Once the gangster pictures of the Great Depression ran their course, along came a new kind of crime film during the war years: film noir! Visually distinctive with sharp contrasts between moody shadows and bright light, psychologically menacing with cynical anti-heroes conspiring with femme fatales, and thematically disillusioned with the empty pursuit of wealth and power, these uniquely American films brought to movie audiences the dark underside of the American Dream. From the highly-regarded classics like The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Sunset Blvd. to lesser-known titles such as D.O.A. and The Hitch-Hiker, there are plenty of these highly-stylized stories that are waiting to be reintroduced!

A lifelong lover of cinema, Frank Mandosa hosts talks on a wide variety of film topics. A high school English and Film teacher, he also co-hosts Reel Life for Stoughton Media Access Center (SMAC). Twitter: @filmbuff1974 / Facebook film page: “Silver Screeners” / Instagram: frankmandosa1974 / www.frankmandosa.weebly.com