Gloria Grahame
One of my favorite femme fatales of film noir, Grahame is a perky blonde whose eyes can flash with fiery invitation, and her dimpled smile can melt a hardened soul. She is a unique mixture of baby doll innocence and peppery sass. Her voice is purely her own and unforgettable once you've heard it.The characters she plays tend to get kicked around a lot, partly due to her portrayed persona as a pouty sex kitten. Here are some Gloria Grahame movies of the film noir genre not to be missed: In Crossfire (1947), a movie about racial hatred, she is Ginny, girlfriend to a very oddball (Paul Kelly). "Crossfire" on DVD "Crossfire" VIDEO ON DEMAND In a Lonely Place (1950) has Grahame playing Laurel Gray, who falls in love with her neighbor Dixon (Humphrey Bogart), but their love is gradually torn apart by his jealousy and violent temper. "In a Lonely Place" on DVD In Macao (1952), Grahame has a small part as Margie, neglected girlfriend of a casino owner who is wanted for murder. She's jealous of Julie (Jane Russell), the new "canary" in the casino. "Macao" on DVD In Sudden Fear (1952), as Irene, she plots with her ex boyfriend Lester (Jack Palance) to kill his new rich bride (Joan Crawford) when they discover how much she is leaving him in her will. "Sudden Fear" on DVD In The Big Heat (1953), she plays Debby Marsh, girlfriend of a gangster (Lee Marvin) who disfigures half her face off with hot coffee out of jealousy. She then goes all out for revenge on him. "The Big Heat" on DVD In Human Desire (The Human Beast) (1954), she's Vicki, wife of a hot blooded killer (Broderick Crawford), whom she plans to get rid of with the reluctant help of her new lover (Glenn Ford). "Human Desire" on VHS In Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), she is a femme fatale to bigot criminal Earl (Robert Ryan). "Odds Against Tomorrow" on DVD
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