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Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir
Profiles six women who contributed to the success of the dark and sensual film noir genre of the 1950s, describing their fight against typecasting, their personal lives, their career, and their strive for fulfillment.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2001
144 people are currently reading
898 people want to read
About the author
Eddie Muller
43 books108 followersEDDIE MULLER is a second generation San Franciscan, product of a lousy public school education, a couple of crazy years in art school, and too much time in newspaper offices and sporting arenas. No college, but he's compensated by always hanging around smarter people, an effortless feat typically accomplished in bars.
Despite repeated warnings, he followed in his father's footsteps, earning a living as a print journalist for sixteen years. No scoops, no big prizes, but he left behind a thoroughly abused expense account that got him into (and out of) various intriguing parts of the world.
His career as an ink-stained fourth estate wretch sidetracked Muller's early goal of becoming a filmmaker. A stint in George Kuchar's notorious "narrative filmmaking" class at the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1970s resulted in the creation of a 14-minute, 16mm hommage to Raymond Chandler called Bay City Blues, one of five national finalists for the 1979 Student Academy Award. He also appeared as an actor in several Kuchar movies of the period.
Since 1998 Muller has devoted himself full-time to projects that pique his interest, ranging from the creation of a Historical Boxing Museum, to a fully illustrated history of Adults Only movies, to acting as co-writer and -producer of one of the first completely digital theatrical documentaries, Mau Mau Sex Sex. He created his own graphics firm, St. Francis Studio, which enables him to design, as well as write, his non-fiction books. He has achieved much acclaim for his three books on film noir, earning the nickname "The Czar of Noir."
His father, the original Eddie Muller (he's not a junior— long story, don't ask), was a renown sportswriter for the San Francisco Examiner who earned the nickname "Mr. Boxing" during his 52-year run. The senior Muller served as inspiration for the character of Billy Nichols, the protagonist of the younger Muller's two critically acclaimed novels, The Distance (2002) and Shadow Boxer (2003).
Eddie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Kathleen Maria Milne.
Despite repeated warnings, he followed in his father's footsteps, earning a living as a print journalist for sixteen years. No scoops, no big prizes, but he left behind a thoroughly abused expense account that got him into (and out of) various intriguing parts of the world.
His career as an ink-stained fourth estate wretch sidetracked Muller's early goal of becoming a filmmaker. A stint in George Kuchar's notorious "narrative filmmaking" class at the San Francisco Art Institute in the late 1970s resulted in the creation of a 14-minute, 16mm hommage to Raymond Chandler called Bay City Blues, one of five national finalists for the 1979 Student Academy Award. He also appeared as an actor in several Kuchar movies of the period.
Since 1998 Muller has devoted himself full-time to projects that pique his interest, ranging from the creation of a Historical Boxing Museum, to a fully illustrated history of Adults Only movies, to acting as co-writer and -producer of one of the first completely digital theatrical documentaries, Mau Mau Sex Sex. He created his own graphics firm, St. Francis Studio, which enables him to design, as well as write, his non-fiction books. He has achieved much acclaim for his three books on film noir, earning the nickname "The Czar of Noir."
His father, the original Eddie Muller (he's not a junior— long story, don't ask), was a renown sportswriter for the San Francisco Examiner who earned the nickname "Mr. Boxing" during his 52-year run. The senior Muller served as inspiration for the character of Billy Nichols, the protagonist of the younger Muller's two critically acclaimed novels, The Distance (2002) and Shadow Boxer (2003).
Eddie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Kathleen Maria Milne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 12, 2026
I purchased this for the lush photographs and a few tidbits I might not have known from decades of being a film buff, and the newer yet smaller sections on the lovely Gail Russell and Ella Raines, a couple of favorites. Though Raines is well established in noir films, Russell only had a couple, and like a few others Muller popped in here, her connection to the history of noir is much more tenuous.
Because he set his perimeters for the initial version of this book on the women of noir still living, and who would agree to be interviewed by him, I didn’t think it was worth getting at the time. The addition in the revised edition of Raines and Russell, a couple of others, finally swayed me to get it, despite misgivings. I usually have an aversion to TCM books. To most serious film buffs they seem pretty vanilla, focusing on the popular and expected, while throwing in some that should not be included. The TCM book on famous screen couples for example, left out William Powell and Kay Francis, who not only made a slew of films together in which they had great chemistry, but produced some enduring film classics, such as One Way Passage and Jewel Robbery.
The device of the early life and careers, and then the aged reflections by the women interviewed post-stardom and Hollywood was a good idea, except that Muller seems incapable of stepping back and holding any of the actresses accountable for some of the issues in their lives, both during their careers and in their private lives afterward. There is certainly the case to be made that some of these studio heads, producers and directors used, abused, and took advantage of them. Howard Hughes’ well documented curtailing of Jane Greer’s career for example, and some other actresses experiences are well known. They shouldn’t get a free pass.
