CarolinaNoir

I think that is exactly how it is most often overused. I believe Mr. Muller alludes to this in a commentary he did for on of the SoD films though I can't recall which one. I think TCM took quite a license with the term in selecting their SoD films. The last two I watched this weekend A Woman's Secret (1949) and Walk East on Beacon (1952) really don't cut it for me. At least A Woman's Secret has good noir pedigree (Nicholas Ray director and Gloria Grahame)