Crack-Up (1946)

Crack-Up (1946) is an amnesia fraudulent artwork persecution noir with psychological elements delving into the amazing practise of narcosynthesis, and featuring some great train-bound action as a paranoid art critic played by Pat O'Brien searches frantically for his unknown tormentors.

Directed by Irving Reis, this fast moving art-crime drama also starred Claire Trevor, Herbert Marshall, Erskine Sanford and Wallace Stevens —  a strong film noir showing by any standards.

Dark and mysterious and tugging at undercurrents in the highest echelons of society, as represented by the artworld, Crack-Up has an uncanny feel, largely brought about by its quite distinctive paranoid train sequences.

All My Sons (1948)

Dark secrets surfacing from the past ― a housebound woman obsessed with the belief that her dead son will return at any moment ― and the moral failings of suburban life barely concealed.

All My Sons (1948) is in its modest way a film noir showcase. 

Despite not being the most obvious contender for a hot-spot in the film noir canon, and despite its featuring Burt Lancaster and Edward G. Robinson, All My Sons does effectively what film noir should do. It explores fragility, secrets and demolishes the suburban American family dream.

The beauty of All My Sons lies in the source material. The play, as with the movie, builds carefully to a powerful climax that no amount of bad acting can damage ― the closing lines are always going to be powerful, if you’ve made the journey towards them.