A free pass however appears to be what Muller gives any female actress who appeared in what came to be known as noir later on; it’s clear no one knew they were creating the genre as they went along, especially the actresses — Claire Trevor’s comments are quite telling. Evelyn Keyes, though hardly the only one, is a perfect example of Muller’s blinders. Keyes’ cavalier morals and suspect judgement make for tawdry reading. But Muller glosses over it in matter-of-fact fashion; and no, it’s not a journalistic style, because he takes issue when, and only when, he can slam a male figure, such as a studio head, a producer, a cheating or abusive husband. I got the feeling that had the notorious Barbara Payton been included here — look her up if you don’t know — Muller would have blamed her trashy life on Franchot Tone, or Tom Neal, while absolving Payton of any accountability.
Muller writes about these ladies — some of them were ladies, some of them weren’t — as though he’s swallowed some radical feminist handbook that relegates all serious criticism to men and a patriarchy, while never-ever holding any of the women truly accountable for their own poor judgement, suspect morals, and bad choices that had nothing whatsoever to do with the studios or the people for whom these actresses worked. In fact, it is clear in a few cases for serious film buffs, that it was the personality and pathology of some of these women that made them gravitate toward acting, and stardom. It gave them cover for their behavior, a world of sleaze in which they could thrive and not be viewed by the same standards as everyone else.
It’s wonderful to hear in Jane Greer’s own words how much she loved working with Robert Mitchum, with whom she became pals. Greer’s section was possibly the most enjoyable for me. She had no desire to play star all those years later. There are great stories about William Bendix in Greer’s section, and one about Gloria Grahame, her neighbor. But that highlights the problem throughout Dark City Dames; there are nice tidbits in nearly all the profiles, but tidbits are not enough to overcome how slanted this is, how anti-male it seems.
Dark City Dames boasts some truly stunning photographs of Audrey Totter, Jane Greer, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Coleen Gray, Ann Savage, Joan Bennet, Rhonda Fleming, Marsha Hunt, Ella Raines, Ruth Roman, Jan Sterling, Claire Trevor, Helen Walker. The loveliest photograph is perhaps the one of Gail Russell on page 242, which seems to capture both her beauty and her tortured shyness. Then on page 246 there is another, with Russell happy and smiling, a double-shot because we get her happy reflection in the mirror in this plush photo as well. Along with Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth, Gail Russell was totally unsuitable for the film industry, which prevented happiness rather than helped bring it about. Her section was sad and haunting, and I enjoyed it, and the section on Ella Raines.
The endpapers of this coffee-table size book, front and back, are filled with depictions of movie posters. When the dust jacket is removed, readers discover a portrait of Audrey Totter on the front, one of Jane Greer on the back. Dark City Dames is lush, but Muller’s slanted take, the get-out-of-jail Free card he gives any woman he likes for her actions and the resulting fallout, while beating males over the head whenever he gets the chance to take a shot, made the text annoying. And if Muller brought up the Red Scare one more time, for absolutely no reason, and with no perspective, I was gonna puke.
The innumerable women who should be here but are conspicuously missing, and the “selected” criticism reserved for only the studio system and males, keep this film book from being a really good one. It has zero perspective, nor is it evenhanded. It’s difficult to rate, because there is some good stuff here at times, despite Muller, and the photographs are delicious, but it took me forever to get through this, when normally I’d devour something of this kind. The bottom line is that I’d never give this as a gift to anyone, and perhaps that says it all…
Because he set his perimeters for the initial version of this book on the women of noir still living, and who would agree to be interviewed by him, I didn’t think it was worth getting at the time. The addition in the revised edition of Raines and Russell, a couple of others, finally swayed me to get it, despite misgivings. I usually have an aversion to TCM books. To most serious film buffs they seem pretty vanilla, focusing on the popular and expected, while throwing in some that should not be included. The TCM book on famous screen couples for example, left out William Powell and Kay Francis, who not only made a slew of films together in which they had great chemistry, but produced some enduring film classics, such as One Way Passage and Jewel Robbery.
The device of the early life and careers, and then the aged reflections by the women interviewed post-stardom and Hollywood was a good idea, except that Muller seems incapable of stepping back and holding any of the actresses accountable for some of the issues in their lives, both during their careers and in their private lives afterward. There is certainly the case to be made that some of these studio heads, producers and directors used, abused, and took advantage of them. Howard Hughes’ well documented curtailing of Jane Greer’s career for example, and some other actresses experiences are well known. They shouldn’t get a free pass.
A free pass however appears to be what Muller gives any female actress who appeared in what came to be known as noir later on; it’s clear no one knew they were creating the genre as they went along, especially the actresses — Claire Trevor’s comments are quite telling. Evelyn Keyes, though hardly the only one, is a perfect example of Muller’s blinders. Keyes’ cavalier morals and suspect judgement make for tawdry reading. But Muller glosses over it in matter-of-fact fashion; and no, it’s not a journalistic style, because he takes issue when, and only when, he can slam a male figure, such as a studio head, a producer, a cheating or abusive husband. I got the feeling that had the notorious Barbara Payton been included here — look her up if you don’t know — Muller would have blamed her trashy life on Franchot Tone, or Tom Neal, while absolving Payton of any accountability.
