Five Film Noir Favorites You Might Have Missed

The dark underbelly of life is explored in the film noir genre, and we’ve got five hard-boiled tales of suspense and grittiness that you may not have seen. So join us for this journey into the seedy and uncertain world of noir cinema:

I Wake Up Screaming

In a rare dramatic role, Betty Grable stars in this tense film noir about murdered actress Vicky Lynn (Carole Landis) and the search for her killer. Grable plays the victim’s sister, Jill, who tries to help Frankie (Victor Mature), the promoter falsely accused of the crime, prove his innocence. As Frankie starts to fall in love with Jill, a determined police inspector (Laird Cregar) closes in. With Allyn Joslyn, Elisha Cook, Jr.; based on the novel by Steve Fisher. AKA: “Hot Spot.”

Please Murder Me!

This offbeat crime thriller features a pre-“Perry Mason” Raymond Burr playing attorney Craig Carlson, who falls for client Myra Leeds (Angela Lansbury), a woman charged with killing her husband. Myra is acquitted, but when he learns that she actually did commit the shocking crime, a guilt-racked Carlson comes up with a desperate scheme to see that justice is ultimately served. With Dick Foran, John Dehner.

Hidden Fear

Is something rotten in the State of Denmark? Just ask American cop Mike Brent (John Payne), who caught the first flight to Copenhagen when his entertainer sister (Natalie Norwick) stood accused of her partner’s murder. Brent has his hands full overcoming the local constabulary’s skepticism and pointing them in the direction of the racketeers responsible, in Andre De Toth’s entertaining crime yarn; Alexander Knox, Conrad Nagel, Anne Neyland also star.

No Man’s Woman

It wasn’t much of a shock to anyone that remorseless, manipulative man-eater Carolyn Grant (Marie Windsor) would turn up murdered. The question was who’s responsible─the abused and weary spouse (John Archer)? The art critic (Patric Knowles) that she strung along to further her interests? The assistant (Jil Jarmyn) whose fiancé (Richard Crane) she planned to steal? Seamy Republic whodunit co-stars Nancy Gates, Louis Jean Heydt.

Witness to Murder

One sleepless night, Cheryl Draper (Barbara Stanwyck) crossed by her apartment window…and saw a woman being strangled in the adjacent building. The callous perpetrator (George Sanders), however, is smooth enough to cover his tracks…and to set up his accuser as a dangerous mental case. Can she convince one sympathetic cop (Gary Merrill) of the truth? Moody melodrama co-stars Jesse White, Juanita Moore.

These titles and many more are currently available in our Fall Film Noir Sale!