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Classic Film Noir

Here be those darkly vexing offerings one should include in their diet periodically. Film Noir (literally 'black film or cinema') was coined by French film critics (first by Frank Nino in 1946) who noticed the trend of how 'dark' and black the looks and themes were of many American crime and detective films released in France following the war. It was a style of black and white American films that first evolved in the 1940s, became prominent in the post-war era, and lasted in a classic "Golden Age" period until about 1965. With the list below Alice has included many "Contempory Noirs", making browsing that much more "coloured"..... Right: Orson Wells stars and directs "A Touch Of Evil".

Sherlock Holmes: Collectors' Edition (1954)

7.6/10
Director: Sheldon Reynolds
Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford , Christopher Lee

Ronald Howard reprises his acclaimed BBC radio role as Sherlock Holmes for the only American serial version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detecti... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: Pursuit to Algiers / The Woman in Green (1945)

7.6/10
Director: Roy William Neill
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Henry Daniell, Hillary Brooke, Nigel Bruce, Leslie Vincent

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are widely celebrated as cinema's perfect Homes and Watson, filming more than a dozen adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan D... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: Terror by Night / Dressed to Kill (1946)

7.6/10
Director: Roy William Neill
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Mary Forbes, Nigel Bruce

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are widely celebrated as cinema's perfect Homes and Watson, filming more than a dozen adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan D... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1939)

7.6/10
Director: Alfred L Werker, Roy William Neill
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Ida Lupino, Nigel Bruce, Dennis Hoey, George Zucco

'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' (1939) - Evil mastermind Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) escapes a murder conviction when Holmes (Basil Rathbone... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Case Of The Imposter Mystery (1954)

7.6/10
Director: Sheldon Reynolds
Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford

This series was filmed in France and produced by Sheldon Reynolds, who also directed most of the episodes. Some of the stories were based on Arthur Co... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Shoeless Engineer (1954)

7.6/10
Director: Sheldon Reynolds
Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford

This series was filmed in France and produced by Sheldon Reynolds, who also directed most of the episodes. Some of the stories were based on Arthur Co... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Texas Cowgirl (1954)

7.6/10
Director: Sheldon Reynolds
Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford

These short films listed below, made for television where filmed in France in the mid 1950s and feature Ronald Howard, the son of the actor Leslie How... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Thistle Killer (1954)

7.6/10
Director: Sheldon Reynolds
Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford

This series was filmed in France and produced by Sheldon Reynolds, who also directed most of the episodes. Some of the stories were based on Arthur Co... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles (Rathbone) / Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1939)

7.6/10
Director: John Rawlins, Sidney Lanfield
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill, Nigel Bruce, Richard Greene, Reginald Denny

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are widely celebrated as cinema's perfect Homes and Watson, filming more than a dozen adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan D... Read more

Sherlock Holmes: The Scarlet Claw / The House of Fear (1944)

7.6/10
Director: Roy William Neill
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Gertrude Astor

'The Scarlet Claw' (1944) - The village of La Morte Rouge in Canada has an old legend about a marsh monster. Many residents are afraid that the monste... Read more