FAMILIAR FACES OF NOIR

Many of these actors achieved stardom because of their start in film noir; others, despite it. In any case, at one time or another, sometimes many times, they played cops and robbers, hoodlums and toadies, doomed anti-heroes and femme fatales in one of filmdom’s richest genres. And all of us fans of film noir are richer for that. A tip of the fedora to them all.

BRUCE BENNETT

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Bruce Bennett (1906-2007), nee Harold Herman Brix, was as an athlete before he was an actor, winner of the Silver medal for shot-putting in ...

MARTHA VICKERS

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In the noir classic THE BIG SLEEP (1946), Philip Marlow (Bogart) says of rich, spoiled Carmen Sternwood, “She tried to sit in my lap, and I ...

JOSEPH CALLELIA

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Maltese-born character actor Joseph Calleila (1897-75) first came to prominence as a concert singer in England and Europe. He made his scree...

HILLARY BROOKE

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Hillary Brooke (1914-99), a former model, was born in Astoria, New York but spoke with a cultured accent. She developed this early in her ca...

LAWRENCE TIERNEY

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You might best remember gravel-voiced Lawrence Tierney (1919-02) as Elaine Bence’s bald, scary dad on SEINFELD (1991) and Joe Cabot in RESER...

LEE PATRICK

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Lee Patrick (1901-82) began acting on Broadway in 1924 and moved to Hollywood a few years later. Over the next several years she played nume...

JEAN PETERS

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Jean Peters (1926-2000) left her home in Canton, Ohio to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Her first film, CAPTAIN OF CASTILE (1947), wi...

AVA GARDNER

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Ava Gardner (1922-90) began her career first as a model, then as a contract player at MGM. She toiled in tiny bit roles, finally getting a w...

DANE CLARK

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Dane Clark (1912-98) was born Bernard Zanville in Brooklyn. His future as an actor began in Northport, Long Island when Charles M. Fritz, a ...

WHIT BISSELL

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No actor ever had a more impressive list of film credits than Whit Bissell (1909-96). Born Whitner Nutting Bissell, he grew up in New York c...

JOAN CRAWFORD

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For almost 50 years, Joan Crawford (1905-77) reigned as one of the great stars of the silver screen, evolving from a free-spirited flapper i...
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VAN HEFLIN

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Van Heflin, (1910-71) began his acting career on Broadway in the early 1930s before signing with RKO Studios. His first film, A WOMAN REBELS...
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RALPH MEEKER

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Ralph Meeker (1920-88) began his career in musicals with Betty Hutton and Leslie Caron, but 50s'Hollywood had heavier work for this stag...
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JOHN GARFIELD

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Known for playing brooding, rebellious, working-class types, Brooklyn-born John Garfield (1913-52) was born Jacob Julius Garfinkle. After th...
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BURT LANCASTER

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In his youth, Burt Lancaster (1913-94) was an acrobat in the circus, and he served in the U.S. Army in North Africa and Italy. He was alrea...
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JACK LAMBERT

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Jack Lambert (1920-2002) specialized in playing movie tough guys and heavies. Following a stint on Broadway, Lambert moved to Hollywood and ...
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GENE TIERNEY

The face in the misty light...

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Gene Tierney (1920-91) starred in one of the greatest noir films ever made - LAURA (1944) - and co-starred in others including LEAVE HER TO ...
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CLAIRE TREVOR

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Claire Trevor (1910-2000) was nicknamed "Queen of Film Noir" because of her many appearances in "bad girl” roles in film noir...
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ARTHUR KENNEDY

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John Arthur Kennedy (1914-90) got his break in movies when he was discovered by James Cagney and played the actor's kid brother in CITY ...
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MIKE MAZURKI

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Mike Mazurki (1907-90) was a Ukrainian-born actor and professional wrestler who appeared in over 100 movies. Tall, stocky and muscular with ...

LAUREN BACALL

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Lauren Bacall (1924), now in her 80s and still going strong, began her career as a model, gracing the cover of Harper's Bazaar at age 19...
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HUMPHREY BOGART

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Bogie (1899-57) started his career as a good, but hardly great, Broadway stage player and B-movie actor during the 1920s and 1930s, but his ...

LANA TURNER

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Lana Turner (1921-95) wasn’t discovered at Schwab's Drug Store, as movie legend has it, but rather at the Top Hat Café. William R. Wilke...

