Noir Characters That Give You a Chill

[arlenemccarthy]

For starters Norman Lloyd as Frank Foy in Saboteur and Ralf Harolde as Dr. Sonderborg in Muerer my Sweet !

 

Edited by: arlenemccarthy on Mar 29, 2010 12:44 PM

[mrroberts]

You have to include Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo in Kiss Of Death.

[arlenemccarthy]

Oh my yes. IMHO Richard Widmark was very sexy, but I hate him in this role. I cover my eyes when " its " about to happen.

[nightwalker]

Vera, perhaps the ultimate film noir femme fatale, as portrayed by Ann Savage in DETOUR, 1945.

[HollywoodGolightly]

Richard Widmark's not bad, but let's not forget the great Lawrence Tierney. He always gives me a chill when he's in a noir or gangster film.

[redriver]

It's the ladies who scare me. Jane Greer in the quintessential OUT OF THE PAST, and even more so, Stanwyck in DOUBLE INDEMNITY. That woman is ice!

[arlenemccarthy]

Lawrence Tierney was certainly chilling in Born to Kill with the luscious Claire Trevor and in Dillinger opposite the lovely Anne Jeffreys.

 

Barbara and Jane OMG what a pair.

[mrroberts]

I would also have to put Jean Simmons in Angel Face in that category.

[Bronxgirl48]

[arlenemccarthy]

BronxGirl48,

Thank you for that Patty McCormick pic. Blondes are bad, no matter the age !

 

Edited by: arlenemccarthy on Mar 29, 2010 8:31 PM

[clore]

Although he ends up being quite benevolent, Housely Stevenson as the surgeon in DARK PASSAGE creeps me out.

 

George Macready is always chilling, even when cast as a good guy.

 

William Bendix in THE GLASS KEY is an icy brute but in THE BLUE DAHLIA, I just find him annoying.

[mrroberts]

A great movie I haven't seen in a while, Experiment In Terror has Ross Martin playing Red Lynch. And lets not forget Robert Walker in Strangers On A Train, every bit as spooky as Tony Perkins in Psycho.

[arlenemccarthy]

mrroberts,

Omy my Martin was very creepy. Lee Remick was excellent in the film. The film was full of chills, I cant forget the scenes involving the sculptress, I was so frighten for her I wanted to scream, I thgink that I did. I first saw the film with 2 other girls at the local theatre, I am have been 14 at the time. An excellent early Blake Edwards film.

[arlenemccarthy]

mrroberts,

Oh my Martin was very creepy. Lee Remick was excellent in the film. The film was full of chills, I cant forget the scenes involving the sculptress, I wanted to scream, I think I did. I first saw Experiment with 2 other girls at the local movie theatre, I must have been 14. An excellent eary Blake Edwards film.

[redriver]

If my name was Houseley, I'd be creepy too.

[LoveFilmNoir]

Neville Brand in *DOA* and *Kansas City Confidential*...he just has a creepy look where you just know something shady is going to happen.

 

Clifton Webb - in Laura and A Dark Corner he has an effeminate way about his evil that is so sophisticated, yet so evil.

[clore]

If he had to go through life with a name like Houseley, why would he name his son Onslow? (as in Stevens).

 

Now that reminds me, not a noir, but Skelton Knaggs who said "Dr. Edelmann killed my brother" is one creepy dude. Onslow Stevens was Dr. Edelmann in HOUSE OF DRACULA.

[DownGoesFrazier]

Lawrence Tierney in BORN TO KILL, above all others.

[stjohnrv]

Skelton knaggs , oh boy he was definitely creepy. I remember seeing him some B&W pirate film where a visitor aboard ship asks him where the captain was.... Skelton looks up with that ratty gaze he used and said "OH HE BE HANGING AROUND SOMEWHERE" then the camera pans up and we see the feet of a man swaying in the breeze..as he said Hanging about some where. wonderful campy stuff from the good old 40"s and 50's.

 

Edited by: st johns on Mar 30, 2010 11:18 PM

[stjohnrv]

I don't know if LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN" qualifies as a film noir, but Gene Tierney certainly qualifies as a very scary broad.

[ChiO]

Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) in *Gun Crazy* -- heat _and_ a chill.

[arlenemccarthy]

I've never seen that noir. Thanks for the tip.

[redriver]

GUN CRAZY is an interesting, atmospheric little character drama. I hadn't seen it till recently. It's well worth the effort.

[Terrence1]

That's true about Gene Tierney in "Leave Her to Heaven." She was pure evil. Who can forget the scene on the lake when she allows the crippled child to drown? SCAREY!

 

Terrence.

[DownGoesFrazier]

The child actor was Darryl Hickman, and he described the scene in detail when RO interviewed a group of former child actors. Interesting.