Muller writes about these ladies — some of them were ladies, some of them weren’t — as though he’s swallowed some radical feminist handbook that relegates all serious criticism to men and a patriarchy, while never-ever holding any of the women truly accountable for their own poor judgement, suspect morals, and bad choices that had nothing whatsoever to do with the studios or the people for whom these actresses worked. In fact, it is clear in a few cases for serious film buffs, that it was the personality and pathology of some of these women that made them gravitate toward acting, and stardom. It gave them cover for their behavior, a world of sleaze in which they could thrive and not be viewed by the same standards as everyone else.
It’s wonderful to hear in Jane Greer’s own words how much she loved working with Robert Mitchum, with whom she became pals. Greer’s section was possibly the most enjoyable for me. She had no desire to play star all those years later. There are great stories about William Bendix in Greer’s section, and one about Gloria Grahame, her neighbor. But that highlights the problem throughout Dark City Dames; there are nice tidbits in nearly all the profiles, but tidbits are not enough to overcome how slanted this is, how anti-male it seems.
Dark City Dames boasts some truly stunning photographs of Audrey Totter, Jane Greer, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Coleen Gray, Ann Savage, Joan Bennet, Rhonda Fleming, Marsha Hunt, Ella Raines, Ruth Roman, Jan Sterling, Claire Trevor, Helen Walker. The loveliest photograph is perhaps the one of Gail Russell on page 242, which seems to capture both her beauty and her tortured shyness. Then on page 246 there is another, with Russell happy and smiling, a double-shot because we get her happy reflection in the mirror in this plush photo as well. Along with Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth, Gail Russell was totally unsuitable for the film industry, which prevented happiness rather than helped bring it about. Her section was sad and haunting, and I enjoyed it, and the section on Ella Raines.
The endpapers of this coffee-table size book, front and back, are filled with depictions of movie posters. When the dust jacket is removed, readers discover a portrait of Audrey Totter on the front, one of Jane Greer on the back. Dark City Dames is lush, but Muller’s slanted take, the get-out-of-jail Free card he gives any woman he likes for her actions and the resulting fallout, while beating males over the head whenever he gets the chance to take a shot, made the text annoying. And if Muller brought up the Red Scare one more time, for absolutely no reason, and with no perspective, I was gonna puke.
The innumerable women who should be here but are conspicuously missing, and the “selected” criticism reserved for only the studio system and males, keep this film book from being a really good one. It has zero perspective, nor is it evenhanded. It’s difficult to rate, because there is some good stuff here at times, despite Muller, and the photographs are delicious, but it took me forever to get through this, when normally I’d devour something of this kind. The bottom line is that I’d never give this as a gift to anyone, and perhaps that says it all…
January 10, 2026
This is a revised and updated version of the original book (same title) which I have read. I am using my original review with updates of this edition at the end.
If you are a fan of the noir and "B" films of the late 1940s/early 50s, you will enjoy this book which highlights the careers of six women who were an essential part of the genre....the "dames and wicked women" of cinema. But they never reached actual stardom until a cult arose around them after their careers were over and only then were they were awarded the attention they deserved.
Jane Greer: She made several "A" level films but her most memorable performance was with Robert Mitchum in "Out of the Past".
Marie Windsor: the dame with the huge eyes was a fixture in "B" films and she is remembered for two films: "The Killing" and "Narrow Margin".
Audrey Totter: The glacial blonde who gave a great performances in "The Set-Up" and "The Lady in the Lake".
Evelyn Keyes: She was Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister in "Gone With The Wind" but soon was making "B" films.
Coleen Gray: I don't know why she was included since she played the good girl more often that the bad "dame".
Ann Savage: My favorite.....her performance as Vera in the cult classic poverty row film "Detour" is so outstanding that it is a mystery as to why her career stalled after that film.
The book traces the careers and lives of these ladies during and after their film career. All were alive when the book was published in 2001 and they provided interviews to the author about their experiences. Sadly, they have all left us but we have great memories of them captured on the screen. I recommend this book for the film lover.
The author has added ten additional actresses to the original six, who were noted for some performances in which they played the "dark city dame". He also updates some of the material that was in the original book.
If you are a fan of the noir and "B" films of the late 1940s/early 50s, you will enjoy this book which highlights the careers of six women who were an essential part of the genre....the "dames and wicked women" of cinema. But they never reached actual stardom until a cult arose around them after their careers were over and only then were they were awarded the attention they deserved.
Jane Greer: She made several "A" level films but her most memorable performance was with Robert Mitchum in "Out of the Past".
Marie Windsor: the dame with the huge eyes was a fixture in "B" films and she is remembered for two films: "The Killing" and "Narrow Margin".
Audrey Totter: The glacial blonde who gave a great performances in "The Set-Up" and "The Lady in the Lake".
Evelyn Keyes: She was Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister in "Gone With The Wind" but soon was making "B" films.
