Houses of Noir - by Ronald Schwartz (Paperback)

About the Book

"Examined is the author's choice of best noir film represented by each studio, studio's history and formation, plot outline, careers of the star roster for each studio, as well as each producer, director, screenwriter, camera man, composer, art and set directors, a critique of each film as well as a series of stills that represent noir style"--

Book Synopsis

Film noir is a particularly American stylistic phenomenon (although named by French film critics) that permeated nearly every major, minor and independent Hollywood studio production from 1940 through the early 1960s. The author examines the best noir film from each studio and includes each studio's history, a meticulous plot outline and information on the careers of each studio's star roster. He also comments on producers, directors, screenwriters, camera men, composers, art and set directors and presents stills that represent the noir style. The book also has a discussion of independent productions and the second best film noirs of major and minor studios.

Review Quotes

"The reader here benefits from the author's impressive knowledge...a nice and entertaining addition to the bookshelf"-popcultureshelf.com.

About the Author

The late Ronald Schwartz was a professor emeritus of Romance languages and film at City University of New York (Kingsborough) and the author of numerous books. He lived in Manhattan.