There is a full list of over 100 Film Noir movies from the 1940s-1950s-1960s. I've seen 100 of them and I have ranked my next 26 to 50 favorites below. It was tough too because there are so many good films.
Film Noir is mainly Black & White movies consisting of murder, gangsters, cops, detectives, private eyes and Femme Fatales. All dealing in darkness and more darkness. It is a genre long gone in 2026. Except for a few color films.
I am a huge fan of Film Noir like I'm a fan of Westerns. - Roscoe Pond.
26. Notorious 1946. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. After World War II. German exiles escape to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) is the daughter of a German spy. She is recruited by a government agent T. R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to infiltrate these German exiles. She is also asked to seduce Alex Sebastian who was a friend of her father. They marry and at a party Devlin discovers a black substance in a wine bottle. Alex realizes that Alicia is an American spy and decides to poison her to death.
Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. They both had the longest kisses on film during the censorship era.
27. The Big Heat 1953. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is a homicide detective who comes upon the suicide of a fellow officer Tom Duncan. He leaves behind a letter to the district attorney. His wife hides that letter. Tom’s mistress claims he wasn’t suicidal and had planned to leave his wife. Dave’s boss wants the investigation to stop but he refuses and is put on suspension. He decides to investigate on his own. His wife is then killed by a car bomb and he goes after everyone he thinks is involved with her death.
Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford. The movie shocked audiences when a boiling pot of coffee is splashed over Gloria's face.
28. Sweet Smell of Success 1957. J. J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) runs a media empire in New York. A newspaper column and radio news on entertainment. He is ruthless and can ruin careers with his pen. He turns his anger toward a musician named Steve who is dating his sister Susan. He does everything to break them up. His relationship with her is unhealthy. J.J. engages a sleazy press agent named Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) to ruin Steve’s musical career. It backfires and J.J. might lose Susan for good.
Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. The movie flopped at the box office. It has become a cult favorite of Noir fans.
29. The Phenix City Story 1955. Phenix City, Alabama. The town’s red district is full of taverns, prostitution and illegal gambling. A popular nightclub is run by a gangster’s moll. It is also controlled by a crime boss named Rhett Tanner. He has everyone on his payroll including the police. Attorney Albert Patterson runs for state Attorney General to stop the Phenix corruption. He is shot to death and his son takes up the fight against Tanner.
Richard Kiley is far left. Based on a true story. It shocked audiences when a black girl is thrown from a car dead.
30. Pickup on South Street 1953. New York. On a crowded subway train. Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark) is a professional pick pocket. He steals a wallet from inside the purse belonging to Candy (Jean Peters). Inside is an envelope with microfilm showing U.S. government information. Her ex-boyfriend Joey tells her it is stolen information. A government agent has been following Candy. She might lead him to Joey’s boss who is a Communist spy (Russia). They all want that microfilm and some are willing to pay for it. While some are willing to kill for it.
Jean Peters and Richard Widmark. The Cold War between the U.S. and Russia.
31. The Tall Target 1951. New York. John Kennedy (Dick Powell) is a police sergeant who has protected Abraham Lincoln on his campaign trail. He discovers a plot to assassinate Lincoln on the train traveling from New York to Washington D.C. His superiors don’t believe him and John resigns. He decides to find the suspects himself. He boards the train secretly while an imposter takes over his passenger seat. Dead bodies fall from the train as a secret Pinkerton Agent gets on board. Can John stop this assassination?
Dick Powell far right. He faces criminals on a train who want to kill Abraham Lincoln.
32. The Narrow Margin 1952. Detective Sgt. Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) escorts a female witness by train from Chicago to Los Angeles. His partner is killed by a gangster attempting to kill the witness. They board the train and another woman enters the picture who is mistaken as this witness. The lead gangster tries to bribe Walter to give up that witness. It doesn’t work as one of the two women is killed on board the train.
Marie Windsor. Is she a government witness on a fast moving train?
