The Dark Side Of The Screen: Film Noir (A Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

by Foster Hirsch (Author) "car weaves crazily through the dark deserted streets of downtown Los Angeles..." (more)
Key Phrases: noir victim, noir motifs, noir canon, Scarlet Street, The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Wonderfully readable: Hirsch is clear, knowledgeable, and concise... A visual as well as literary pleasure." Martin Jackson, Cineaste" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

Martin Jackson, Cineaste
“Wonderfully readable: Hirsch is clear, knowledgeable, and concise….[The Dark Side of the Screen] is a visual as well as literary pleasure.”

Philip French, The Observer (London)
“There has been no extended work as good as Foster Hirsch’s The Dark Side of the Screen, a well-written, imaginatively illustrated book that sees the brief, true heyday as between Wilder’s Double Indemnity (1944) and his Sunset Boulevard (1950), but looks at the prelude and the aftermath, and sets the genre in its larger social and cultural context.”

Skyscraper, Spring 2009
“An important examination of what film noir is…The 264-page treatise is not a review source; rather, Hirsch’s academic work delves deeply with a scholarly but not dry approach.”

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 21, 1983) Language: English ISBN-10: 0306802031 ISBN-13: 978-0306802034 Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,131,627 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence:
car weaves crazily through the dark deserted streets of downtown Los Angeles. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
noir victim, noir motifs, noir canon, noir dramas, noir stories, noir conventions, noir director, gangster saga, noir characters, phantom lady, gangster story, noir thrillers, double indemnity, film noir, crime films

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Scarlet Street, The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, New York, Touch of Evil, Humphrey Bogart, Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, The Naked City, Robert Ryan, Los Angeles, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Criss Cross, Cry of the City, Joan Bennett, Orson Welles, Burt Lancaster, Gun Crazy, Joan Crawford, Kiss of Death, Call Northside, Farley Granger, Raymond Chandler, White Heat, Barbara Stanwyck

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 100 books:

• The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler on 11 pages
• The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett on 10 pages
• Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler on 9 pages
• The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain on 8 pages
• Double Indemnity by James M. Cain on 8 pages

See all 100 books this book cites

 

37 books cite this book:

• Crime Films (Genres in American Cinema) by Thomas Leitch on 5 pages
• A One-Man Show? The Construction and Deconstruction of a Patriarchal Image in the Reagan Era: Reading the Audio-Visual Poetics of Miami Vice by John-Paul Trutnau in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Homographesis: Essays in Gay Literary and Cultural Theory by Lee Edelman in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• The Philosophy of Film Noir by Mark T. Conard PhD on page 21, and page 85
• Thrillers by Martin Rubin in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 37 books citing this book

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin

Discusses:

• gangster saga
• double indemnity
• Scarlet Street

More than Night by James Naremore

Discusses:

• phantom lady
• noir thrillers
• film noir

Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin

Discusses:

• gangster saga
• Scarlet Street
• The Big Sleep

Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia by Leonard Maltin

Discusses:

• gangster saga
• phantom lady
• Scarlet Street

A Panorama of American Film Noir by Raymond Borde

Discusses:

• noir director
• phantom lady
• film noir

5001 Nights at the Movies by Pauline Kael

Discusses:

• phantom lady
• The Big Sleep
• The Maltese Falcon

Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin Discusses: gangster saga double indemnity Scarlet Street More than Night by James Naremore Discusses: phantom lady noir thrillers film noir Leonard Maltin's 2006 Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin Discusses: gangster saga Scarlet Street The Big Sleep Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia by Leonard Maltin Discusses: gangster saga phantom lady Scarlet Street Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	79% buy the item featured on this page: The Dark Side Of The Screen: Film Noir (A Da Capo Paperback) 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
	8% buy Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir 4.6 out of 5 stars (21) $18.21
	5% buy Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, Third Edition 4.5 out of 5 stars (11) $23.10
	4% buy More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) $17.13

