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It may be a dark and stormy night in film noir, but it’s seldom raining cats and dogs. Pets represent normality, stability, family - hardly the settings for twisted tales of intrigue and passion. But furry creatures do appear, and can play a significant role. If there were an Oscar for Best Canine Actor in a film noir it should go to Friday, the handsome German Shepherd guide dog for blind detective (Edward Arnold) in Eyes in the Night. He shares every scene with his boss p

In noir films, cigarettes are part of the cast. By modern standards the sheer volume of smoke is excess verging on parody. But audiences at the time scarcely gave it a second thought. At least half the population smoked and the other half were second-hand smokers without complaint. In fact, smoking gradually increased during the 1950s, hitting its peak in the mid-60s. Women were as addicted as men. Film noir was reflecting reality. If you were that proverbial alien from anoth

Film noir seldom has patience for unhurried romance. Plots are convoluted, emotions intense, and the flames of passion must ignite fast and furious. Not the long and tortured road of When Harry Met Sally or the “slow burn” of Pride and Prejudice. “When it hits you it’s like a two-ton truck,” says a nightclub singer in The Strip. "You feel like that." Perfectly sensible people are victims. Brilliant and beautiful but sexually repressed psychoanalyst Ingrid Bergman falls head o

Is “musical noir” an oxymoron? Consider The Strip (1951). No brilliant story line or acting, but dig that crazy sound. Features significant performances by greats Earl "Fatha" Hines, Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong, Barney Bigard, Vic Damone, and Monica Lewis. It is the only film noir to be nominated for Best Original Song - A Kiss to Build a Dream On, introduced to the world by Armstrong and his All-Stars Band. As a special treat, you get to watch the star, Mickey Rooney, t

The slang and street talk in noir films is familiar. You know chump, stoolie, scram - this is 1930s/40s "Runyonesque" dialect that went mainstream and is now regarded as campy vernacular. But some language is more esoteric and can be confusing. Here is a glossary to help. Bangtails: racing horses B-girl: Literally, “bar girl.” B-girls were young women paid to converse and dance with male patrons. It ranged from selected “nice” ladies entertaining GIs at the USO to legiti

I knew him as Ward, the kind-hearted dad of Beaver Cleaver, long before I discovered him playing cops and gumshoes. Hugh Beaumont had an impressive B-film noir resume. He was no Humphrey Bogart, but Bogart was no Ward Cleaver. Many personalities who cut their acting teeth on the dark streets found kinder and gentler careers on the small screen. This transition required special acting versatility. As a medium beamed free into the sanctity of your living room, television answer

If you got it, flaunt it On her twenty-fourth birthday, Orson Wells gives his future wife Rita Hayworth a 1941 Lincoln Continental Coupe. It costs $2,800. The average annual household income at the time is $1,750. The 1% has always been with us. As depicted in film noir, they were often old wealth and modern gangsters. They were also the actors who portrayed them. Five years later, the celebrity pair were married and co-staring in the film noir classic The Lady from Shang