33. Crime Wave 1953. Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson) got out of San Quentin prison two years ago. He now has a good job and a wife. Three convicts break out of San Quentin and kill a cop. One convict is shot and wounded. He shows up at Steve’s home and dies. The other convicts soon follow and they’re Steve’s friends from inside prison. They force him to help them rob a bank and it all goes wrong.
Sterling Hayden far right. He escorts a married couple to a possible bank robbery.
34. The Set Up 1949. Bill "Stoker" Thompson (Robert Ryan) is a 35-year-old boxer who thinks he’s still a competitor. His manager believes he is washed-up and has no “wins” in his future. Without Bill’s knowledge. His manager is paid by a gangster to throw the fight against a young boxer. After the fourth boxing round. Bill holds his own against Tiger Nelson. He then is told that he has to throw this fight. But, he doesn’t and goes on to win. Bill then pays a huge price for not throwing that fight.
Robert Ryan. Is he a washed up boxer at 35?
35. Black Tuesday 1954. Vincent Canelli (Edward G. Robinson) breaks out of prison on the day of his execution. His girlfriend Hatti planned the jail break. Vincent takes along five hostages plus another inmate named Peter Manning. Several other death-row inmates are freed, but are released to their own devices by Vincent. To throw police off his trail. He knows that Peter has stolen money and he wants some of it to flee the U.S. The police follow Peter back to the prisoner hideout. Vincent becomes violent and starts to kill hostages.
Edward G. Robinson returns to his violent killer roles and he doesn't disappoint.
36. I Want To Live 1958. San Francisco. Mabel Monohan is murdered and the police track down three killers, Emmett Perkins, John Santo and Barbara Graham (Susan Hayward). She is a petty thief and a known prostitute. The press labeled her, “Bloody Babs” and she’s hated by the police. Barbara claims she was with her husband and baby when the murder happened. She is set up by an undercover cop by creating a new alibi. She never admits to murder though. All three are sentenced to death. Barbara gains sympathy as the first woman to be executed in the gas chamber. (This is loosely based on real life. It was critically acclaimed and was a box office smash).
Susan Hayward won the Oscar as Best Actress after five nominations.
37. The Street with No Name 1948. Center City (Los Angeles). There are three killings and the police can’t capture a gang run by Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark). FBI agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) goes undercover. His social security card is found and he’s arrested. The card is fake and Alec puts up Gene’s bail money. He also joins Alec’s gang and finds out about an upcoming robbery of a Beverly Hills mansion. Alec has an informant in the police department who tips him off. Can the FBI capture this ruthless gang?
Richard Widmark is second from right. He runs a corrupt gang.
38. Tension 1949. Warren Quimby (Richard Basehart) is married to Claire (Audrey Totter). He works the nightshift of a drugstore. She is cheating on him and he confronts her new boyfriend. Warren is beaten up. He creates another character to kill Claire’s new man, but he can’t go through with it. They both find out that her boyfriend was murdered. Two police detectives investigate and have suspects but no murder weapon. The gun shows up to frame somebody.
Audrey Totter and Richard Basehart. This is one of the first Film Noirs produced at the MGM studio. They made only family films.
39. The 39 Steps 1935. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. A female spy tells Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) that two assassins are outside his apartment. They plan to kill her because she found that other spies hold British military secrets. She calls them, “The 39 Steps” right before getting murdered. Richard is accused of killing a counter espionage agent and goes on the run. He ends up handcuffed to Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) who helps him figure out what or who is, “The 39 Steps.”
40. Vice Squad 1953. Los Angeles. Two criminals attempt to hotwire a car. A police patrolman catches them and he is shot. A male eye witness saw the whole thing after leaving the apartment of his mistress. Capt. Barnaby (Edward G. Robinson) questions this witness who refuses to cooperate because of his affair. The patrolman soon dies and the heat is on to find these two criminals. It turns out that they are connected to other criminals who might squeal on them.
