Gilda (1946)

Gilda (1946)

Gambler and American expatriate Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) is saved from a robber by casino owner Ballin Mundson (George Macready) and becomes his right-hand man.  Trouble erupts when Mundson marries the overly sexual Gilda (Rita Hayworth), who had been Johnny’s previous lover. The two have a love/hate relationship, with an emphasis on hate. Gilda sets

The Girl Hunters (1963)

The Girl Hunters (1963)

Tough guy Mike Hammer (Mickey Spillane) is instantly cured of his alcoholism—because that happens—when he hears information that may lead to the killer of  his ex-lover and secretary.  Ex-friend,  Captain Pat Chambers (Scott Peters) wants the info too, as does FBI agent Arthur Rickerby (Lloyd Nolan), but Hammer goes it alone.  He knows the murder

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Late at night, amoral detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up an hitchhiking escapee from an asylum (Cloris Leachman). Shortly afterwards, she’s tortured to death and he’s in the hospital, wondering how he can make a profit on this mystery. Without showing proper concern for the safety of his adoring secretary Velda (Maxine Cooper), who he

Lady in the Lake (1946)

Lady in the Lake (1946)

At Christmastime, Detective Philip Marlowe (Robert Montgomery) is hired by magazine editor and femme fatale Adrienne Fromsett (Audrey Totter) to find her boss’s (Leon Ames) wife, in the hopes that the wife has done something illegal and Fromsett can take her place.  Marlowe follows the trail to Chris Lavery (Dick Simmons), the wife’s supposed boyfriend,

The Last Seduction (1994)

The Last Seduction (1994)

When her drug dealing, doctor husband, Clay (Bill Pullman) comes home with a case full of money, Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) takes the money and runs.  She stops off in a hick town for a drink and a one night stand with Mike Swale (Peter Berg), a local who dreamed of the big city but

The Maltese Falcon (1931)

The Maltese Falcon (1931)

Ladykiller Sam Spade (Ricardo Cortez) is pulled into the case of the mysterious black bird by femme fatale Ruth Wonderly (NiBebe Daniels).  After his partner is murdered, he is introduced to a gang of eccentric criminals who have been searching for the statue for years: mastermind Casper Gutman (Dudley Digges), effeminate Dr. Joel Cairo (Otto

Marlowe (1969)

Marlowe (1969)

On what looks like a standard missing persons case, detective Philip Marlowe (James Garner) meets a blackmailer (Jackie Coogan) who is later murdered.  A set of incriminating photos of a sitcom star (Gayle Hunnicutt) and a gangster (H.M. Wynant) that the blackmailer was holding leads Marlowe along a convoluted trail of dead bodies and uncooperative

Ossessione (1943)

Ossessione (1943)

Gino (Massimo Girotti), a listless wanderer, falls for the wife (Clara Calamai) of an older bar owner (Juan De Landa).  When she won’t run off with him, the two murder the husband.  But neither deal well with the guilt and begin to mistrust each other.  A homosexual peddler and a prostitute offer Gino alternative life-paths,

Reign of Terror (1969)

Reign of Terror (1969)

In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Robespierre (Richard Basehart) schemes to make himself dictator.  But his black book, which holds the names of both friends and foes he will execute, has been stolen.  Masquerading as a psychotic killer, Charles D’Aubigny (Robert Cummings) is given the job of retrieving the book, which he secretly plans

Sirocco (1951)

Sirocco (1951)

It is 1925 Damascus, and the Syrian insurrection is attempting to throw out the French.  Harry Smith (Humphrey Bogart) sells weapons and feeds off the misery.  In a restaurant, he meets the beautiful, shallow, and manipulative Violette (Märta Torén), the mistress of Col. Feroud (Lee J. Cobb), the only French representative who would like a