Dark City - The Lost World of Film Noir

Fans of dark, gritty cinema from the '40s and '50s rejoice!  Film noir impresario Eddie Muller has updated and expanded his "Dark City" to include even more sumptuous details about the genre, which continues to captivate audiences.  

For fans of Turner Classic Movies and "Noir Alley", also hosted by Eddie Muller, "Dark City" takes us on an immaculate tour of shadowy cityscapes, corrupt men, dangerous femme fatales and heartwrenching stories.  "Double Indemnity", "The Postman always rings twice", "Sunset Boulevard" - they're all here with eye-opening details about the actors, directors and creators who defined film noir even before the term was coined.  

Eddie dedicates a large section, appropriately titled "Vixenville", to the women of noir with great behind-the-scenes stories about the glamorous Lizabeth Scott (Pitfall), Rita Hayworth (The Lady from Shanghai), Joan Crawford (Mildred Pierce) and of course, the noir queen, Barbara Stanwyck (The Strange Life of Martha Ivers, Double Indemnity and Sorry, wrong number).  I particularly liked his take on Oscar-winner Gloria Grahame's accomplished career but tragic real-life.  

The amazing stories are centred by the stunning visuals, including black and white stills from some of the best noirs.  No fan of cinema should be without this book.  It's a fantastic accomplishment that perfectly captures a genre still alive today in modern films like "Nightmare Alley" (2021) and "The Batman" (2022). 

Review by Timothy Austin 

Ratings *****

Format: Hardcover

Buy here.