Femme Noir: Bad Girls of Film

by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

What could be more unsettling than the steely look on Gene Tierney's face as she watches her young brother-in-law drown in Leave Her to Heaven? Or Barbara Stanwyck's voice in Double Indemnity as she coolly tells her lover that it is "straight down the line for both of us" in their plot to murder her husband. Though often thought of as primarily male vehicles, films noirs offered some of the most complex female roles of any movies of the 1940s and 1950s. Stars such as Stanwyck, Tierney and Crawford produced some of their finest performances in noir, while such lesser known actresses as Peggie Castle, Hope Emerson and Helen Walker made a lasting impression on moviegoers with their roles in the genre. These six women and 43 others who were most frequently featured in films noirs are profiled here, focusing primarily on their work in the genre and its impact on their careers. A filmography of all noir appearances is provided for each actress.

Genres: Noir, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film

643 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Dianne Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love old movies, particularly film nor, so this was a perfect fun read. It reminded me of all the good movies I need to rewatch.

[Russell Brennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was keen to get this book for a while but in the end was a bit disappointed. It was very expensive to acquire but would have been worth it had it been very good.
It was very basic about each actress and major part of the books content was describing certain film plots (lots of the same film)
It also missed out some key femme fatales like Beverly Micheal's and other but but someone like Marilyn Monroe in who everybody knows. So wanted to know more about the lesser known femme Fatal film actresses.
It was still worth a read but not as good as expected.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a huge fan of film noir, I enjoyed the background info and filmographies of the women reviewed in this book.

[Frank Ogden · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in learning about actresses that appeared in film noir movies, this is the book for. One learns not only about the films but also the personal history of each actresses.

Highly Recommended!!

[Danny Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of essential noir films through the lives of the women who starred in them.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serviceable collection of biographies but for obvious reasons they couldn’t go into too much depth. I did get tired of seeing “She came into the world”, repeated over and over again.

[Rachel K · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fun reference material, though I'm not sure how well it is fact checked. Regardless, if you're into noir, pick up a copy from the library and make a list of little gems that have so far escaped your notice.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who loves noirs

This book is quite comprehensive. It covers the films and careers of the female stars of fi!ms noir. Lots of interesting info. It covers more than just the noir films and includes the actresses' other notable film roles.