Based on a Graham Greene story, as quite a few great noirs were. Veronica Lake won my heart (an easy job if I'm honest) with her literally magical song and dance.

Scripted by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, a meeting of two great wits. It's a moving and entertaining story. Edward G. Robinson steals the show with his suicide policy speech.

Yet more sparkling wit from Chandler's only original solo-written screenplay. If the ending seems like a bizarre mislead, it's because the US Army wouldn't allow the planned ending that is suggested.

A bizarre tale of emotional manipulation and sado-masochism, featuring Rita Hayworth's infamous glove-striptease. When she slapped Glenn Ford, it actually broke two of his teeth.

A post-war condemnation of anti-Semitism with more striking imagery by Edward Dmytryk. It's almost worrying how patronising the message had to be, but past that it's a great and chilling film.

Ask anyone to describe film noir and most of their images will come from this. Skewed camera angles, shadows and dark cobbled alleys - it's all here. Orson Welles completely steals the show.

Another scathing portrait of the fickle film industry, but told in a completely different way by the great Billy Wilder. A very eerie film with humour more alarming than funny.

France gave us the term "film noir", and then they gave us one of the best examples of it. The wordless and musicless heist scene is stunning.

Robert Mitchum will give you the willies in this. The way the film swings between beautifully calm and stomach-knottingly tense is very unusual, which makes it all the more effective.

Another French noir (originally called Ascenseur pour L'Echafaud), with an outstanding jazz score by the legendary Miles Davis. Very stylish indeed.

Bang for your buck! THIS GUN FOR HIRE, THE GLASS KEY, MURDER MY SWEET, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, THE BLUE DAHLIA, THE KILLERS, CROSSFIRE, OUT OF THE PAST and THE BIG STEAL (colorized) in a lovely little box.