In the dark and deadly corner of the cinema which the French dubbed film noir -- black film -- the centurys greatest crime novelists, movie stars, and filmmakers converged to create a shadowy celluloid underworld of desperate characters, violent passions, and illicit schemes. This is the first book to trace the development and history of this intriguing movement by employing original movie poster art from 100 vintage films from the classic period of 1941 to 1959 including: The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor, This Gun for Hire with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, Laura with Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, and The Postman Always Rings Twice with Lana Turner and John Garfield. Originally displayed in movie theatres, these rare, ravishing and valuable posters and lobby cards also illustrate the signature in-house movie poster styles and printing processes utilised by the major studios and leading independents of the day.