Which Film Got You Hooked On Noir?

[WilderIndemnity]

Do you remember which film got you hooked on the whole noir genre? For me it was probably when I was about 13 years old and watched The Night of the Hunter with my dad. For a long time it was my favorite movie and Robert Mitchum is still one of my favorite actors.

I always liked the atmosphere and the lighting of the film which led me to watch other films from the same era. It didn't occur to me that it was a part of the film noir genre until later though, when I saw Double Indemnity (still my favorite noir). I'm going to give The Night of the Hunter the most cred though since it not only led me to watch film noir but to get interested in cinema altogether.

So which film got you hooked?

[Steve-O]

Tricky question for me. I loved the Maltese Falcon watching it as a kid on TV-- with my dad.

And I've always been drawn to movies that have a noir-quality to them when going to the movies -- like Miami Blues or The Underneath.

But I think it was watching Detour and Scarlet Street on late night TV almost 20 years ago got me hooked! The first time watching them --- and then catching the original DOA again -- the same month got me absolutely hooked.

Being in the broadcasting business, I will tell you I worry about noir on TV. There really are no "late night" public domain airings at 3am anymore. TV is all niche now. You have to seek out what you want to see and never really have to watch anything that doesn't capture your interest in the first few seconds... so I can see that people may not even get exposed to noir unless it's airing on TCM (and what a relief that is), but for the most part the films will be ignored...

that's why the FNF and websites like ours are so important.

[noirton mcgraw]

... i agree hold hartily steve-o , i too grew up with late night tv(being from new jersey we had great tv wnew5,wor9,wpix11 uhf channel's wphl17 phila,29,and 48 .. all had late night movies, and late,late night movies back in the late 60's to early 80's) it was great, and i saw many,many b&w noir,gangster,mystery,and wonderful b-horror movies almost every night grow'in up(i'm 54 now), young kids will never experience that today... it's a shame, the only thing on network tv today is either sitcoms,reality tv, modern movies(slasher,violence, garbage) or sell'in something(realestate,get rich, skin care, makeup, whatever)..... but to answer the question of what film/films got me hooked on noir, i saw white heat way back when i was 12,13 on the late show, also nightmare alley around the same time,also loved 'the fugitive' tvseries, been whatch'in noir ever since...

[Adam Lounsbery]

I honestly can't remember. I've always liked detective and crime radio shows, and classic cinema. I'm pretty sure Foster Hirsch's book Film Noir: Dark Side of the Screen introduced me to the concept of "noir." Or it could have been Danny Peary's Cult Movies, and the section on Out of the Past.

Old Republic movies on late-night TV got me into B noirs and noirish B's, like Plunder Road and A Cry in the Night with Raymond Burr.

If I had to pick just one movie, though, it would probably be Out of the Past.

[Nauga]

For some reason, I was always drawn to black and white classic films more than I was the technicolour ones. My grandmother's next neighbor ran (what I realize now) a pirate classic film business out of her living room when I was growing up, and my grandma would send me old films on VHS. The first one I can remember was The Bad Seed (trying to tell me something, grandma?)

As far as noir goes, I remember seeing Mitchum in Cape Fear when I was young, then trying to pick out Mitchum films on AMC. Watching The Godfather, my dad always remarked on McCluskey's death scene and telling me about Sterling Hayden's career, which sent me chasing after Sterling Hayden films when I was older.

I couldn't pick just one film that set me on the noir track, but I have to say it helped being raised to be unafraid of classic black and white films. I hate when people say B&W = boring. Someone once told me that watching films before the 80s made him physically ill... yikes.

[cigar joe]

I grew up in NYC and had quite a few local TV stations, similar to noirton mcgraw's experience, that would show B&W films as content filler usually after 10PM, WNEW5,WOR9,WPIX11, and it was probably one of the PI Noirs that perked my interest either The Big Sleep, or Murder My Sweet, which got me on a Chandler-Hammett kick.

[noirton mcgraw]

yeah cigar joe, those 'big 3' of ny stations (wnew5,wor9,and wpix11) were maybe the best 3 all around stations one area could have back then, we were very very lucky to have them. all 3 would show afternoon movies, evening movies, late movies, and late,late movies most nights and always on weekends, plus always horror movies on weekends afternoons and late evenings (wnew5 creature feature, wor9 frightnight,wpix11 chiller theatre) , also many great tv shows,sports,wrestling,news.. sorry if i got off track a bit but, todays tv stinks, if it weren't for tmc, we would never find a good noir on tv

[JCharles]

I can relate to all the comments about those NY TV stations. They definitely gave me my first exposure to film noir. For me at the beginning, it was all Bogart. I loved The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Dead Reckoning and watched them on Channel 5 whenever I had a chance. I also remember seeing the drug scene in Murder My Sweet and Edward G. Robinson in the bathtub in Key Largo at an early age (That scene made a BIG impression). In the early 80s I saw in succession: Raw Deal, T-Men, Big Combo, DOA, and Out of The Past and I knew I was hooked. My favorite three film noirs are Out Of The Past, Raw Deal, and The Asphalt Jungle. They never get old for me. I also remember a 2:00 am viewing of Bad Day At Black Rock, probably on Channell 11. I re-watch that one every year too.