Coleen Gray: I don't know why she was included since she played the good girl more often that the bad "dame".
Ann Savage: My favorite.....her performance as Vera in the cult classic poverty row film "Detour" is so outstanding that it is a mystery as to why her career stalled after that film.
The book traces the careers and lives of these ladies during and after their film career. All were alive when the book was published in 2001 and they provided interviews to the author about their experiences. Sadly, they have all left us but we have great memories of them captured on the screen. I recommend this book for the film lover.
The author has added ten additional actresses to the original six, who were noted for some performances in which they played the "dark city dame". He also updates some of the material that was in the original book.
April 29, 2025
If you’re a film noir fan you’ll want to read this.
The best thing about Eddie Muller is his enthusiasm for everything about noir. He enjoys the films, he enjoys the backstories, and, in this case, he enjoys learning about, talking to, and telling us about some of the principal actresses.
The first part of the book (“Hollywood Midcentury”) is a set of profiles of six actresses from the film noir period: Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Coleen Gray, and Ann Savage.
These aren’t necessarily the six best actresses or the six most influential. Muller’s selection criteria included that the actresses be available for interviews while he was writing the book in the late 1990s. His plan, as you’ll see in the second part of the book, was to visit and interview those same six actresses much later in their lives, by that time some of them in their eighties. A vantage point from which they can place their acting careers in the context of their lives, and in the larger context of film and film noir as wholes.
The selection criterion excludes some actors who would certainly have a strong claim to have made major contributions to “defining Film Noir.” Ida Lupino, Gloria Grahame, and Barbara Stanwyck for starters. All had died before Muller’s interviews.
That said, there’s something to be said for focusing on actresses who may not be so well known, and, as Muller also notes, haven’t been written about so much. These were successful, distinctive actresses who, in most cases, occupied the spotlight for relatively short times.
These were also the days of the “studio system,” where actors and actresses were contracted with a specific studio and called upon to make, by today’s standards, a lot of movies over short production times, with small budgets and low salaries, and with varying quality. The jobs of actors, actresses, photographers, directors, and screenwriters were to make the most of what they got to work with. The results were all over the place, but we got some noir classics out of those years and these actresses — Out of the Past (Jane Greer), The Postman Always Rings Twice (Audrey Totter), The Killing (Marie Windsor), The Prowler (Evelyn Keyes), Nightmare Alley (Coleen Gray), Detour (Ann Savage).
And these were the days of HUAC investigations, blacklisting, and witch-hunts for Communists. Being apolitical, as most were, didn’t give anybody a free pass. If not affected personally, they were collateral damage to what happened to other actors (e.g., John Garfield), directors (e.g., Joseph Losey), and writers (e.g., Dalton Trumbo).
Muller’s profiles include brief descriptions of the actresses’ backgrounds, families, how they got into acting, how they managed (or didn’t manage) their career paths, the highlights of their careers, and how their personal lives fared during the demands and rewards of those usually brief prime years.
All the glamour and the fame is frozen in time, but the people go on. And the second part of the book (“Hollywood Fin de Siecle”) picks up the actresses’ lives in their later years, in the 1990s. Although Muller has given us glimpses into the their personal lives already, seeing them later in life emphasizes the difference between the living, breathing women and their celluloid-bound images.
It’s us, not them, who do the Norma Desmond thing, freezing them in what we regard as their “moment,” while they go on to have lives that they care about as much or more than they care about those frozen moments. Many of these women arguably traveled the opposite of the Norma Desmond arc. Ann Savage, the evil-hearted Vera of Detour, went on to spend twenty-eight years working as a law clerk, into her late 70s. Twenty-eight years a law clerk, a few weeks filming as Vera.
We can call those later profiles the “declining” years if we want, but they are also the years in which the actresses, in some cases, extended their careers into television and “mature” roles, or as with Ann Savage, lived completely different lives. Evelyn Keyes notes of her entire life, “My private life has been a better movie than anything Hollywood could have concocted for me.”
Still it’s us who want to bring them back to the 1940s, in black and white glory. In later years, Jane Greer went on tour to promote a remake of Out of the Past called Against All Odds. She found, to her own surprise but maybe not ours, that fans really wanted to know about Out of the Past, not Against All Odds.
The final part of the book (“Eternal Flames”), written for this new edition, is comprised of briefer profiles of ten additional actresses of the film noir era: Joan Bennet, Peggie Castle, Rhonda Fleming, Marsha Hunt, Ella Raines, Ruth Roman, Gail Russell, Jan Sterling, Claire Trevor, and Helen Walker. Most are household names only to noir households, but all representative of that era, up through the early 1950s when noir was so prominent.
In addition to all the profiles and stories, this is part picture book. In addition to promotional photos and movie posters, there are some candid and even personal shots, many from Muller’s own collection. The photos are great — they conjure the time, with the clothing, hairstyles, and personality projections that hit the mark, especially in the case of the promotional photos. And the more personal ones remind us of the people who were the actresses and other players behind it all.
