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Where to Begin: Classic Era Noir

A recommended viewing order for 100 essential American and British noir films from the classic era; 1940 - 1958. Ranked by accessibility of structure and content, with some consideration to chronology.

Major Directors: 
Fritz Lang
Alfred Hitchcock
Billy Wilder
Robert Siodmak 
Joseph H. Lewis
Jules Dassin 
Orson Welles
John Huston 
Nicholas Ray
Edward Dmytryk
Otto Preminger 

Where to Begin: Great Directors 
Where to Begin: 100 Great Performances - Golden Age 
Where to Begin: French New Wave
Where to Begin: French New Wave - The Outer Banks 
Where to Begin: Screwball Comedies
Where to Begin: American Westerns

Block or Report
  • Double Indemnity

    1

  • Laura

    2

  • The Killers

    3

  • Out of the Past

    4

  • Gilda

    5

  • Leave Her to Heaven

    6

  • The Postman Always Rings Twice

    7

  • The Third Man

    8

  • In a Lonely Place

    9

  • Strangers on a Train

    10

  • The Night of the Hunter

    11

  • Sweet Smell of Success

    12

  • The Maltese Falcon

    13

  • Murder, My Sweet

    14

  • To Have and Have Not

    15

  • Detour

    16

  • Notorious

    17

  • Nightmare Alley

    18

  • Mildred Pierce

    19

  • Scarlet Street

    20

  • The Big Sleep

    21

  • Born to Kill

    22

  • The Window

    23

  • The Fallen Idol

    24

  • They Live by Night

    25

  • The Lady from Shanghai

    26

  • Brighton Rock

    27

  • The Naked City

    28

  • Criss Cross

    29

  • Sunset Boulevard

    30

  • The Asphalt Jungle

    31

  • Detective Story

    32

  • Ace in the Hole

    33

  • Kansas City Confidential

    34

  • Crime Wave

    35

  • Pickup on South Street

    36

  • Dial M for Murder

    37

  • Kiss Me Deadly

    38

  • Witness for the Prosecution

    39

  • Touch of Evil

    40

  • The Killing

    41

  • Murder by Contract

    42

  • They Drive by Night

    43

  • This Gun for Hire

    44

  • My Name Is Julia Ross

    45

  • Crossfire

    46

  • I Walk Alone

    47

  • Cry of the City

    48

  • The Big Clock

    49

  • Too Late for Tears

    50

  • Night and the City

    51

  • On Dangerous Ground

    52

  • Cry Danger

    53

  • Don't Bother to Knock

    54

  • The Narrow Margin

    55

  • Angel Face

    56

  • The Big Combo

    57

  • The Lineup

    58

  • Stranger on the Third Floor

    59

  • The Suspect

    60

  • The Stranger

    61

  • The Dark Corner

    62

  • Thieves' Highway

    63

  • Kiss of Death

    64

  • Road House

    65

  • Raw Deal

    66

  • Suspicion

    67

  • Gaslight

    68

  • Spellbound

    69

  • Sorry, Wrong Number

    70

  • Sudden Fear

    71

  • No Man of Her Own

    72

  • Dead Reckoning

    73

  • Pitfall

    74

  • Force of Evil

    75

  • Dark Passage

    76

  • The Spiral Staircase

    77

  • The Lodger

    78

  • Hangover Square

    79

  • The Tall Target

    80

  • The Set-Up

    81

  • 99 River Street

    82

  • The Harder They Fall

    83

  • Body and Soul

    84

  • High Sierra

    85

  • Blood on the Moon

    86

  • The Phenix City Story

    87

  • Caught

    88

  • The Glass Key

    89

  • The Blue Dahlia

    90

  • Shadow of a Doubt

    91

  • Where the Sidewalk Ends

    92

  • Ride the Pink Horse

    93

  • Call Northside 777

    94

  • I Want to Live!

    95

  • Odd Man Out

    96

  • Act of Violence

    97

  • He Ran All the Way

    98

  • The Red House

    99

  • The Chase

    100