Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era, 1940-1959

I would like to have a copy myself. It was very comprehensive and interesting.

I checked this book out of the local library many many times and I finally bought a copy and cataloged the film noir movies I've seen. Some that should have been it weren't in my opinion but if you love noir like me you need it. Not full of glossy photos that take up space only to fill a book it's a great guide.

First, a brief review of the book's contents: It really is an outstanding reference book for noir films. I've been trying to collect dvds of noir films -- usually via collections issued on DVD (since that's the least expensive method). All the films that I have manged to collect are referenced in this book.One thing of note: Sometimes a film has been issued under two titles, such as "Aces in the Hole" AKA "The Big Carnival". You won't always find listings for both titles in this book. So, that can be confusing should you not know that there is an alternative title that you can look up. [This book lists "The Big Carnival".]On the other hand, sometimes both titles are half- referenced [e.g. "The Great Mystic" says "see The Strange Mr. Gregory". BUT, "The Strange Mr. Gregory" does NOT make reference to the alternate title of "The Great Mystic".] This is a definite flaw for a reference book. But, not the end of the world.A second major flaw is the fact that while the directors are all listed, (and there is a good and very useful appendix that lists films by director), there is no reference to any cinematographers. As another reviewer has pointed out, this is a major factor when watching film noir. These cinematographers may be as important or more important than the director for these films. Noir is almost defined by its cinematography, so leaving this reference material out is almost inexcusable. Maybe a new edition is warranted.Leaving aside these two flaws, the book gives a quick summary (usually a paragraph) and some interesting background information about the film or its actors. Also, a rating is provided (1 star to 5 stars) which is good to see how your own rating matches up. [He gives "Double Indemnity" 4.5 stars; I give this film an easy 5 stars.] The year, major actors, screenplay writer, director are all cited. Noir type and Noir themes are also cited. This information is very useful when you wish to compare/contrast a film with others of the same Noir type or theme. And the casual reader can also use this info for simply finding a film that they may want to view.Now, I want to provide some photos of the "Used-Like New" book that I rec'd from an Amazon seller for $27 + $4 shipping (about $9 cheaper than buying New). As you can see in the photos, the book is falling apart and totally unacceptable. I have returned it, and seller initially refused to pay return shipping. However, seller did ultimately refund the entire transaction, including my return shipping cost. So, all is well again. I will now purchase again as NEW at $40 on Amazon. I do not understand why there are many sellers out there (not only on Amazon) who list this book (used) for greater than $40 -- up to $90 or more! (CRAZY!) It is a bit expensive ($40) but I think it is probably the best overall Noir reference book out there.

Great guide for choosing which old flicks to view, and just as importantly, which to avoid wasting time watching. Anyone familiar with some of these film noirs will differ with a few of the author's ratings. However, I haven't found a four or five star rated film yet that wasn't enjoyable, and most of the boring, simplistic noirs I've stumbled upon on my own show up herein as one or two star ratings.The higher rated movies are afforded slightly more lengthy, detailed reviews, which is appropriate. There are a few mistakes in content, but nothing laughable...nothing to inadvertently lead you off in a wayward direction.Each review is followed by "Memorable Noir Moments" and "Familiar Faces from Television." The former is highly entertaining...great snippets of dialogue with a brief description of context. The latter is of very limited interest to fans of film noir. For example, the fact that Cloris Leachman, who appeared in "Kiss Me Deadly," subsequently went on to appear on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," is not germane to the excellent movie nor her great performance in it. This tidbit is unlikely to send film noir aficionados scurrying to obtain copies of an old sitcom.

This is a wonderful reference book for Noir films. I bought this for my SIL and both him and my daughter have said that his reviews are spot on. We have all used it when searching the Criterion Channel and it has been very helpful. I highly recommend this reference book!

The reviews were informative. The author personally viewed all 745 of the films that are in this book. There are many photos of scenes from the movies. One of my favorite features of the book is that each of the films are rated from 5 stars (excellent) to 1 star (poor; for the die-hard film noir fan only). When appropriate a half star is added. I enjoy comparing the author's rating to the Amazon rating and then to my own rating. There are useful Appendixes for: 1) film noirs listed by director, 2) film noirs listed by type, and 3) film noirs listed by year of release. The index is 41 pages and I found it to be very helpful. Overall, this is a worthwhile reference book for noir films.

This is a wonderful cover most of the movies considered film noir. Synopsis, cast, type, familiar faces are all great information. There are some that I am surprised are not in the book. Also, the last movie is The Wrong Man. Are there no Noir films in the X, Y or Zs? Also, there could be more foreign films in here as well. All in all a valuable resource.

Really, a must-have for any fan of the film genre and for the film fan in general. Keaney is very thorough in his research and knowledgeable about the films in question. If I had to cite a flaw in the book, it's that he might extended coverage to the mid-Sixties to include those films that I consider to be the last gasps of Old Noir before the rise of the (generally disappointing) films of Neo Noir, but it's a minor quibble.

Si vous êtes un fan de films noirs, ce guide - écrit en anglais - est fait pour vous. Même s'il ratisse large (par ex. Casablanca est cité et d'ordinaire pas répertorié comme étant un film noir), il nous remet en mémoire quantité de films (environ 750) produits par les studios hollywoodiens (à quelques exceptions) pendant les années 1940 et 1950. Pour chaque film, un résumé, une appréciation (de 1 à 5 étoiles) de l'auteur, le nom du réalisateur, des acteurs, l'année de production etc... qui nous permettent de redécouvrir certains chefs d'oeuvre. Les illustrations ne sont pas oubliées. Diverses rubriques complètent l'ouvrage : les films noirs sont regroupés par année mais aussi par réalisateur. Il y a aussi un index général avec des entrées comme les titres des films, les noms des acteurs, etc... qui nous guide. Egalement quelques indications pour se constituer sa vidéothèque de films noirs. Un must.

Un outil indispensable pour tout amateur de films noirs authentiques de la période de référence ; il vient en complément du Silver Ward qui reste la bible en la matière.Un regret , il n'existe pas de version traduite en Français