Cochran. David, America Noir: Underground Writers and Filmmakers of the Postwar Era (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000). See Crime Fiction section for details.
Delamater, Jerome H. and Ruth Prigozy (eds), The Detective in American Fiction, Film, and Television (Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998, Contributions to the Study of Popular Culture). See Crime Fiction section for details.
Gillis, Stacy and Philippa Gates (editors), The Devil Himself: Villainy in Detective Fiction and Film (Greenwood Press, 2001). See Crime Fiction section for details.
Hannsberry, Karen Burroughs, Femme Noir: The Bad Girls of Film (McFarland & Company, 1998). Editorial review from Booklist (quoted amazon.com): ‘The "femmes" of film noir are the actresses featured in these movies, and this book recounts the personal and professional stories of 49 of them. Each entry begins with a striking black-and-white studio portrait set off by a black border and captioned with the entrant's name in large print. An essay ranging in length from 7 to 15 pages follows, providing a biography and an account of film roles. One, and sometimes two, publicity stills often accompany the text. Entries are finished off with a "Film Noir Filmography," in which the director, producer, cast, month/year of release, and running time of each film are listed. The references that follow are usually citations of magazines and newspaper articles, and, in a few cases, books.’ The ‘femmes’ discussed include Lauren Bacall, Joan Crawford, Ida Lupino, Barbara Stanwyck, and Gene Tierney, as well as several less familiar actresses.
Muller, Eddie, Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir (Regan Books, 2001). Editorial review from amazon.com (by Bill Ott): ‘Of several recent books on film noir, this one is the least academic. Muller is clearly a fan and relishes the opportunity to hang out with a few of his favorite lost souls from what he calls Dark City. The book is organized around the city motif, with chapters devoted to various thematic neighborhoods, for example, "The Precinct" (cop flicks) and "Vixenville" (femme fatales). This metaphor seems a bit labored at times, and Muller's plot summaries tend to run on, but otherwise film noir fans will have plenty to enjoy here. The illustrations, mostly stills, are first rate, and the mix of biographical, historical, and critical material works well. Background on such vintage noir actors as Robert Ryan, Richard Widmark, and, of course, Robert Mitchum is usually fresh and pertinent, and the insider gossip about life in the studios adds some zip. Nicholas Christopher's Somewhere in the Night remains the best critical study, but this more-browsable volume provides an entertaining all-around introduction to the genre.’
Silver, Alain and James Ursini, The Noir Style (Overlook Press, 1999). ‘The Noir Style is arranged "to reflect certain motifs prevalent" in noir. A chapter entitled "Out of the Past" examines the socio-cultural precedents of noir; "Night and the City" examines the use of urban landscapes; "Deadly is the Female" examines the role of the femme fatale; "The Dark Mirror" examines the influence of psychology; "The Reckless Moment" examines the overpowering and destructive role of fate; "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" examines doppelgangers and mirror images; and "Neo-Noir" examines how noir elements have been integrated into post-noir cinema. In addition, the book contains several sidebar discussions of sub-topics, such as the presence of prison-like bars as a visual motif and the influence of the lurid photography of Weegee.’ (reviewed online by Gary Johnson, in images: http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue09/reviews/noirstyle/text.htm)
