During the Great Depression, the popularity of pulp fiction and detective novels took the United States by storm, leading to the cultivation and rise of the classic film noir genre that audiences continue to cherish today. Born out of German Expressionism, the film noir is noted for its signature black-and-white visual style, low lighting, and a cast of intriguing characters who exhibit cynical attitudes and motivations, such as murder, greed, and revenge, cultivating an irresistible allure for audiences around the world.
The 1940s and 1950s are considered to be the height of classic film noir and featured an array of timeless titles, includingThe Maltese Falcon,Laura, andThe Big Heat, becoming one of the most sought-after film genres of Hollywood’s Golden Age. While many notable stars appeared in film noir pictures, there are some names such asRobert Mitchum,Gene Tierney, andHumphrey Bogartwho essentially shaped and solidified the infamous genre. Out of the dozens of silver screen icons, includingBarbara Stanwyck,Joseph Cotten, andDick Powell, these are the all-time best stars of film noir.
10Dick Powell
‘Murder, My Sweet,’ ‘Pitfall,’ ‘Farewell, My Lovely’
Dick Powellinitially made headway as a comedy musical star, and by the 1940s, he rebooted his career in film noirs such asMurder, My Sweet,Johnny O’Clock, andTo the Ends of Earth, becoming one of the genre’s most popular leading men. Born in Mountain View, Arkansas, Powell initially signed a contract with Warner Bros., making his film debut in the 1932 comedy-dramaBlessed Event.Powell went on to star in a string of notable musical films, includingFootlight Parade,Golddiggers of 1935, andTwenty Million SweetheartswithGinger Rogers.
By the 1940s, Powell felt he was too old to play the romantic male lead and shifted his sights to the film noir genre. He was cast asRaymond Chandler’s hardboiled private eye, Philip Marlowe, inthe detective filmMurderMy Sweet,directed byEdward Dmytrk,becoming the first to portray the character on screen. In 1945, he reunited with Dmytrk for the vital noir filmCornered, which is credited as a noir that defined the genre. Powell eventually moved behind the camera, working as a director, and appeared on television, butclassic cinephiles will always remember the versatile actor for his immense contributions to the film noir genre and for being the first actor to play Chandler’s famous detective.
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9Veronica Lake
‘The Blue Dahlia,’ ‘This Gun for Hire,’ ‘The Glass Key’
Known for her peek-a-boo hairstyle and seductive charm, Veronica Lake defined the ideal femme fatale of the film noir genre and is commemorated as a pioneer of the genre. Lake was born in New York City and moved to Hollywood in 1938, where she was briefly under contract with MGM. She made her film debut in 1939 as an extra in the RKO filmSorority House, which was unfortunately cut from the final product, but Lake continued taking on bit parts. In 1941, Lake appeared as a nightclub singer in the military drama film,I Wanted Wings, making her an overnight sensation.
Lake starred in her first film noir,This Gun For Hire, withRobert PrestonandAlan Ladd, and her scenes with Ladd prompted Paramount Studios to pair them together again inThe Glass Key. She and Ladd also went on to star together in the 1946 film noir,The Blue Dahlia, which is considered by many to be a crucial film of the genre. Lake dabbled in other film genres, including comedies and drama, but today, she is universally recognized for her iconic film noir persona as the ideal femme fatale.
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8Gloria Grahame
‘The Big Heat,’ ‘Crossfire,’ ‘In a Lonely Place’
Los Angeles-born actress,Gloria Grahame, started her acting career on the stage before signing a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, but despite earning a role inFrank Capra’sIt’s a Wonderful Life, the studio didn’t believe she had movie star potential and sold her contract to RKO Pictures. Once she arrived at RKO, Grahame was typically cast in film noirs, and in 1947, she starred in the film noir,Crossfire, which earned her an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Grahame’s career-making role came in the 1950 film noir,In a Lonely Place, co-starring Humphrey Bogart, and led to her starring in a series of noteworthy noirs, includingSudden Fear,Human Desire, andThe Big Heat,starringGlenn FordandLee Marvin. Despite a successful on-screen presence, Grahame returned to performing on the stage while also still taking on occasional film roles.Grahame’s name is often unfairly overlooked by film fans, but for the die-hard film noir fanatics, she is an essential staple in the classic film noir genre.