ROBERT MITCHUM

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Robert Mitchum (1917-97) was a marijuana smoker in an era of drinkers, and his heavy-lidded eyes and laconic drawl seemed to come straight o...
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FARLEY GRANGER

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Farley Granger (1925-2011) was acting in theater in Los Angeles when he was contracted by Samuel Goldwyn. He debuted in THE NORTH STAR (1943...
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DICK POWELL

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Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell (1904-63) attended Little Rock College started his career as a singer in his own band. He recorded a n...

WILLIAM CONRAD

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William Conrad (1920-94), known for his his deep baritone voice and sizable girth, started working in radio in the late 1930s in California....
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COLEEN GRAY

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Coleen Gray (1922) made many film noir thrillers, westerns and even several horror films during her lengthy acting career. She scored a crit...
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VIRGINIA MAYO

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Virginia Mayo (1920-2005) was a chorus dancer when she began her film career as a bit player in 1942. She rose to face as Danny Kaye's l...
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IDA LUPINO

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Ida Lupino (1918-95), London-born actress/director/screenwriter, came from a family of performers. She played small parts in Hollywood films...

CATHY O'DONNELL

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Cathy O'Donnell (1923-1970) studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before embarking on her career on stage and then movi...

JEROME COWAN

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Jerome Cowan (1897-72) appeared in over 100 films but is probably best remembered for playing Miles Archer, the doomed private eye partner o...
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RICHARD WIDMARK

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Richard Widmark (1914-2008) studied acting at Lake Forest College and taught it at the college after graduation, before debuting on radio ...

DAN DURYEA

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Dan Duryea (1907-68) made his name on Broadway in the play “Dead End,” followed by “The Little Foxes,” in which he played the dishonest and ...

BERRY KROEGER

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Berry Kroeger (1912-91) got his acting start on radio as an announcer and actor, playing for a time “The Falcon” and “The Shadow.” He was di...

AGNES MOOREHEAD

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Agnes Moorehead (1900-74) was a graduate of Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio and went on to earn a master's degree in English and pu...
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GLORIA GRAHAME

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Gloria Grahame (1925-81) was taught acting by her stage mother. She made her film debut in BLONDE FEVER (1944) and then scored her most wide...
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MARK STEVENS

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Richard Stevens (1916-94) studied to be a painter but turned to theater work. He launched a radio career as an announcer in Akron and then m...
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EDMOND O'BRIEN

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Edmond O'Brien (1915-85) made his film debut in 1938, and gradually built a career as a highly regarded (if scene-chewing) supporting ac...
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LIZABETH SCOTT

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Lizabeth Scott (1922) began her career in stock and got her first break when she was cast as Tallulah Bankhead's understudy in THE SKIN ...
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JOHN MCINTIRE

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John McIntire (1907-91), the character actor with a jaw like a ventloquist's dummy, began his long movie career in 1947, often playing p...

PETER LORRE

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Peter Lorre (1904-64), born Ladislav (László) Löwenstein, was an Austrian-American stage and screen actor best known for playing roles with ...
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FRANK LOVEJOY

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Frank Lovejoy (1914-62) began his career in the '30s as a radio voice-over talent and stage actor. His radio series included "Gangb...
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LEON AMES

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Leon Ames (1902-93) enjoyed a long, successful career as a familiar-faced supporting actor, appearing in many films and a variety of genres....

GEORGE MACREADY

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George Macready (1899-73) claimed to be a descendant of the 19th-century Shakespearean actor William Macready. With a distinctive scar on hi...

THOMAS GOMEZ

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Thomas Gomez (1905-71), born Sabino Tomas Gomez in New York, began his acting career in theater during the 1920s. He made his first film SHE...

STERLING HAYDEN

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Sterling Hayden (1916-86) was a fine actor who never really wanted to act. His first love was the sea, and in fact, the desire to buy a boat...

MARIE WINDSOR

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Marie Windsor (1919-2000), often called "Queen of the B’s" studied acting under Russian stage and screen luminary Maria Ouspenskay...
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ELISHA COOK, JR.

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Elisha Cook, Jr. (1902-95) made a long and splendid career playing cowardly villains and neurotics, earning the nickname "Hollywood...
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