The best thing about Eddie Muller is his enthusiasm for everything about noir. He enjoys the films, he enjoys the backstories, and, in this case, he enjoys learning about, talking to, and telling us about some of the principal actresses.
The first part of the book (“Hollywood Midcentury”) is a set of profiles of six actresses from the film noir period: Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Coleen Gray, and Ann Savage.
These aren’t necessarily the six best actresses or the six most influential. Muller’s selection criteria included that the actresses be available for interviews while he was writing the book in the late 1990s. His plan, as you’ll see in the second part of the book, was to visit and interview those same six actresses much later in their lives, by that time some of them in their eighties. A vantage point from which they can place their acting careers in the context of their lives, and in the larger context of film and film noir as wholes.
The selection criterion excludes some actors who would certainly have a strong claim to have made major contributions to “defining Film Noir.” Ida Lupino, Gloria Grahame, and Barbara Stanwyck for starters. All had died before Muller’s interviews.
That said, there’s something to be said for focusing on actresses who may not be so well known, and, as Muller also notes, haven’t been written about so much. These were successful, distinctive actresses who, in most cases, occupied the spotlight for relatively short times.
These were also the days of the “studio system,” where actors and actresses were contracted with a specific studio and called upon to make, by today’s standards, a lot of movies over short production times, with small budgets and low salaries, and with varying quality. The jobs of actors, actresses, photographers, directors, and screenwriters were to make the most of what they got to work with. The results were all over the place, but we got some noir classics out of those years and these actresses — Out of the Past (Jane Greer), The Postman Always Rings Twice (Audrey Totter), The Killing (Marie Windsor), The Prowler (Evelyn Keyes), Nightmare Alley (Coleen Gray), Detour (Ann Savage).
And these were the days of HUAC investigations, blacklisting, and witch-hunts for Communists. Being apolitical, as most were, didn’t give anybody a free pass. If not affected personally, they were collateral damage to what happened to other actors (e.g., John Garfield), directors (e.g., Joseph Losey), and writers (e.g., Dalton Trumbo).
Muller’s profiles include brief descriptions of the actresses’ backgrounds, families, how they got into acting, how they managed (or didn’t manage) their career paths, the highlights of their careers, and how their personal lives fared during the demands and rewards of those usually brief prime years.
All the glamour and the fame is frozen in time, but the people go on. And the second part of the book (“Hollywood Fin de Siecle”) picks up the actresses’ lives in their later years, in the 1990s. Although Muller has given us glimpses into the their personal lives already, seeing them later in life emphasizes the difference between the living, breathing women and their celluloid-bound images.
It’s us, not them, who do the Norma Desmond thing, freezing them in what we regard as their “moment,” while they go on to have lives that they care about as much or more than they care about those frozen moments. Many of these women arguably traveled the opposite of the Norma Desmond arc. Ann Savage, the evil-hearted Vera of Detour, went on to spend twenty-eight years working as a law clerk, into her late 70s. Twenty-eight years a law clerk, a few weeks filming as Vera.
We can call those later profiles the “declining” years if we want, but they are also the years in which the actresses, in some cases, extended their careers into television and “mature” roles, or as with Ann Savage, lived completely different lives. Evelyn Keyes notes of her entire life, “My private life has been a better movie than anything Hollywood could have concocted for me.”
Still it’s us who want to bring them back to the 1940s, in black and white glory. In later years, Jane Greer went on tour to promote a remake of Out of the Past called Against All Odds. She found, to her own surprise but maybe not ours, that fans really wanted to know about Out of the Past, not Against All Odds.
The final part of the book (“Eternal Flames”), written for this new edition, is comprised of briefer profiles of ten additional actresses of the film noir era: Joan Bennet, Peggie Castle, Rhonda Fleming, Marsha Hunt, Ella Raines, Ruth Roman, Gail Russell, Jan Sterling, Claire Trevor, and Helen Walker. Most are household names only to noir households, but all representative of that era, up through the early 1950s when noir was so prominent.
In addition to all the profiles and stories, this is part picture book. In addition to promotional photos and movie posters, there are some candid and even personal shots, many from Muller’s own collection. The photos are great — they conjure the time, with the clothing, hairstyles, and personality projections that hit the mark, especially in the case of the promotional photos. And the more personal ones remind us of the people who were the actresses and other players behind it all.
July 2, 2022
Profiles of various actresses who made film noir what it is, still, today.
January 11, 2018
The book covers six Hollywood stars of the genre: Jane Green, Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Colleen Gray, and Ann Savage. The author covers their early careers in the late 40’s to mid-50’s. There is lots of gossip about Hollywood producers, actors, etc. Then the author follows them 50 years later and includes lots of personal information. For fans and film history students.
October 10, 2025
A fantastic read for all noir obsessives. Not only snapshots of various femme fatales/hard boiled greats, but in-depth interviews with six performers (Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Coleen Gray and Ann Savage) who left an indelible mark on the genre and lived fantastic lives beyond.
Thoroughly recommended!