The Big Heat
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7Claire Trevor
Claire Trevormastered every type of bad girl role in film noir, ranging from femme fatale to a no-nonsense dame, making her a crucial figure in the film genre. Born in New York City, Trevor started her acting career by taking art classes at Columbia University and studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After a brief Broadway career, Trevor made her film debut in the 1933 movie,Jimmy and Sally, and several years later, she earned her first Academy Award nomination for her performance in the noir thriller,Dead End.
By 1939, Trevor had been established as a solid leading lady and starred in the successful film noirs,Murder, My Sweet,andBorn to Kill, which are both considered two of the actress' most memorable roles. Trevor blew audiences away with her incredible performance in the noir,Key Largo, portraying a washed-out nightclub singer and girlfriend ofEdward G. Robinson, winning her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Trevor found success in several film genres, but her versatile performances in some of the greatest film noirs make her a legend in the classic film genre.
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6Barbara Stanwyck
‘Double Indemnity,’ ‘The Strange Love of Martha Ivers,’ ‘Witness to Murder’
With a career spanning over six decades, Barbara Stanwyck is one of the most recognizable stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age who is widely known for her natural on-screen presence and impressive versatile range. Stanwyck was born in New York City and at the age of 16 years old, she made her stage debut as a Ziegfield girl before turning to theatrical productions. In 1929, she starred in the stage production ofBurlesque, establishing herself as a Broadway star. After appearing in several talking pictures, director, Frank Capra cast Stanwyck in his 1930 film,Ladies of Lesuire, and went on to be cast in successful dramas and crime films, includingNight NurseandBaby Face.
BY 1944, Stanwyck was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and starred inBilly Wilder’sDouble Indemnity, asone of the genre’s best femme fatales, Phyllis Dietrichson, oppositeFred MacMurray. Her success inDouble Indemnityearned Stanwyck an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and also led to several more noir classics, notablyThe Strange Love of Martha IverswithVan HeflinandKirk Douglasin his film debut, andWitness to Murder,co-starringGeorge SandersandGary Merrill. Even though Stanwyck established herself as a leading lady in almost every film genre, she is widely regarded today as one of the ultimate faces of the classic film noir genre.
Double Indemnity
5Lauren Bacall
‘Dark Passage,’ ‘The Big Sleep,’ ‘To Have and Have Not’
Known for her husky voice and sultry signature look,Lauren Bacallis one of the most distinctive stars in the film noir genre who established herself with noteworthy films likeThe Big SleepandKey Largo. The New York City-born Bacall initially started working as a model and took acting classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, making her Broadway debut at the age of 17 as a walk-on in the 1942 production,Johnny 2 X 4. When Bacall appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine, she caught the attention ofNancy “Slim” Keith, who was married to director,Howard Hawks, and urged her husband to invite her out to audition for his upcoming film,To Have and Have Not.
Bacall made her feature film debut opposite her future husband, Humphrey Bogart, inTo Have and Have Not, making her an instant silver-screen success. She continued to work in the film noir genre, starring in another Hawks' noir,The Big Sleep, andDelmer Daves’Dark Passage, both co-starring Bogart. While Bacall had successfully established a star status, she demonstrated her range and versatility inJohn Huston’sKey Largo, leading to other roles in various film genres.Bacall conquered the world of cinema and maintained a successful career for over seven decades, but classic film fans will always remember her for her quintessential roles in the film noir genre.
The Big Sleep
4Joseph Cotten
‘The Third Man,’ ‘Shadow of a Doubt,’ ‘Niagara’
Joseph Cotten isone of the most underrated stars of Hollywood’s Golden Agewho could effortlessly portray both the handsome hero and a vicious villain of any caliber. The Virginia-born actor initially established himself as a stage star before joiningOrson Welles' Mercury Theater and eventually moved to Hollywood, where he made his film debut in what many consider to be the greatest film of all time,Citizen Kane. Cotten appeared in two more of Welles' films,The Magnificent AmbersonsandJourney to Fear, ultimately earning worldwide notoriety and fame.