Explore similar items

---

Suggested Tags from Similar Products  (What's this?) Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product). Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below. film noir(26) books about movies(19) criticism(5) history(5) reference(4) film making(3) noir(3) film history(2) united states(2) performing arts(2) neo-noir(2) Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 22 of 22 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Side of the Screen is shining light!, November 5, 2001 By  Jeff Markham (Walton-on-Thames, UK) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir (Paperback) Hirsch's brilliant analysis of the antecedents, key period and legacy of noir remains perhaps the finest single work on the subject. Not as funny or entertaining as Eddie Muller's 'Dark City', but a major work that pre-dates many inferior later studies. Especially notable is Hirsch's use of stills, his choice of key scenes (e.g. Panic in the Streets, the Phenix City Story, Scarlet Street) skilfully differentiates between studio shot film noirs and pseudo-documentary/location filmed noirs. Highly recommended for serious lovers of the genre (not room enough here to debate whether film noir is a genre or not!) and ranks, for me, alongside Paul Schrader's legendary 'Notes on Film Noir' essay (1972) as the single most important piece of work on the subject. 29 of 31 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction to Film Noir, June 7, 2000 By  Dennis Hayes "Angry Buddha" (Kenmore, Wa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This book is the best of several I have read recently on film noir. It strikes the right balance between being thorough and accessible; not nearly as dry and academic as some others. One of the main elements of noir is its distinctive visual style, and this book has dozens of excellent photographic stills, which enable the reader to understand the style in a way that text descriptions could never duplicate. The author does an excellent job of placing noir in its historical context, without assuming the reader has prior knowledge of German Expressionism, hard-boiled fiction or any other influence. The book ends with a list of 120 or so classic noirs; this alone is worth the price of the book. I have seen approximately one-half of the movies on his list and every single one has been excellent. For anyone interested in gazing into "The Crazy Mirror," this is the place to start. 11 of 11 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars This book contains an excellent account of noir stylistics, November 9, 1998 By A Customer I found this book to be a concise and relevant exploration of the history, style and themes of film noir. It was immensely helpful as a research source for an essay I did on noir styles and themes. With clear explanations and pictorial examples it bestowed upon me a clear and precise understanding of the genre.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars One of the 1st Film Noir Books. Still a Solid Introduction. First published in 1981, "The Dark Side of the Screen" was among the first books in English on the subject of film noir. Read more Published on August 8, 2005 by mirasreviews Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (1 discussion)   Discussion Replies Latest Post Looking for good reference on film noir 0 October 2008 › See all discussions...   [Start the discussion] Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

Must Have Film Noir Books: A list by Lara E. Fisher "Lara_Fisher"   Film Noir History & Theory: A list by mirasreviews   Noir Theory: A list by Tribe Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Comprehend Classic Film Noir: A guide by mirasreviews   Find a Last Minute Gift?: A guide by Themis-Athena   SEE THE LONGEST ANIMATION/ART GUIDE!: A guide by Gotham Girl18 Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts
• Books > Entertainment > Movies > History & Criticism

---

Shop Tool Storage in Home Improvement Check out the huge selection of tool storage and organization products offered by Amazon.com. ›See more in the Power & Hand Tools Store

Big Savings in Books Find great titles at fantastic prices in our Bargain Books Store.

Dive into Summer Reading Don't even think about hitting the beach without browsing the books in our Summer Reading Store. Discover bestsellers, paperback picks, beach reads, and more terrific titles all summer long.

Have the Best Lawn on the Block Shop a selection of electric, gas, and reel lawn mowers in the Home Improvement Store. ›Shop for lawn mowers now

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (174)$6.59 Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (183)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (174)$6.59 The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci Complete by 1452-1519 Leonardo da Vinci 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)$0.00

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings

Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 21, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306802031
• ISBN-13: 978-0306802034
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,131,627 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Side of the Screen is shining light!, November 5, 2001

By	Jeff Markham (Walton-on-Thames, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir (Paperback)

Hirsch's brilliant analysis of the antecedents, key period and legacy of noir remains perhaps the finest single work on the subject. Not as funny or entertaining as Eddie Muller's 'Dark City', but a major work that pre-dates many inferior later studies. Especially notable is Hirsch's use of stills, his choice of key scenes (e.g. Panic in the Streets, the Phenix City Story, Scarlet Street) skilfully differentiates between studio shot film noirs and pseudo-documentary/location filmed noirs.

Highly recommended for serious lovers of the genre (not room enough here to debate whether film noir is a genre or not!) and ranks, for me, alongside Paul Schrader's legendary 'Notes on Film Noir' essay (1972) as the single most important piece of work on the subject.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction to Film Noir, June 7, 2000

By	Dennis Hayes "Angry Buddha" (Kenmore, Wa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is the best of several I have read recently on film noir. It strikes the right balance between being thorough and accessible; not nearly as dry and academic as some others. One of the main elements of noir is its distinctive visual style, and this book has dozens of excellent photographic stills, which enable the reader to understand the style in a way that text descriptions could never duplicate. The author does an excellent job of placing noir in its historical context, without assuming the reader has prior knowledge of German Expressionism, hard-boiled fiction or any other influence. The book ends with a list of 120 or so classic noirs; this alone is worth the price of the book. I have seen approximately one-half of the movies on his list and every single one has been excellent. For anyone interested in gazing into "The Crazy Mirror," this is the place to start.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book contains an excellent account of noir stylistics, November 9, 1998

By A Customer

I found this book to be a concise and relevant exploration of the history, style and themes of film noir. It was immensely helpful as a research source for an essay I did on noir styles and themes. With clear explanations and pictorial examples it bestowed upon me a clear and precise understanding of the genre.