S01E01 Origins of Noir (1922-1940)
Revisit the birth of film noir in the early 1920s, paving the way for stars like Barbara Stanwyck to grip audiences with 1944's Double Indemnity.
With film noir in full flight, a slew of now-renowned noir 'bad girls' take centre stage, from Rita Hayworth in Gilda to Ava Gardner in The Killers.
Thematically, film noir frequently centered on portrayals of women of questionable virtue—this had become rare in Hollywood post the pre-Code era. Double Indemnity, directed by Billy Wilder; setting the mould was Barbara Stanwyck’s unforgettable femme fatale, Phyllis Dietrichson.
This series will explore the work & influences of directors & writers, including Nicholas Ray, Jules Dassin, Robert Siodmak, Fritz Lang, Edward Dmytryk, Orson Welles, Raoul Walsh, Jacques Tourneur and many more.