Film Noir Bad Girls but not Fatales

Lokke Heiss · Post by **Lokke Heiss** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 12:16 am

I just saw the Italian film The Double Hour, which has been touted as Film Noir, but I think is really a clever version of a Caper Film.

But thinking of this as Noir has made me wonder about the classic era of Noir Films. Some say a strict definition of Noir has to include a Femme Fatale somewhere in the story. That's arguable, but I see their point.

Here's my question (which relates to The Double Hour): How many classic Noir films featured a woman who through most of the movie you think is a 'good girl' but is part of a con game and ends up being revealed as a 'bad girl'? This is not a femme fatale from my view (fatale-she has to kill somebody direct or by proxy-that's the 'fatal' part) and this would not apply unless the con ends up getting somebody killed.

The only two films I can think of would be Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street. Can anyone think of films from the Film Noir period involving women who pretend to be good and either end up killing someone? Or just films that use a similar plot of revealing one of the good girl leads as a bad girl?

Lokke Heiss · Post by **Lokke Heiss** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 7:54 pm

Have I stumped the panel?

Changsham · Post by **Changsham** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:31 am

Though not strictly Film Noir how about Bebe Daniels and Mary Astor in the Maltese Falcon films.

missdupont · Post by **missdupont** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:37 am

There's THE DOUBLE MIRROR with Olivia DeHavilland playing twins, one good, one bad, which you don't find out until the end. CRY DANGER with Dick Powell and I believe Virginia Mayo.

Eric Cohen · Post by **Eric Cohen** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:42 am

Another Dick Powell, To the Ends of the Earth (Columbia 1948), probably qualifies.