Film noir isn’t defined simply by the elements of crime or the atmosphere, it’s also defined by the actors who bring it to life, many of whom were staples in the genre throughout the 1940s and ’50s. There are certain actors who spent so much of their careers playing the characters who catch the bad guys, or play the villains being tracked, they have become synonymous with the genre. In order to become familiar with the genre, and its long history, there are a few actors whose movies are required viewings to get started.