[cigar joe]

yeah cigar joe, those 'big 3' of ny stations (wnew5,wor9,and wpix11) were maybe the best 3 all around stations one area could have back then, we were very very lucky to have them. all 3 would show afternoon movies, evening movies, late movies, and late,late movies most nights and always on weekends, plus always horror movies on weekends afternoons and late evenings (wnew5 creature feature, wor9 frightnight,wpix11 chiller theatre) , also many great tv shows,sports,wrestling,news.. sorry if i got off track a bit but, todays tv stinks, if it weren't for tmc, we would never find a good noir on tv

Then you must remember an announcer of Horror/Thrillers named "Zackerley" lol.

[noirton mcgraw]

I can relate to all the comments about those NY TV stations. They definitely gave me my first exposure to film noir. For me at the beginning, it was all Bogart. I loved The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Dead Reckoning and watched them on Channel 5 whenever I had a chance. I also remember seeing the drug scene in Murder My Sweet and Edward G. Robinson in the bathtub in Key Largo at an early age (That scene made a BIG impression). In the early 80s I saw in succession: Raw Deal, T-Men, Big Combo, DOA, and Out of The Past and I knew I was hooked. My favorite three film noirs are Out Of The Past, Raw Deal, and The Asphalt Jungle. They never get old for me. I also remember a 2:00 am viewing of Bad Day At Black Rock, probably on Channell 11. I re-watch that one every year too.

same here JCHARLES, grow'in up, loved bogie,cagney,raft,edward g,garfield,.. loved all the bit actors in their movies, knew all their names, .. frank mchugh,edward pawley, joeseph downing, Joe Sawyer,allan jenkins, Barton MacLane ,George Bancroft,Joel McCrea , ... yeah, those were the good'ole days wor9,wnew5,wpix11, we had the best. .. i saw all those you mentioned and they made the same impression on me and are some of my favorites as well

[noirton mcgraw]

Then you must remember an announcer of Horror/Thrillers named "Zackerley" lol.

absolutley cigar joe, and officer joe bolton also

[noirguru]

Two films both seen on NYC TV, many years ago, Naked City (1948) and Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950).

[noirguru]

absolutley cigar joe, and officer joe bolton also

Don't forget Captain Jack McCarthy!!

[Keith]

This may sound strange, I could remember being a 3 year old (26 years now) back in 1988 in a packed movie theater and watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit on the big screen. For some reason, even though I was only 3 and didn't know what Noir was or the 1940's even existed, I was fascinated with the look of the period; the locations, the cars, the clothes, the music, the guns, etc.

As I got older I watched a lot of black and white television including Twilight Zone, so I had an appreciation for black and white. I then became an Alfred Hitchcock fan (Strangers on a Train being my first true Noir experience) and loved the dark cinema which then lend me to dig deeper and watch all the quintessential Noir films we all know and love.

[Steve-O]

This may sound strange, I could remember being a 3 year old (26 years now) back in 1988 in a pack movie theater and watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit on the big screen. For some reason, even though I was only 3 and didn't know what Noir was or the 1940's even existed, I was fascinated with the look of the period; the locations, the cars, the clothes, the music, the guns, etc.

As I got older I watched a lot of black and white television including Twilight Zone, so I had an appreciation for black and white. I then became an Alfred Hitchcock fan (Strangers on a Train being my first true Noir experience) and loved the dark cinema which then lend me to dig deeper and watch all the quintessential Noir films we all know and love.

Keith: I have to say that there are more than one person that got hooked on noir by watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit and/or Dead Men Don't Wear Plad. I remember being fascinated by the movie clips in Plad without knowing most of the films... and Rabbit. What can I say, it'd be better without all the cartoons (and how could they not have more Felix the Cat!)

For some reason, I was always drawn to black and white classic films more than I was the technicolour ones. My grandmother's next neighbor ran (what I realize now) a pirate classic film business out of her living room when I was growing up, and my grandma would send me old films on VHS. The first one I can remember was The Bad Seed (trying to tell me something, grandma?)

Nauga: that's a great story. Your grandma sounds like fun. I can only imagine what you were thinking watching The Bad Seed and wondering what she was trying to tell you.

[Ned]

I got it bad after seeing both "He Walked By Night" & "Blast Of Silence" in the late 1960s on late night NYC TV. I seem to remember "He Walked" on CH 9 & "Blast" on CH 11 - still two of my top films

Ned

[Adam Lounsbery]

Anyone who fondly remembers Zacherley (or their own local TV horror movie host) should check out the documentary American Scary (2006).

[Nauga]

Anyone who fondly remembers Zacherley (or their own local TV horror movie host) should check out the documentary American Scary (2006).

Was going to recommend just that... How fun is that film? I have to say though that I'm too young to have watched any of the greats although I do remember Joe Bob Briggs fondly. I can't check now, but that documentary might still be available streaming.

[Steve-O]

Was going to recommend just that... How fun is that film? I have to say though that I'm too young to have watched any of the greats although I do remember Joe Bob Briggs fondly. I can't check now, but that documentary might still be available streaming.

It's on Netflix streaming! Watching tonight. Unfortunately, we never had a "host" for the Creature Double Features on Boston TV (CH 56), but I remember those movies fondly.

[Adam Lounsbery]

American Scary is a little amateurish, and it might focus a little too much on current horror hosts who are plying their trade on the Web, but it's a lot of fun.

Now that I live in Chicago, I really enjoy watching Svengoolie on Me-TV (Rich Koz, formerly "Son of Svengoolie"). Are there any other old-school horror hosts who are still plying their trade on local affiliates?