These iconic femme fatale characters from film noir all have two things in. The 1940s film noir femme fatale was sexually adventurous and unmarried. The term film noir, french for black film literal or dark film closer meaning, was first applied to hollywood films by french critic nino frank in 1946, but was unrecognized by most american film industry professionals of that era. Actress lizabeth scott, femme fatale in 1940s1950s film. She got a big role in a film called they want believe me which also had susan hayward as the leading lady in 1947. It is the typecast role of a seductive and mysterious woman, whose personalty remains hard to figure out for most of the storyline.
The actors of the film noir and then went to femme noir. May 22, 2012 the femme fatale segment on is designed to highlight the life and merits of exceptional film noir actresses. The film noir actors page at brians drivein theater is devoted to the great crime and film noir film actors and actresses from the 1930s through the 1950s. May 01, 2011 other femme fatale actresses of the 40s were audrey long in stage struck 1948, dorothy malone in 1950 convicted with glenn ford, margaret lockwood fine english actress in bedelia 1946, gail russell in calcutta 1947 as the lovely violent virginia moore. Was barbara stanwyck the greatest film noir actress. She went on to work in a noir called the blue gardenia in 1953 with second billing to anne baxter and as the noir films gave way to the new medium tv her movie roles diminished and she went on to a successful television career. Femme fatales jean harlow noirwhale noir definition. But film noir is where shes best embodied and remembered. In film noir, the femme fatale would often be embodied in the form of a. Cinema historians and critics defined the category retrospectively.
The character type of femme fatale was derived from the antiheroine vamps of early cinema, such as. What is the defining characteristic of the femme fatale, that film noir. Film noirs 10 most dangerous leading ladies indiewire. It was the definitive, apocalyptic, nihilistic, sciencefiction film noir of all time at the close of the classic noir period. The femme fatale is irresistible and dangerous but also feminist. B film noir actress more frightening than bette davis. However, there is not another style of film that holds as many of the kind of women we call the femme fatale as the noir style does. Mar 10, 2012 the femme fatale segment on is designed to highlight the life and merits of exceptional film noir actresses.
Feb 08, 2015 by will dunham reuters huskyvoiced blonde lizabeth scott, who played the femme fatale in numerous film noir movies of the 1940s and 1950s alongside leading men including humphrey bogart, burt. Gilda mundson farrell rita hayworth rita hayworth was featured in this dark and complex noir of a love triangle with her sleek and sophisticated eroticism, lush hair and. In the story, mysterious, duplicitous and treacherous femme fatale thelma jordon barbara stanwyck captured the emotionally dependent heart of unhappilymarried assistant district attorney cleve marshall wendell cory and had. This quintessential, slick film noir of underworld intrigue, betrayal, and passion was filled with complex flashbacks. The femme fatale isnt a trope that originated with film noiryou can make strong arguments for shades of the femme fatale in biblical eve, ishtar, the sirens, medusa, and circe. The article included in the guide on the femme fatale dares to address this classic noir character as both liberating for actresses of the day, and going beyond the classic role of a woman as a secondary, submissive character to men, yet uses laura mulveys visual pleasure and the. The femme fatale motif runs like a red thread in various literary works such a heinrich heines loreley or the dancing daughter of herodias in oscar wildes salome, as well as in musical pieces like velvet undergrounds femme fatale from 1966 to the conscious, vivid personification in a number of film works. Best of modern day femmes fatales in film noir imdb. Film noir and the femme fatale supplemental reading brattle. Film noir directors tried to fulfill specific constructions of gender roles in this aesthetically driven cinema style, creating very specific false archetypes for women within the ongoing history of film noir.
When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. A femme fatale sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious. A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, and sexual allure. These women are the embodiment of the femme fatale archetype, and propel possibly the most. The femme fatale segment on is designed to highlight the life and merits of exceptional film noir actresses. Tierney received an oscar nomination as best actress in a leading role for this film. To me the most engaging semblance of a femme fatale is the stunning image of lana turner, as the camera pans from her ankles upward in that breathtaking shot from the postman always rings twice 1946. Femme fataleis defined as an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into danger or disaster. Femme fatale has its cinematic origin already in the silent film era from the early 1920s. The archetype of female roles in film noir can be divided into three categories. In 1940s and 1950s america in particular, she offered actresses some of the most compelling and certainly largest roles outside of womens genres, such as the womans film precursor to todays chick flick or romantic comedy. Gloria grahame played the wise cracking blonde femme fatale in most of her roles and always has some of the best lines in every movie.