Thoroughly recommended!
February 27, 2019
This book is actually a biography of six Hollywood actresses who starred in iconic Film Noirs: Jane Green, Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Colleen Gray, and Ann Savage. Muller splits the book into two halves. The first half covers their early careers in the late 40’s to mid-50’s: the Film Noir years. In the second half of the book, he resists them 50 years later and covers their lives post-Noir. Lots of info about the movie business and excellent biographical work on these six great actresses.
February 27, 2018
An invaluable film reference and poignant view into the lives of Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Ann Savage, Marie Windsor, Coleen Grey and Evelyn Keyes. Muller relies on the women's own words to tell their stories, while providing informed supporting background material.
September 9, 2025
Great book! The profiles and interview snippets of all of these actresses are very interesting. This is the 3rd book of Eddie Muller's that I've read and I have loved them all. In this one it was especially enlightening to find out what happened to these women after their film careers fizzled. Also enjoyed the lovely photographs and the movie poster pictures.
December 17, 2024
{{I received an advanced copy of this book for a review in a trade journal}}
What a gem this is! I missed the earlier version which was published in 2001. This update includes additional profiles of actresses who are remembered in the film noir genre. The original six actresses - Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Ann Savage, Coleen Gray, Evelyn Keyes and Marie Windsor are profiled in lengthy chapters which covers their careers as well as their personal lives. Section Two brings back another chapter on each, this time covering their lives after their careers faded. The new version includes shorter chapters on actresses Claire Trevor, Rhonda Fleming, Marsha Hunt, Gail Russell, Helen Walker, Ella Raines, Joan Bennett, Ruth Roman, Jan Sterling and an actress I was totally unfamiliar with - Peggie Castle. The author got to know his subjects well and his insights go far beyond your typical film biographies. In addition to the superb writing, the book is wonderfully illustrated with film stills, posters and portraits. A totally fascinating book for film lovers and one that is highly recommended!
What a gem this is! I missed the earlier version which was published in 2001. This update includes additional profiles of actresses who are remembered in the film noir genre. The original six actresses - Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Ann Savage, Coleen Gray, Evelyn Keyes and Marie Windsor are profiled in lengthy chapters which covers their careers as well as their personal lives. Section Two brings back another chapter on each, this time covering their lives after their careers faded. The new version includes shorter chapters on actresses Claire Trevor, Rhonda Fleming, Marsha Hunt, Gail Russell, Helen Walker, Ella Raines, Joan Bennett, Ruth Roman, Jan Sterling and an actress I was totally unfamiliar with - Peggie Castle. The author got to know his subjects well and his insights go far beyond your typical film biographies. In addition to the superb writing, the book is wonderfully illustrated with film stills, posters and portraits. A totally fascinating book for film lovers and one that is highly recommended!
December 14, 2009
Wow. Enjoyed this tome over a cold, sleety weekend. If you like film noir, grab it. Six actresses of the classic noir flicks have their say. Author and cinema expert Eddie Muller writes their stories with authority and panache. These ladies give the unvarnished side of making their unforgettable pictures. Who can forget Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, and Robert Mitchum starring in OUT OF THE PAST? I love that gritty gem. Recommended for noir & crime fiction fans.
August 4, 2018
A select group of the young women who came to Hollywood to be in the movies and how the industry treated them. They all made bad decisions throughout their careers and in their private lives. Yet each survived their short careers and in later years achieved a more balanced life.
July 20, 2022
Creatively organized, the first part covers their movie careers, the second revisits them 50 years later.
Skimmed.
Skimmed.
March 30, 2025
Initially I thought this book would be about the femme fatales found in the great Film noirs. Instead it was the story of the actresses who played them. Nothing wrong with that.
First we learned about these women’s lives in Hollywood. They discuss the movies they made and those movies that got away. We peek into the world of starlets in the age of the great studios
The latter part of the book shows interviews with these women taken years later. It answers the question “where are they now.?”
So why did I give this book only 4 stars? It was certainly an interesting book filled with marvelous stories. The problem was that a lot of the top film noir actresses were not included One could hardly blame the author. So many of these women have since passed away. Eddie Muller worked with who he had.
Another problem I had was on me. I found that though I loved all the lasses in old movies I really didn’t like some of their portrayers. Now when I watch them on celluloid my inside knowledge taints the performances.
This only applied to some of the actresses. There were many that I really enjoyed learning about. I cheered them on in their careers and followed their live’s fortunes.
Learning about these unsung heroes of the silver screen definitely added to my Hollywood education. Although my favorites were Jane Greer and Ann Savage, they all led interesting lives.
First we learned about these women’s lives in Hollywood. They discuss the movies they made and those movies that got away. We peek into the world of starlets in the age of the great studios
The latter part of the book shows interviews with these women taken years later. It answers the question “where are they now.?”
So why did I give this book only 4 stars? It was certainly an interesting book filled with marvelous stories. The problem was that a lot of the top film noir actresses were not included One could hardly blame the author. So many of these women have since passed away. Eddie Muller worked with who he had.