In 1943, Cotten starred inAlfred Hitchcock’s thriller noir,Shadow of a Doubt, cementing himself as a leading man as well as a top-notch performer in the film noir genre. After signing a contract withDavid O. Selznick, Cotten starred in the Oscar-winning film noir,Gaslight, co-starringIngrid BergmanandCharles Boyer. Cotten continued to star in successful film noirs, includingNiagarawithMarilyn Monroe,A Blueprint for Murder, andThe Third Man, which reunited him with his friend and former co-star, Welles.Today, Cotten is considered to be one of the greatest actors to have never received an Academy Award nomination, but despite the lack of accolade recognition, Cotten is cemented in cinema history as one of the best classic film noir stars.
The Third Man
3Gene Tierney
‘Laura,’ ‘Leave Her to Heaven,’ ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’
Gene Tierney is known for her alluring beauty and was one of the most adored leading ladies of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She is best known for her exemplary film noir roles in hits likeLauraandLeave Her to Heaven. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tierney studied acting at a studio in Greenwich Village, and in 1938, she made her Broadway debut inWhat a Life!After appearing in several stage productions, Tierney transitioned into movies, and after signing a contract with 20th Century Fox, she made her film debut inFritz Lang’s Western,The Return of Frank James, starringHenry Fonda.
Tierney earned her breakthrough role inErnst Lubitsch’s comedy,Heaven Can Wait,for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination. In 1944, she starred in one of the greatest film noirs of all time,Laura, withDana Andrews,Vincent Price, andClifton Webb. Shortly afterLaura, Tierney won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in another notable noir,Leave Her to Heaven, where she portrays the epitome of a classic femme fatale. Tierney’s success in the film noir genre continued with other titles, includingWhirlpool,Where the Sidewalk Ends, andNight and the City, deeming her to be one of, if not the best, film noir actresses of all time.
2Humphrey Bogart
‘The Maltese Falcon,’ ‘High Sierra,’ ‘The Big Sleep’
Humphrey Bogart is a cultural cinema icon known for his rough-around-the-edges roles and riveting performances in critical film noir classics, includingThe Maltese Falcon,Dead Reckoning, andTo Have and Have Not. Bogie was born in New York City, and even though he never had any professional training as an actor, he appeared in several Broadway productions before turning his sights on Hollywood. The young actor signed a contract with Fox Film Corporation, where he made his feature film debut inJohn Ford’s 1930 comedy film,Up the River, withSpencer TracyandClaire Luce.
In 1941, Bogart earned one of his first major roles in Raoul Walsh’s film noir,High Sierra, withIda Lupino, which led to him meeting up-and-coming filmmaker John Huston. The same year, Bogart was cast as the lead, Sam Spade, in Huston’sThe Maltese Falcon, which is regarded as one of the greatest film noirs of all time. By the mid-1940s and 1950s, Bogart was a frequent leading man in the film noir genre, starring in countless classics, includingKnock on Any Door,In a Lonely Place, andThe Desperate Hours.Bogart is an overall pillar of classic Hollywood, and, considering his incredible impact on the film noir genre, it’s easy to see why he is one of the genre’s greatest stars of all time.
The Maltese Falcon
1Robert Mitchum
‘Out of the Past,’ ‘The Night of the Hunter,’ ‘Undercurrent’
Known for his weary eyes, distinct voice, and rouge, antihero roles, Robert Mitchum is the heart and soul of the classic film noir genre. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mitchum left home at the age of 14 and rode the rails to California, where he decided to pursue a career in acting. Mitchum earned minor extra roles before impressing directorMervyn LeRoy,and he was signed to a seven-year contract with RKO Radio Pictures. During the mid-1940s, Mitchum earned supporting roles in film noirs such asUndercurrentandThe Locket, but his career in the genre took off after starring inOut of the Past, which is recognized as one of the all-time best classic film noirs.
Mitchum soon became known as one of the genre’s most promising male leads and went on to star in a series of classics, includingThe Racket,Macao, andOtto Preminger’sAngel Face. In 1955, Mitchum starred inCharles Loughton’s film noir,The Night of the Hunteras a serial killer posing as a preacher, Reverend Harry Powell, who becomes hellbent on finding a hidden fortune buried by his former cellmate. Mitchum delivers a spine-chilling, captivating performance, which many film critics and historians credit as his career’s finest. While there are plenty of male stars who bring something unique to the film noir genre, it would be nothing without the legendary Mitchum, who is, by all accounts, the greatest star of the classic genre.
The Night of the Hunter
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