I have been a fan of Turner Classic Movies for some years now, and I have been aware of the term "film noir" through viewing more than a few of the channel's offerings over that time. However, I have only been aware of the author and his passion for this motion picture genre only since Robert Osborne began stepping away from the TCM universe starting in 2015 or so. While he is a most interesting onscreen personality, I wanted to see how Eddie Muller put this book together.

This is a pretty slim work of only 260 pages in this "expanded" edition, and that includes quite a few photographs. I did not read Muller's 1999 first edition. In the 260 pages Muller delivers 14 chapters--an introduction to what he calls "Dark City", which he reveals to be Hollywood itself by the end of the book, followed by chapters titled by different locales in this metropolis. Each of these "neighborhoods" is adorned with quite descriptive titles such as The Precinct, Hate Street, Shamus Flats, and the Psych Ward. Each of these neighborhoods describes a particular type of noir, and Muller provides several examples for each instance.

For example, "Vixenville" is the hangout of the legendary femme fatale, the good looking dame whose attraction dooms whomever serves as the nominal protagonist in the film. One of Muller's examples is the movie "Fallen Angel" featuring actress Linda Darnell, whose eventful personal life rivaled any noir screenwriter's work. Similarly the "Loser's Lane" chapter is devoted to sociopaths such as Richard Widmark's Tommy Udo in "Kiss of Death". For each movie Muller discusses he provides a basic synopsis along with details about the cast, key production staff, the studio, and the elements that bind the movie to film noir and the particular chapter in the book.

Muller writes this book in a very easy and informal style that makes this title a delight to read--no doubt he inherited his father's sportswriting chops. This is no book for the high-browed. While there is a lengthy bibliography, Muller doesn't use foot- or endnotes. He is clearly comfortable in his knowledge about this subject, and I think the reader should just enjoy the ride. ( )

Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir: Revised and Expanded Edition by Eddie Muller is the most recent update to this loving tribute to Hollywood's dark streets and alleys of the silver screen. Published by TCM this is a gorgeously crafted book in a hard cover oversized format with a striking cover image of John Garfield and Lana Turner continuing inside with endpapers covered with a colorful collage of film posters from a wide range of films from the heyday of film noir. The parade of images then continues across the book with sharp stills from scenes in the various films, striking glamour photos of the stars, candid photos of production principles, and splashy covers of the pulp magazines and books that inspired many of the productions. This is not a review book in a traditional sense instead the prose style of the book is in the punchy language of film noir as the author takes readers on a ride to the various precincts of Dark City with thematic chapters visiting The Precinct, The City Desk, Shamus Flats, The Big House and many more. There are more straightforwardly written sidebars on stars including Gloria Grahame, Joan Crawford, Robert Ryan, Sterling Haden plus writer/producer Joan Harrison and more. A rewarding and rich book that is experienced more than read and unlike many of the desperate dames and gunmen the reader comes out a winner.
#classicfilmreading ( )

An outstanding history of Film Noir, DARK CITY is a book I would recommend to all film fans. The whole book is written in a noirish style that compliments the subject. Chapter headings include Sinister Heights, The Precinct, Vixenville, Blind Alley, The Psych Ward and more. The book is printed on sturdy paper and there are photos on every single page. Stills, movie posters, promo shots – tons of photos!
Picking my favorite film descriptions for movies such as DEAD RECKONING and THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, I was able to add at least 20 titles to my Netflix queue. Some movies are not available through that means so I will be hunting them down at other venues.
It was interesting to read the background of the movies, the directors, the studios, and the actors themselves. Not only are the films engrossing, some of the actors’ ironic lives could be made into movies. Take Bobby Driscoll. The 12-yr-old starred in THE WINDOW in 1949 as a boy with a penchant for lying. When he sees a murder no-one believes him. During the movie his character survives a fall in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village. In real life, Driscoll had a washed out career when, in 1968, he died of a drug overdose – in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village.
You couldn’t ask for a better, more comprehensive book on Film Noir than this. ( )

An outstanding history of Film Noir, DARK CITY is a book I would recommend to all film fans. The whole book is written in a noirish style that compliments the subject. Chapter headings include Sinister Heights, The Precinct, Vixenville, Blind Alley, The Psych Ward and more. The book is printed on sturdy paper and there are photos on every single page. Stills, movie posters, promo shots – tons of photos!
Picking my favorite film descriptions for movies such as DEAD RECKONING and THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, I was able to add at least 20 titles to my Netflix queue. Some movies are not available through that means so I will be hunting them down at other venues.
It was interesting to read the background of the movies, the directors, the studios, and the actors themselves. Not only are the films engrossing, some of the actors’ ironic lives could be made into movies. Take Bobby Driscoll. The 12-yr-old starred in THE WINDOW in 1949 as a boy with a penchant for lying. When he sees a murder no-one believes him. During the movie his character survives a fall in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village. In real life, Driscoll had a washed out career when, in 1968, he died of a drug overdose – in a vacant tenement in Greenwich Village.
You couldn’t ask for a better, more comprehensive book on Film Noir than this. ( )