Another problem I had was on me. I found that though I loved all the lasses in old movies I really didn’t like some of their portrayers. Now when I watch them on celluloid my inside knowledge taints the performances.
This only applied to some of the actresses. There were many that I really enjoyed learning about. I cheered them on in their careers and followed their live’s fortunes.
Learning about these unsung heroes of the silver screen definitely added to my Hollywood education. Although my favorites were Jane Greer and Ann Savage, they all led interesting lives.
September 15, 2025
I learned to love Film Noir late in life, and it was mainly courtesy of Eddie Muller's 'Noir Alley' on TCM. This book details the lives of some the women who made it big in that genre, and also some who aren't as well-known. My favorite actresses in Film Noir are Gloria Grahame, Claire Trevor, Audrey Totter, and Marie Windsor. They are all in the book although Gloria Grahame is just mentioned in the narrative.
Many of the actresses such as Ann Savage, Evelyn Keyes, and Jane Greer didn't have easy careers or lives for that matter. Multiple marriages and erratic careers seem to dominate their stories. One or two memorable movies for which they are remembered also seem to be the norm (although Evelyn Keyes is also remembered for 'Gone With The Wind.'
If you like Film Noir, you will probably like this book. I must admit I wasn't gung-ho on all the entries, but I realize that they didn't have it easy. Hollywood in the 40s and 50s was dominated by studios and bosses. For the most part, you did what you were told. The chance of getting that one part that might result in stardom was a crapshoot. There were just so many dreams that never came true.
Many of the actresses such as Ann Savage, Evelyn Keyes, and Jane Greer didn't have easy careers or lives for that matter. Multiple marriages and erratic careers seem to dominate their stories. One or two memorable movies for which they are remembered also seem to be the norm (although Evelyn Keyes is also remembered for 'Gone With The Wind.'
If you like Film Noir, you will probably like this book. I must admit I wasn't gung-ho on all the entries, but I realize that they didn't have it easy. Hollywood in the 40s and 50s was dominated by studios and bosses. For the most part, you did what you were told. The chance of getting that one part that might result in stardom was a crapshoot. There were just so many dreams that never came true.
December 5, 2025
More than a pretty face!
Dark City Dames by Eddie Muller could be a beautiful coffee table book based on the visual presentation, with the highest-quality details, stunning photography, and images included throughout the book; though the book is so much more.
The real treasures are the stories of the women included in the book. These are not just narratives that were heard elsewhere, or assumed from past articles or other’s accounts. Eddie Muller personally researched and gathered his information from the direct communication and cherished relationships with the women of Film Noir. We get a glimpse of their early life, film career, and each actress’s ‘Afterwards’ account of their lives…The good, the bad, and the brilliant wisdom that comes with a life so uniquely lived; working in the classic Hollywood movie industry.
In addition to the actress’s voices, Eddie Muller offers keen insight to help portray each story with deep respect and honor. It is obvious how Eddie Muller was able to build long lasting relationships with these talented and strong women…honest and sincere charm.
October 22, 2019
An interesting story of six film noir dames (Jane Greer, Audrey Totter, Marie Windsor, Evelyn Keyes, Coleen Gray, Ann Savage), providing a look inside these women's careers and lives. Their roles and their personal stories make them go from good girls to bad girls, from saints to sinners.
The plus of the book is having the author personally interviewed these ladies. It's interesting to meet them at their old age and find out what their destinies were, what dreams they managed to achieve and what regrets were left behind. And also have the photos to witness their evolution over decades.
The minus of the book is that it doesn't include more dames and maybe more prominent names in the film noir history.
From the reading point of view, it was a little difficult for me to manage the non-linear story telling, the jumps back and forth in time. And the separation in two parts, what they were and what they've become. I've read the two parts for each actress in succession.
Overall, a good and interesting book.
The plus of the book is having the author personally interviewed these ladies. It's interesting to meet them at their old age and find out what their destinies were, what dreams they managed to achieve and what regrets were left behind. And also have the photos to witness their evolution over decades.
The minus of the book is that it doesn't include more dames and maybe more prominent names in the film noir history.
From the reading point of view, it was a little difficult for me to manage the non-linear story telling, the jumps back and forth in time. And the separation in two parts, what they were and what they've become. I've read the two parts for each actress in succession.
Overall, a good and interesting book.
January 5, 2023
This is everything I look for in a book about old Hollywood. Eddie Muller does a beautiful job providing actresses with personal accounts of their Hollywood careers, with an emphasis on another common element they share, being cast in movies that later became known as Noir. Muller makes the book even more intriguing by having the second half of the book examine the various paths each actress led after they left Hollywood. I found the latter as equally riveting as the first half.
June 7, 2025
An enjoyable look at the lives is several mid-century, mostly forgotten stars of the great film noirs. The six mini-biographies capture many of the stories you’d expect from the era: one of the women was romanced by Hugh Hefner, another was sexually harassed by Harry Cohn, and each had to fight for opportunities and respect. Especially worthwhile if you’ve seen some of the movies referenced such as The Narrow Margin, The Prowler, and Nightmare Alley.
