
Great film IMHO.
Gloria Grahame isn't bad to look at either.

That's a great one. I just thought, though, Bogey's agent, he reminds me a little (his attitude anyway) of Nigel Bruce's character in relation to Cary Grant in Suspicion

 

[davidraphael]

I love The Thin Man - I have the complete set - but I never really considered it a pure noir because of the comedic elements and character and theme orchestrations. They're hybrid genre movies. But of course they are detective movies. I also love the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes series, but they're not 'noir' as such.

Apart from the classics already mentioned, ie, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, Maltese Falcon, Sunset Boulevard, etc, there's also:
Dark Passage (one of my all time favorites),
Detour (a woefully overlooked B classic),
The Lady from Shanghai,
Several Hitchcocks:Spellbound, Strangers on a Train, The Wong Man, Shadow of a Doubt, Dial M for Murder, The 39 Steps..
While I'm mentioning European noirs, let's not forget the incredible M with Peter Lorre, Brighton Rock, Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, Rififi,

 

[Gregg Axley]

I love The Thin Man - I have the complete set - but I never really considered it a pure noir because of the comedic elements and character and theme orchestrations.

I have a hard time thinking of the series that way too, I suppose because none of the films seem depressing.

 

[cw3pa]

Laura with Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney and Clifton Webb
Touch of Evil with Orson Welles, Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh

 

[StudioCB]

I always liked the Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto series.

 

[2jakes]

Most of the above films mentioned are tops for me….& I never tire of watching them. But every now & then…I take a break &
watch this one

:eusa_clap

and afterwards I go back to the classics !

 

[MillersCrossing]

Fury by Fritz Lang featuring Spencer Tracy is definite noir. The original The Postman Always Rings Twice is an all-time noir classic. What about The Killing by Stanley Kubrick featuring Stirling Hayden, one of the great character actors. I dunno if anyone mentioned The Big Heat with Glen Ford, what a classic that is.

Of course noir never went away, there are still many good modern noir films being made (see my handle and avatar for example)... perhaps best discussed in another thread.

 

[Widebrim]

Both classics, one an ultra-cheapie, and the other with a POV that lasts a bit too long but still doesn't ruin the overall film.

 

[Gregg Axley]

I agree, both excellent choices.
Tom Neal, what an interesting guy he was. From a rich family, then became a very successful boxer, but unfortunately his bad temper got him in trouble one too many times. Kind of like his own real life Film Noir. :eeek: