Top of the World: 25 Favourite Film Noir Soundtracks for #Noirvember

Happy #Noirvember 2024 to all! That’s it. We’ve reached that time of the year when cinephiles can finally celebrate ad-nauseam and without shame, the art of films noirs! The concept of Noirvember, making November the official month of films noirs, was created by film critic Marya E. Gates in 2010. As for myself, I became aware of the existence of Noirvember only some years later. And I’m thankful it exists because it makes November more interesting than it normally is. I mean, unless it’s your birthday, there’s not much happening, and it’s dark, rainy and grey outside (a bit like in a film noir, actually!).

Each year, I like to celebrate Noirvember by posting a few articles on my blog in connection with that holiday (hey, it’s called a holiday on IndieWire! And I like the idea of a holiday lasting a month). To kick things off for this 14th year of #Noirvember, I thought it would be fun to talk about music and present 25 of my favourite film noir scores. I also feel it’s been a while since I’ve talked about music on my blog, so here we are!

Composer

Before presenting these soundtracks that I like, a little introduction is in order.

Confession: I’ve seen many films noirs, so I cannot include them all. I’ve browsed my list of watched films noir on Letterboxd and went back to listen to soundtracks to refresh my memory, hoping I haven’t missed some great ones. Anyway, I went with soundtracks that, in my opinion, really stood out for themselves. I don’t want to say that every film noir soundtracks are alike, but there certainly was a pattern that was common to many of them. Orchestral and dramatic music, if you know what I mean. Some are quite similar, to be honest.

I’ve decided not to include any Hitchcock film soundtracks. There’s always a debate on which Hitchcock films can be considered a noir, but it’s not so much for that. Anyway, Spellbound’s soundtrack is my favourite of all time, and I’ve mentioned it before, so I feel I would be repeating myself. Ok, is Spellbound a film noir? That’s debatable, but it definitely belongs to films noirs in the broad sense. Also, it’s a way to reduce the list. Otherwise, there would be too much to choose from. So, if you don’t see any Hitchcock films here, it’s not that I don’t like them, far from it. I LOVE most of them.

I also stayed into the established time frame of films noirs (around 1940 to 1959). Therefore, there won’t be any neo-noir soundtracks in this list.

Keep in mind that these are personal choices. So, my favourite might not be your favourite, and that’s the beauty of having diverse tastes.

These are in chronological order! It was too hard to rank them.

***

The 7th Victim (Mark Robson, 1943) – music by Roy Webb

I just love how they incorporated Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in this. It works brilliantly.

Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944) – music by Miklós Rózsa

Confession: I’m not a fan of Double Indemnity. I know, hot take coming from someone who normally loves Billy Wilder films and films noirs, in general. HOWEVER, I absolutely love the music. There’s a part that makes me think of something else, but I can’t quite put my finger on it! Spoiler alert: You will see a lot of Miklós Rózsa on this list.

Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944) – music by Bronisław Kaper

Bronisław Kaper’s score for Gaslight is one that both embodies the dark sides of the Gaslight era as well as its poetic beauty. It announces that something gloomy is coming up. A perfect score for a gothic noir.

Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944) – music by David Raksin

I love the very lyrical feel of this music. Something about it almost reminds me of an early classic Disney movie (and I mean that as a compliment). I think many people would agree that Laura‘s score is pure poetry.

Leave Her to Heaven (John M. Stahl, 1945) – music by Alfred Newman*

This music screams: “Danger is ahead” and “Don’t trust Ellen Berent”. A narrative and musical masterpiece by the always-great Alfred Newman.

The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946) – music by Max Steiner

I love how the jingle of the Warner Bros logo blends perfectly in Steiner’s music at the beginning. The Austrian composer knew how to make epic sounds. But here, he goes in all sorts of directions, very much like the movie, which is one of the best noirs ever made. I mean, I don’t fully understand it, but I always have fun watching it. You just have to go with the flow.

The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946) – music by Miklós Rózsa

Siodmak’s The Killers has one of the best opening to a film noir and one of Rozsa’s best compositions. Imagine seeing and hearing that on the big screen.

Brute Force (Jules Dassin, 1947) – music byMiklós Rózsa

Burt Lancaster is back. And so is Miklós Rózsa. As the previously mentioned score, he manages to tactfully create a feeling of severity, and I can perfectly picture scenes of the film while hearing it.

The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948) – music by Miklós Rózsa and Frank Skinner

This film has one of the best pursuit scenes (and is, overall, just great). The music contributes well to its excellence, as well as Dassin’s impeccable direction..

The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949) – music by Anton Karas

What would be The Third Man without this famous zither melody? It is different, it’s iconic, and we love it.