Double indemnity and the use of the femme fatale duration. Nov 05, 2014 sometimes, cinematic beauty comes packaged with an air of mystery and danger that the hero just cannot resist. See more ideas about classic hollywood, old hollywood and hollywood. The 15 best noir films of the 1940s taste of cinema. Marilyn monroe was an american actress, comedienne, singer, and model. At that point in history, she was viewed negatively by society. Today barbara stanwyck is remembered primarily as the matriarch of the family known as the barkleys on the tv western the big valley 1965, wherein she played victoria, and from the hit drama the colbys 1985. Audrey totter, an actress who specialized in playing temptresses, dangerous dames, and women harboring dark schemes in a series of movies from hollywoods film noir period of the 1940s and.
Oct 10, 2019 it was a period where women were no longer forced into roles society had shaped them into and the representation of women in film noir is a reflection of this freedom. It was screened out of competition at the 2002 cannes film festival warner bros. A film noir story was often developed around a cynical, hardhearted, disillusioned male character e. The 14 most dangerous femme fatales in modern movies. Turhan bey starred in such 1940s film noir entries as parole, inc. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the classic period of american film noir.
The story revolves around a femme fatale who entraps a husband and commits several crimes motivated by her insane jealousy. A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Mildred pierce is the name of the movie, but the title of femme fatale. She may also be or imply to be a victim, caught in a situation from which she cannot escape. She saw a revival in the film noir period of the 40s and 50s with the intention of reminding women of their place in the world.
In the netflix tv series, orange is the new black, actress laura prepon plays alex vause, a modern femme fatale, leading both men and women to their destruction. Barbara stanwyck ranks high in the list of best actresses, period, and her strong presence in film noir stanwyck starred in seven film noir. Film noir femme fatale recent photos the commons galleries world map app garden camera finder. Mildred pierce is the name of the movie, but the title of femme fatale belongs to mildreds daughter veda. Aug 24, 2018 the presence of the archetype in american cinema, goes all the way back to the silent era, with actresses such as theda bara and helen gardner often embodying femme fatale conventions.
A product of marysvale, utah, marie windsor attended brigham young university and trained for the stage under maria ouspenskaya before she began playing leading roles in b pictures in the late 1940s. Whats remarkable is how modern a film noir femme fatale like barbara stanwyck as double indemnitys phyllis dietrichson seems even now, how of the moment. It featured robert mitchum as the doomed, doublecrossed exprivate eye jeff markham with a sordid past who fell for the icy, dark, deadly, and chameleonlike brunette femme fatale. Fatal women and the fate of women the current the criterion. The 20 greatest femme fatales in american cinema taste. Jul 17, 2014 film noirs 10 most dangerous leading ladies. Joan bennett was the queen of film noir in the 1940s, playing the femme fatale in such films as scarlett street, the woman in the window, and highway dragnet.
Film noirs first evolved in the 1940s, became prominent in the postwar era, and lasted in a classic golden age period until about 1960. She was the sexual counterpart to wholesome actresses such as lillian gish and mary pickford. The lady from shanghai a 1947 film noir is one such example. The femme fatale actresses of the 1940s hmd455s blog. In some situations, she uses lying or coercion rather than charm. This being a noir, she inevitably gets exacting revenge on stone and helps bannion take down the.
Aldrichs cold war era masterpiece was a jarring and violent film that was an adaptation of mickey spillanes novel of the same name. Nov 27, 2017 their rich talents and vital beauty made the classic film noir. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses and duplicitous dames. The 20 greatest femme fatales in american cinema taste of. Gloria grahame great in film noir here are some more glamorous movie stars from the silent film era and golden age of hollywood and their fabulous vanities, dressing tables. Actresses like theda bara, gloria swanson and marlene dietrich served as cinematic mothers who broke with the conventional stereotypes of onedimensional, needy women dependent on the man, and. Lizabeth scott, sultry femme fatale of hollywoods film. Actress lizabeth scott, femme fatale in 1940s1950s film noir. Dec 05, 2019 the femme fatale isnt a trope that originated with film noiryou can make strong arguments for shades of the femme fatale in biblical eve, ishtar, the sirens, medusa, and circe.
