10 Classic Dark Thrillers From The Black & White Era

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While black-and-white movies may feel like relics of a bygone era, it’s incredible just how impactful the best thrillers of that time remain to this day. From classic releases by all-time great directors like Alfred Hitchcock to underrated movies that have only gotten their due in recent years, just because a film was released several decades ago does not mean it’s any less impactful than the most popular thrillers of today. In fact, many of these movies laid the groundwork for the cinematic world we live in today and are just waiting to be rediscovered by modern viewers.

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Some of the best thrillers of all time came from the black-and-white era, as classic movies did not shy away from deeply dark and sinister tales. These include trailblazing examples of German Expressionism and forgotten classics that were only rediscovered in the 21st century. With a world of cinematic history uncovered by eager film fans, those who don’t embrace the classics of the black-and-white era are missing out on some truly astounding movies.

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10

Suspicion (1941)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

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Suspicion

Approved

Film Noir

Mystery

Thriller

Release Date

November 14, 1941

Runtime

99 Minutes

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The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, delivered yet another nail-biting story with the romantic psychological thriller Suspicion, a classic release that cemented his reputation as a major voice in Hollywood. Featuring Cary Grant trading his typically charismatic persona to play the morally dubious playboy Johnnie Aysgarth, Suspicion explores the way this penniless gambler conned his way into marriage with the striking Lina McLaidlaw. This beautiful leading lady was played to perfection by Joan Fontaine in the only Oscar-winning performance in any Hitchcock movie.

Suspicion addressed themes of deceitfulness within a marriage that became all the more pressing as it seemed Johnnie intended to murder his new wife and live off her riches. While an abrupt ending that recontextualized Johnnie as an almost heroic character felt like it came out of left field, Suspicion still remains one of Hitchcock’s most compelling and intriguing releases of the 1940s. As a classic release that does not get nearly the same recognition as other Hitchcock thrillers, like Rear Window or Vertigo, those who haven’t seen it should go back and check out Suspicion.

9

Woman On The Run (1950)

Directed by Norman Foster

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Woman on the Run

Not Rated

Crime

Thriller

Mystery

Release Date

November 29, 1950

Runtime

77 Minutes

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Woman on the Run was a spectacular melodrama that saw Ann Sheridan desperately trying to track down the sole witness of a murder in a heart-racing story of deceit and distrust. As a Hitchcock-style thriller whose discovered copy was destroyed in the 2008 Universal lot fire, the film was originally thought to be lost except for some grainy VHS copies. However, Woman on the Run’s negative and soundtrack was found in the British Film Institute’s collection (via Chicago Tribune), meaning film noir lovers can now enjoy a restored version in all its glory.

As a lost classic filled with great characters, snappy dialogue, and a thrilling story filled with chases and twists, Woman on the Run featured a great leading performance from Sheridan as Eleanor Johnson, the wife of a murder witness trying to track him down before the killer does. Produced on a small budget, Woman on the Run highlighted that a strong premise and great performances were enough to produce a noir classic whose reputation has absolutely exploded in the 21st century.

8

Gaslight (1944)

Directed by George Cukor

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Gaslight

NR

Thriller

Drama

Mystery

Crime

Release Date

May 4, 1944

Runtime

114 Minutes

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The psychological thriller Gaslight explored the idea of a husband gaslighting his wife, and the 1938 play that it was based on is actually where this term comes from in the first place. Starring Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist Anton, Gaslight depicts a young woman whose husband slowly manipulates her into believing she is going insane. As an unusually dark and psychological tale for its time, Bergman’s astounding portrayal of deep mental anguish was truly a sight to behold.

Gaslight was an intense noir that was filled with paranoia and confusion that stood in total opposition to Hollywood’s typical depiction of marriage as a form of security. As Paula saw herself trapped within a domestic prison, Gaslight showcased the ways that women could be undermined and controlled within a societal construct that kept them isolated from anything outside of their marriage. Bergman was rightfully awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress for her masterclass performance.

7

Cape Fear (1962)

Directed by J. Lee Thompson

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Cape Fear

PG

Thriller

9/10

Release Date

April 12, 1962

Runtime

105 minutes

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Cape Fear brought together the abject terror of revenge stories with the stylish aesthetic of noirs to produce one of the best psychological thrillers ever made. While many viewers will be aware of Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake starring Robert De Niro, nothing can compare to Robert Mitchum’s terrifying portrayal of Max Cady. This deranged ex-convict was seen attempting to enact revenge upon the attorney Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), whom he deemed responsible for putting him in jail years prior.

With a dark and foreboding atmosphere, Cape Fear sees Cady get out of jail due to a loophole and hunt down Bowden’s family in a shocking tale of revenge. Cape Fear was far darker and more intense than the average noirs of its time, and the sadistic and unhinged undertones of Cady’s character alluded to a history of violent sexual assault. As one of Mitchum’s most powerful performances, this all-time great actor tapped into his most sinister side for his role in Cape Fear.

