The Dark Side of the Screen

A revised and updated edition of the definitive study of film noir—the most original genre of American cinema—with a new afterword by the author

Since The Dark Side of the Screen first appeared over two decades ago, it has served as the essential take on what has become one of today’s most pervasive screen influences and enduringly popular genres. Covering over one hundred outstanding films and offering more than two hundred carefully chosen stills, it is by far the most thorough and entertaining study available of noir themes, visual motifs, character types, actors, and directors. This landmark work covers noir in full, from the iconic performances of Burt Lancaster, Joan Crawford, and Humphrey Bogart to the camera angles, lighting effects, and story lines that characterize the work of directors Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder, and Orson Welles.

With a new afterword about the lasting legacy of noir as well as recently rediscovered films deserving of their own screenings alongside the classics, The Dark Side of the Screen reestablishes itself as both an unsurpassed resource and a captivating must-read for any fan of noir.
 

• Film Noir Reader (Limelight)
• More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts
• Film Noir Compendium: Key Selections from the Film Noir Reader Series (Limelight)
• Film Noir (Insider Film)
• Film Noir FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Hollywood's Golden Age of Dames, Detectives and Danger
• Film Noir Reader 4: The Crucial Films and Themes (Limelight) (Bk. 4)
• Film Noir: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
• Into the Dark: The Hidden World of Film Noir, 1941-1950 (Turner Classic Movies)
• Film Noir (Bibliotheca Universalis)
• The Film Noir Encyclopedia