The definitive film of one of the definitive actresses of the classic noir period, gilda stars glenn ford as johnny farrell and rita hayworth as the title character. The femme fatale is an old and oft implemented archetype in film. More than that, they gave actresses active parts in the movies and. Sex appeal is fifty percent what youve got and fifty percent what people think. It was screened out of competition at the 2002 cannes film festival. The representation of women in film noir high on films. Leave her to heaven is a 1945 american 20th century fox technicolor film noir motion picture starring gene tierney, cornel wilde, jeanne crain, with vincent price, darryl hickman, and chill wills. This was her classic femme fatale role and once again teaming with mitchum in the 1949 the big steal was the high mark of her popularity in films. Jun 07, 2016 film noir and the femme fatale supplemental reading in preparation for part 5 of our 75 years of film noir, here at the brattle weve gathered a small collection of articles discussing the key elements of film noir as a genre and movement. However, it was the film noir movement of the early 1940s late 1950s, of which the archetype is most synonymous in popculture. Ida lupino 1 of the pioneer female film directors in hollywood. The 14 most dangerous femme fatales in modern movies taste. Page actresses who looked good in their heyday including deceased hollywood and celebrities ida lupino from a great russian website with glamour stars of the.
Femmes fatales also appear frequently in comic books. By will dunham reuters huskyvoiced blonde lizabeth scott, who played the femme fatale in numerous film noir movies of the 1940s and 1950s alongside leading men including humphrey bogart, burt. Film title and director, femme fatale and description. Mar 08, 20 the femme fatale segment on is designed to highlight the life and merits of exceptional film noir actresses. At a time when studio publicists gave descriptive nicknames to young actresses, such as lauren bacalls the look. Then came the noir classic out of the past 1947 starring opposite robert mitchum. Lizabeth scott, sultry femme fatale of hollywoods film noir. Nov 27, 2012 the femme fatale is an old and oft implemented archetype in film. Her ability to enchant, entice and hypnotize her victim with. Jul 18, 2012 in film noir, the wardrobe of the leading lady often reflected the same playfulness with black and white that the photography portrayed. The seductive, dangerous woman or femme fatale is a central figure in film noir, bringing destruction to others and often to herself. The presence of the archetype in american cinema, goes all the way back to the silent era, with actresses such as theda bara and helen gardner often embodying femme fatale conventions.
Classic film noir developed during and after world war ii, taking advantage of the postwar ambience of anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion, and possibly reflecting male fears of female liberation and independence during. Her best work was in the film noir category, most notably her role as the manipulative. Whereas most female characters are doting or damsels, the femme fatale is seductive, in the most manipulative manner, and she. During the filmnoir era of the 1940s and early1950s, the femme fatale flourished in american cinema. Both beautiful and treacherous, these powerful women typically create pitfalls for other characters, most often. Bad girls of film which is again a good, solid book. Darling, the legs arent so beautiful, i just know what to do with them. Film noir and the femme fatale supplemental reading. Gabriele the power of the femme fatale in film noir and crime fiction.
In film noir, the wardrobe of the leading lady often reflected the same playfulness with black and white that the photography portrayed. Is there a male counterpart to the femme fatale of film. This film noir has been frequently compared to double indemnity 1944. The femme fatale has traits within the noir style that typically provide a catalyst for the story. The 15 best noir films of the 1940s the 15 best noir films of the 1940s. Femme fatale literally means killer or deadly woman. Sometimes, cinematic beauty comes packaged with an air of mystery and danger that the hero just cannot resist. The femme fatale isnt a trope that originated with film noiryou can. Of witches, femme fatales, and film noir the femme fatale archetype has been around far longer than the relatively short history of filmmaking, dating back to ancient times.
B film noir detour with tom neal and ann savage, looking more like your usual femme fatale. Jun 25, 2012 the femme fatale segment on is designed to highlight the life and merits of exceptional film noir actresses. These women are the embodiment of the femme fatale archetype, and propel possibly the most recognizable and integral theme in the noir genre. Maurine dallas watkins 1926 play chicago was based on reallife murders committed by housewife beulah sheriff annan and cabaret singer belva gaertner. Often, when a femme fatale is first introduced, and the unknowing leading man begins to fall under her spell, she is shown wearing white, such as lana turner in noir classic the postman always rings twice from 1946. Stars such as stanwyck, tierney and crawford produced some of their finest performances in noir, while such lesser known actresses as peggie castle, hope emerson and helen walker made a lasting impression on moviegoers with their roles in the era. The evolution of the femme fatale in film noir crimereads. Pierce tells the story of eponymous character joan crawford, a divorcee who attempts. The femme fatale was seen as bad and morally corrupt because she was free, and precisely there lay both her danger and her eventual appeal. Nov 30, 2018 the femme fatale is irresistible and dangerous but also feminist. The film stars antonio banderas and rebecca romijnstamos. For example, not much is written about the plastic surgeries some of the actress had. Interview from the new york public library with author joseph j. It was a period where women were no longer forced into roles society had shaped them into and the representation of women in film noir is a reflection of this freedom.
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