Film Noir Icons of Classic Hollywood

Film noir gave classic Hollywood its shadowy style, all Venetian blinds, rain slick streets and morally compromised heroes. Humphrey Bogart anchored the genre as the private eye of The Maltese Falcon, then traded wisecracks with Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.

Orson Welles directed himself into noir history with twisty, low angle thrillers. Bette Davis brought ruthless ambition to the screen in an era when strong roles for women were rare.

The profiles in this database trace how these icons moved from theater and radio into permanent screen legend..