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Film Noir … Alley

I am finding myself watching movies I didn’t used to watch. In the past I watched Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis types of movies. I also gravitated towards movies with famous duos such as Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy or Doris Day/Rock Hudson. However, there were some movies I never thought I’d find myself watching. While I enjoyed mystery movies, there was a certain type I avoided: film noir. Good grief, I didn’t even give film noir movies a chance!

Enter Eddie Muller…

If you haven’t seen Eddie Muller on the Turner Classic Movies Channel yet, then you’re in for a very informative and interesting treat. Muller presents a film noir every Saturday night which is re-aired the next morning on TCM. He presents terrific pre-movie and post-movie film noir information.

Dashiel Hammett’s Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe are probably the most recognizable examples of Film Noir movies. Film Noir seems to be based on hardboiled pulp fiction mysteries (not Cozies). If you’ve spent any time in a library or second-hand bookstore looking at the very old paperback mystery covers you have probably come across novels that could be translated into  film noir movies. Many of the covers featured beautiful, seductive, scantily-clothed women (“femmes fatales”), possibly with a prominent revolver somewhere on the book cover.

For those of you who have access to TCM, do yourself a favor and check Eddie Muller’s time-slot out. Once I watched one of his Noir Alley shows, I was hooked!

Comments

  1. New to Film Noir? Are you in for a treat!!! Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall!! Some of the best actors Hollywood ever produced. I love the way Bogart uses body language to express emotion. I don’t even bother to watch modern movies. They just don’t act that good any more.

    I have all of Raymond Chandlers and Dashiell Hammets books and many of their movies in my collection.

    Thanks for bringing up the subject!

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  2. I record TCM for film noir movies with Eddie Muller! I just love retro mysteries. I’m happy you discovered this.

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  3. Nothing to do with film noir, but I thought that you might like to know that Hallmark will air two new mystery movies Sunday night starting at 7 PM EST. One is a Ruby Herring mystery and the other is called Murder 101 with Jill Wagner as the star.

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  4. I agree, Danna. I have been watching Eddie Muller and his TCM film noir movies probably since he started presenting them! lol! I love old movies, especially mysteries, and of course film noir. He is so informative, and I have learned so much about each movie he presents. I love the way he gives the background on the directors, the studios, actors, and the rest of the crew.

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    • Sharon, I’m sorry I didn’t follow film noir movies before. I just “found out” about the Eddie Muller Noir Alley time slots and am so happy I did! I wish TCM would show repeats of the movies he has presented in earlier times. He makes the movies even more fun to watch!

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  5. I love Noir Alley with all of the trivia & interviews Eddie Muller does to give us more about such detective classics.

    I hope the Eddie Muller can suggest to TCM that they come out with Noir Alley T-shirt.

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  6. Funny just a couple of nights ago on You Tube I saw a Robert Mitchum movie called Farewell my lovely which is a Phillip Marlowe Film Noir. I don’t know why I never watched any before but I was hooked. Then a Stacey Keach as Mike Hammer. I never realized how much I like that style.

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  7. I’m hooked on Eddie Muller too. Love those old movies with great plots and characters plus dialog that can be understood. I’m a fan of good mysteries whether cozy or noir.

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  9. I’ve been hooked since I took the TCM film noir course. Never bothered before then, but I’m hooked now! And really live to listen to Eddie give the details on that marvelous set! Enjoy

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  10. You are in for a treat. Film noir is my favorite movie genre, with “Double Indemnity” (featuring the aforementioned Barbara Stanwyck) topping the list, but there are so many more! I am quite familiar with Eddie Muller and have taken an online film noir class a couple of years ago — and had a great time. The bonus was learning about films noir that were somewhat off the beaten path, but excellent examples of the genre, nonetheless; and discovering films that were on the cusp of film noir and some other genres that were wonderful. Thank you very much for your post!

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  11. The Maltese Falcon, The Third Man, Double Indemnity, The Blue Dahlia, Laura, Gilda, I can go on forever about film noir! You have a LOT to look forward to seeing for the first time, Danna.

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      • It seems that the best films and books of a genre can transcend their boundaries. I don’t care for Westerns at all, but Shane is one of my all time favorite films. When it’s on, I drop everything to watch it!

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  12. I want to know when will Noir Alley start again with Eddie and why cant I get a schedule for the Noir movies for all the months like last year

    Reply

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