Noir did not just fade in the 1950s—it turned new. As U.S. films hit the wild 1960s, noir grew, mixed with social talk, sci-fi, real crime, & art-house tries. These ten films from the late ’50s & ’60s may not land on most lists, yet each gives a bold take on noir’s key notes of lone feels, guilt, fear, & gray morals.
10. Uptight (1968)
After years in Europe, Jules Dassin came back to the U.S. to make a bold film. Uptight is a sharp take on The Informer, set in Cleveland post the death of Martin Luther King Jr. It tracks a gang of Black fightfolk & the mess when one turns on a friend. With playwright Julian Mayfield & a strong show byRuby Dee, this film is a rough noir that hits on civil rights & loss in times of big change. Dassin’s sharp realist style cuts deep.
9. The Detective (1968)
Frank Sinatra shook all by leaving his cool guy role to be Joe Leland, a worn NYPD cop who digs into the death of a gay man in this strong, new crime film. The Detective talks less on moves and more on deep rot—from hate to foul play—and Sinatra fills this role with soft heat. With a top cast (Lee Remick, Robert Duvall) and a push to talk on tough themes, this film stands as a grown pick in ’60s noir.
8. The Boston Strangler (1968)
Tony Curtis drops his top love guy look to be real killer Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler, a dark, bold film that mixes noir with real crime in sharp ways. Boss Richard Fleischer uses split screens, hand-held cams, & cuts to make a broken sense of dread that shows Boston’s fear when the killer is out. Curtis’s part is chill, & the film’s rough, near-fact way makes it seem far from its time.
7. Seconds (1966)
Think Kafka& Hitchcock made a TwilightZone show; you’d have Seconds.John Frankenheimer’s mind noir tracks a middle-aged guy (John Randolph) who gets a new shot at life by way of a change to be Rock Hudson. But his new self comes with lines. Hudson’s deep, rare show & the film’s dream-like look mark it as a dark, fear-filled piece on self, loss, & fake change. It failed at first—but now it’s a must-see.
6. Mickey One (1965)
Arthur Penn went full art-house with this jazz, odd noir with Warren Beatty as a comic on the run from a hidden fear. Part Kafka, part French New Wave, Mickey One is a wild dream of watch, guilt, & deep fear. The mood of black-and-white film, odd cuts, & a cool jazz score by Stan Getz make it stand out. It’s hard to see, but it grips—and shows noir’s reach when sent to its wild ends.
5. Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965)
As dark as its name hints, & that’s its pull. Set in the raw, neon-lit streets of mid-’60s Times Square, the film stars Juliet Prowse as a club DJ hit with crude calls & Sal Mineo as her dark fan. Who Killed Teddy Bear goes deep into wild need & sight in ways far from its time. It’s rough, hard, & more bold than most in its era. A true odd find that links old noir with what would turn the hot thriller genre.
4. Johnny Cool (1963)
Henry Silva brings fear as a Sicilian crook turned harsh hit man, sent to the U.S. tohit back at bad rich folk. Johnny Cool has the fast pace & sharp feel of a pulp book—there’s not much extra in this tale. With Elizabeth Montgomery & Sammy Davis Jr. in big roles, the film rocks with style & mood. Silva’s tough show holds a film that does not back down. It’s slim, hard, & all mid-century noir mood.
3. Private Property (1960)
Once lost, this low-cost shock is a dark gem. Shot in just ten days, it stars Warren Oates & Corey Allen as drifters who take over the calm life of a rich lady, turning her lone home into a high-heat mind trap. Both sight-lust & sad, the film was lost for ages till it was found in 2016. Its raw sex feel & gray morals make it seem more wild than most films from its time.
2. City of Fear (1959)
Prison run Vince Edwards thinks he has a jar of heroin. But, it’s Cobalt-60—a hot thing that could end Los Angeles. What comes is a tight, key noir with life-or-death stakes. Boss Irving Lerner uses LA spots well, while Jerry Goldsmith’s odd tune keeps the heat on. It’s a top case of a B-movie with high aim, both in style & scare in what it hints.
1. The Crimson Kimono (1959)
Sam Fuller’s The Crimson Kimono should be seen far more. A sharp crime tale that’s also a fresh look at race & self, it stars James Shigeta & Glenn Corbett as LAPD cops who look into the death of a burlesque dancer. But as both men like the same lady, racial strife starts. Fuller uses this love mix to talk on deep themes of being an ‘other,’ trust, & want. It’s not just a solid noir—it’s a new one for its era, with rich views of Japanese-American life that stay rare in U.S. films.
These films may not have had the light they should have, but each took noir to new spots—whether by politics, form, or hot themes. If you want to dig more than the common Bogart-and-beret tales, these missed gems are a top start.