December 17, 2025
I cannot say enough good things about this expanded version of “Dark City Dames”. Author Eddie Muller’s sobriquet “The Czar of Noir” is well earned. His knowledge, charm, and writing ability has drawn out his subjects to create an endlessly fascinating narrative.
The choice of Natalie Naudus as narrator is inspired. Her voice reminds one of many of the voices of the “dames” themselves.
Bravo!
The choice of Natalie Naudus as narrator is inspired. Her voice reminds one of many of the voices of the “dames” themselves.
Bravo!
February 27, 2026
A fantastic look at the lives and careers of some old Hollywood actresses who made iconic film noir appearances. You’ll learn a bunch of what made them tick and how they ended up after their careers. The new added chapters on other actresses were a little too brief and failed to meet the high standards of the original parts. Not that they’re bad, just not as thorough and therefore feel a bit rushed. Still a great book!
October 8, 2025
Great Stuff
I love noir films and this book illuminates the lives of the famous females of noir. Insightful with a look at the lives of these women after their time in the spotlight was over is fascinating. Even if you’re not in noir this is an interesting look at women in Hollywood. Highly recommended.
I love noir films and this book illuminates the lives of the famous females of noir. Insightful with a look at the lives of these women after their time in the spotlight was over is fascinating. Even if you’re not in noir this is an interesting look at women in Hollywood. Highly recommended.
April 26, 2020
It was great fun reading about actresses famous for their success in my favorite genre. It's just the right mixture of their professional lives with their personnel lies and their lives during their professional heyday with their lives at the start of the new millennium.
April 13, 2023
Thanks to Eddie Muller, we have the story of 6 of Film Noir's female stars. The book is very interesting. The first half deals with their Hollywood careers. The second half brings the reader up to date with their post-Hollywood lives.
October 4, 2025
Wonderfully Informative
This is an informative book about people that we think we know but don't. The good things and bad things do such a good job of letting us know who these people really were. It's not always easy to accept but that's what life is really like.
This is an informative book about people that we think we know but don't. The good things and bad things do such a good job of letting us know who these people really were. It's not always easy to accept but that's what life is really like.
October 11, 2025
Eddie Muller's revision of his original adds so much to the stories of the film noir women! I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Any fan of the genre will be entertained and enlightened, just as Eddie intends.
December 31, 2025
This is a visually stunning book and beautifully written. Eddie Muller does an excellent job of telling their stories but gives it a feeling as if the reader is hearing it directly from the subject. It's clear that he spent a lot of time with Greer, Totter, Windsor, Keyes, Gray, and Savage. Their chapters feel personal, especially compared to the expanded portion profiling other women in noir.
Despite, Muller's relationships with the five women, he doesn't let it sway his writing. I found their chapters, especially the second half post Hollywood career, to be full of wisdom and insight into living life and growing old. It was very moving to read how even though they all suffered bumps and bruises along the way they still continued to live life. Making movies was only one chapter in their very full lives.
The expanded portion of other actresses was informative and also interesting to contrast against the fuller chapters as some of the women in the expanded section did not go on to live full lives.
I found this book to be very moving and one I will reflect on and revisit frequently throughout the years. It is deeply cherished.
Despite, Muller's relationships with the five women, he doesn't let it sway his writing. I found their chapters, especially the second half post Hollywood career, to be full of wisdom and insight into living life and growing old. It was very moving to read how even though they all suffered bumps and bruises along the way they still continued to live life. Making movies was only one chapter in their very full lives.
The expanded portion of other actresses was informative and also interesting to contrast against the fuller chapters as some of the women in the expanded section did not go on to live full lives.
I found this book to be very moving and one I will reflect on and revisit frequently throughout the years. It is deeply cherished.
August 27, 2025
Read revised edition
September 23, 2025
Sadly I found this book rather boring and I love film noir.
September 21, 2025
I loved this book! I’m sooo glad Mr Muller went back and revised his original. As a lover of old movies, and learning to adore the movies of Film Noir, I was so grateful to see that *most* of the fabulous actresses that were interviewed for the book went on to have *very meaningful* lives.
We see these ladies -acting- and often we think, well, that’s how she is (because she’s so believable!).
And yet. “Dark City Dames” shows the reader the intimate details of the lives that these brave ladies led. And it wasn’t always Sunshine and Roses, ya know?
Thank you, Mr Muller. Well done! I wish I could’ve known these gorgeous Dames as you did! As Ladies. As Actors. As brilliant professionals. Wow. Well done!
We see these ladies -acting- and often we think, well, that’s how she is (because she’s so believable!).
And yet. “Dark City Dames” shows the reader the intimate details of the lives that these brave ladies led. And it wasn’t always Sunshine and Roses, ya know?
Thank you, Mr Muller. Well done! I wish I could’ve known these gorgeous Dames as you did! As Ladies. As Actors. As brilliant professionals. Wow. Well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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