6

What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)

Directed by Robert Aldrich

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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Release Date

October 31, 1962

Runtime

2h 14m

Director

Robert Aldrich

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While many of the best thrillers from the black-and-white era told the stories of cunning crooks and terrifying thieves, one of the most compelling and psychological tales instead explored the dark side of sibling relationships. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was a horrifying tale of a jealous sister and the embittered resentment she has held for decades. Starring longtime rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the real-life animosity this duo held for one another fed into both of their extraordinary performances.,

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? told the harrowing story of a former child star whose life has been devastated by alcoholism (Davis) who carries deep resentment toward her sister. With any other actress, the campy grotesqueness of Jane’s character could have come across as over-the-top, but with Davis at the helm, it was a masterclass in menace. As a classic thriller that earned Davis her tenth and final Academy Award nomination, she would try to recapture the appeal of this classic thriller in later releases like Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

5

The Lady From Shanghai (1947)

Directed by Orson Welles

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The Lady From Shanghai

NR

Mystery

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Release Date

December 24, 1947

Runtime

87 Minutes

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From Citizen Kane to The Other Side of the Wind, director Orson Welles was responsible for some of the most acclaimed movies ever made. One prime example of this was the film noir The Lady from Shanghai, an incredible black-and-white thriller starring Rita Hayworth as a strikingly beautiful woman who finds herself wrapped up in a complex murder plot on a bizarre yachting cruise.

While The Lady from Shanghai doesn’t quite reach the lofty standards of Welles’ most acclaimed masterpieces, its hall of mirrors sequence was so influential that it’s been replicated in everything from Enter the Dragon to John Wick: Chapter 2. With a director as trailblazing and creative as Welles at the helm, it was a testament to his undeniable talent that even his lesser achievements contain moments that have entered the cinematic language as a repeated trope.

4

Strangers On A Train (1951)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Bruno and Guy talking in Strangers on a Train

Strangers on a Train

PG

Crime

Thriller

Release Date

June 27, 1951

Runtime

101 minutes

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There was a simple but intriguing premise at the center of Strangers on a Train, a classic Hitchcock thriller about two men who believe they have conducted the perfect plan to get away with murder. The story concerns two strangers who meet each other on a train and end up discussing a theory whereby two people exchange murders and carry out the killing of the other’s most hated person. Before long, this shocking plan becomes a reality as tennis star Guy Haines finds himself embroiled in a murder plot while his psychopathic fellow train passenger agrees to kill his promiscuous wife.

Boasting classic Hitchcock themes of light and darkness as well as the potential for evil hidden within every human soul, Strangers on a Train was a fascinating morality tale. While the reception to Strangers on a Train was mixed at the time of release, in the years since, it’s come to be regarded as one of Hitchcock’s finest works and has gained a reputation as one of his most thought-provoking and engaging thrillers.

3

M (1931)

Directed by Fritz Lang

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M

Passed

Thriller

Crime

Mystery

Release Date

May 11, 1931

Runtime

99 Minutes

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The icon of German Expressionism, Fritz Lang, laid the foundations for the film noir genre with his trailblazing thriller M. As a highly influential film that was also a precursor to the police procedural genre, M centered on a city’s police force and criminal underworld all coming together to bring down a serial child murderer. With Peter Lorre as the villainous Hans Beckert, his breakout role in M would open the door to more acclaimed performances in everything from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much to Casablanca.

M was a powerful piece of social criticism made to warn mothers about neglecting their children. With Lang delving into the darkest aspects of human depravity, the sinister killer who preyed on little girls ensured M remains shocking nearly a century after it was first released. While modern cinema has become more outright in its depiction of violence and murder, the dark subtext of M still resonates powerfully today.

2

In A Lonely Place (1950)

Directed by Nicholas Ray

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In A Lonely Place

NR

Drama

Romance

Mystery

Crime

Release Date

May 17, 1950

Runtime

94 Minutes

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While many will recognize Humphrey Bogart from iconic roles such as in Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, it was in Nicholas Ray’s underrated film noir In a Lonely Place that he gave one of his most sinister performances. As the troubled and violent screenwriter Dixon Steele, Bogart embodied one of the most unnerving and dread-inducing characters of any film noir as he became worryingly obsessed with the beautiful Laurel Gray, played by Gloria Grahame.

In a Lonely Place was a complex thriller that adapted the original novel by Dorothy B. Hughes to perfection. This dark story of control and domestic violence felt massively ahead of its time as it unpacked themes of toxic masculinity and the controlling expectations that insecure men often place on vulnerable women. As one of the best film noirs ever made, In a Lonely Place’s reputation as a classic noir and all-time great thriller has only grown over time.

1

The Night Of The Hunter (1955)

Directed by Charles Laughton

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The Night of the Hunter

Not Rated

Thriller

Drama

Crime

Release Date

August 26, 1955

Runtime

93 Minutes

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The Night of the Hunter stands as the greatest thriller of the black-and-white era, although at the time of its release, it was considered such a failure that its director never made another movie. As the story of a serial killer pursuing two children to steal $10,000 from their late father, Robert Mitchum gave one of his most unnerving performances as the sinister preacher Harry Powell. With a tense narrative that delved into far darker territory than the average film noir of its time, it took audiences several decades to truly appreciate the power of Charles Laughton’s overlooked masterpiece.

As a provocative piece of filmmaking that predated the transgressive nature of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s, The Night of the Hunter was just too ahead of its time to be properly appreciated. Looking back, Harry Powell stands as an eerie and unnerving antagonist, and the striking black-and-white cinematography and dreamlike aesthetic of this film were like nothing else from this era. While there were some truly compelling thrillers released during the black-and-white era, The Night of the Hunter deserves credit as one of the most trailblazing and influential movies from this time.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Source: https://www.phonggdkrongpac.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment

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