41. The Mob 1951. New Orleans. Johnny Damico (Broderick Crawford) comes upon a man with a badge. He has killed an eye witness plus an investigator whose badge he had stolen. Johnny doesn’t know this and lets the supposed investigator walk away. He falls into a cover up of a racketeer named Blackie. Johnny poses as a longshoreman named Tim to find this Blackie. He is soon framed for murder by Blackie’s thugs. It doesn’t stick and soon Johnny’s wife is kidnapped too.
42. Desperate 1947. Steve Randall (Steve Brodie) is an independent truck driver. His friend Walt Radak (Raymond Burr) asks Steve to carry a load for him which turns out to be stolen goods. As those goods are transferred. A cop is killed and Steve gets into more trouble. He runs away with his wife as both Walt and the cops try to track him down.
43. Gilda 1946. Ballin Mundson (George Macready) owns an illegal casino. He hires Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) to be the casino manager. Ballin marries Gilda (Rita Hayworth). She and Johnny hide the fact that they knew each other. They fall in love again as Ballin runs from the law. No one knows that he fakes his death. He later returns to kill both Johnny and Gilda. (Hayworth became an international sex symbol in 1946).
44. Caged 1950. Marie Allen (Eleanor Parker) is only 19-years-old. She is arrested for armed robbery along with her husband. He soon dies and she’s pregnant. Marie walks into prison as an innocent naive woman. The harsh realities of jail life hits her hard. When she gets out on parole. Marie leaves as a hardened and bitter woman. Will she go straight or return to prison again?
45. Border Incident 1949. Mexican migrant workers camp along the Mexican & U.S. Border. They receive permits to work in America. Other illegal migrants have been disappearing before they reach the U.S. Border. Pablo Rodriguez (Ricardo Montalbán) goes undercover as a migrant to find out who has been killing illegals. His partner is murdered as they uncover migrants being smuggled by an American rancher.
46. T Men 1947. Detroit. Two U.S. Treasury agents Dennis O’Brien (Dennis O’Keefe) and Alfred Ryfer (Tony Genaro) go undercover to break up a counterfeit ring. They start at the bottom and infiltrate the prominent Vantucci gang. Tony’s cover is accidentally blown and he is murdered in front of his partner Dennis. He continues undercover and unveils a counterfeit plate to capture the ring leaders.
47. Raw Deal 1948. Joe Sullivan (Dennis O’Keefe) went to jail after taking the fall to receive $50,000. His gangster partner Rick (Raymond Burr) doesn’t intend to pay Joe anything. Rick plans an escape from jail that is supposed to go wrong. It backfires and Joe gets out with the help of his girlfriend Pat (Clair Trevor). Rick sends another henchman to kill Joe for good.
A Publicity Photo for "Raw Deal." Dennis O'Keefe is helped by two women who love him.
Richard Basehart. He trusts no one.
Gig Young top left. He is busy on the streets of Chicago.
48. He Walked by Night 1948. Los Angeles. A loner named Roy (Richard Basehart) kills a cop during a store robbery. He uses two different last names to throw off the police. Sgt. Marty Brennan (Scott Brady) and Sgt. Chuck Jones (James Cardwell) try to question Roy. He shoots Chuck who is later paralyzed. Eye witnesses recognize Roy from a police sketch. Then, Marty accidentally comes upon Roy’s apartment. The chase is on.
49. City That Never Sleeps 1953. The Chicago nightlife never stops. Johnny Kelly (Gig Young) is a cop who wants to quit his job. He’s having an affair with an exotic dancer. He is soon asked to work for a corrupt attorney who is then murdered. Johnny’s father is mistaken for him and is also killed. He goes after the suspect on the dark streets of the windy city.
50. The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946. Nick (Cecil Kellaway) and Cora Smith (Lana Turner) own a small diner. She is 15 years younger than him. They seem to be happy until a drifter named Frank Chambers (John Garfield) steps into the diner. Him and Cora have a steamy affair and she persuades him to kill her husband. (To get by the censors. Turner was dressed in white costumes throughout the movie. It was a box office smash).
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