Night and the City (Jules Dassin, 1950) – music by Franz Waxman

I remember seeing this film in my class on film noir at university, and I don’t remember much from it. However, when I listened to the music to refresh my memory, I knew I had to put it on my list. It was a great surprise. It’s probably not the film noir on this list directed by Jules Dassin that I prefer, but it’s probably the one with the best score.

The Asphalt Jungle (John Huston, 1950) – music by Miklós Rózsa

I told you there would be a lot of Miklós Rózsa on this list. But what can I tell you? He simply was one of the best! If there’s a composer I’ll forever associate with films noirs, it’s probably him. And The Asphalt Jungle makes no exception to the rule. I especially like the part that starts around 01:45.

Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950) – music by Franz Waxman

That is one of the very best films noirs soundtracks, if not THE best. I love how Franz Waxman had the talent of taking you into the film’s atmosphere through his masterful work. You hear the first notes, and you know you’re about to dive into some unique cinematic experience. His score for Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940) is another great example.

On Dangerous Ground (Nicholas Ray, 1951) – music by Bernard Herrmann

Of course, this list has some of the top classic film composers. So, we couldn’t leave the great Bernard Herrmann behind! Especially with such a powerful score that rhymes perfectly with “danger” and a sense of urgency. Certainly in my top five among all these.

Angel Face (Otto Preminger, 1952) – music by Dimitri Tiomkin

I can picture Jean Simmons’s character playing the piano while… something happens… when I hear parts of that music. Dimitri Tiomkin was another great classic film composer. Here, he composed the music and also conducted the orchestra.

Human Desire (Fritz Lang, 1954) – music by Daniele Amfitheatrof

This film is very fresh in my memory as I watched it for the first time earlier this week. I was a bit disappointed and didn’t like it as much as I would have liked. However, the music was one of its strong points. It gave me hope in the first scene because how it is transposed to the film medium is quite skilful. In a way, hearing the dynamic score and seeing shots of the railways in the opening titles sequence reminded me of the beginning of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951).

The Big Combo (Joseph H. Lewis, 1955) – music by David Raskin

We love jazzy music, and there’s plenty of it in the 50s noirs era. An aesthetically beautiful score, just like John Alton’s black and white cinematography.

Mr. Arkadin (Orson Welles, 1955) – music by Paul Misraki

I don’t remember much from this film either (aside from Michael Redgrave’s scene), but I love the upbeat tempo created by Misraki. A change like that is welcomed. I also learned that he was the one who composed the French song “Tout va très bien, Madame la marquise“. And I love that.

The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) – music by Walter Schumann

If there’s a score I forever associate with one precise character, it’s certainly Schumann’s composition for Charles Laughton’s only film. And what a film! And the character I think of is, of course, Reverend Harry Powell. Whenever I hear the menacing notes, I see these images of Powell’s shadow terrifying the children or the train rolling at full speed with a terrible black smoke, announcing he’s coming for you (and you should hide)!

The Killing (Stanley Kubrick, 1956) – music by Gerald Fried

Interesting fact: Gerald Fried was also the composer behind the well-known TV shows Mission: Impossible, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Star Trek. With his composition for The Killing, you feel that, just like the young Kubrick, he brought something new to the art of film noir. In a way, the score of The Killing sort of belongs to its own category.

Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957) – music by Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein is someone else you can’t go wrong with. His score for Sweet Smell of Success reflects both the glamorous and shady parts of New York City and the essence of the complex characters at the heart of this noir masterpiece.

Murder by Contract (Irving Lerner, 1958) – music by Perry Botkin

e best example. Murder by Contract might not be the most famous noir, but it’s one of the most interesting for the way it’s constructed, the music, and the style. It even was one of Martin Scorsese’s inspirations for his work. It was turning a page in film noir history, even if we tend to forget it. Listen to this music (and don’t tell me you’re not curious)!

Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958) – music by Henry Mancini

Henry Mancini is someone I normally more often associate with Blake Edwards, Stanley Donen or Audrey Hepburn. But I love that he kept his touch and signature while perfectly adapting himself to a film like Touch of Evil. He was the master of what I call “music for a social cocktail in 60s films” and managed to transpose that cool music to one of the last classic noirs. I always think of the famous opening when I hear this music.

Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Louis Malle, 1958) – music by Miles Davis

A classic. I mean, it’s Miles Davis. One can’t deny it: the film, although having a great and suspenseful story, is probably best remembered for its music. It’s something you can listen to during supper without even associating it with a film.

I Want to Live! (Robert Wise, 1958) – music by Johnny Mandel

This is another one of those jazzy films noirs scores that charms us perfectly. I Want to Live! was actually the first film scored by Mandel. He then made great contributions to the film industry during the New Hollywood era.

***

That’s it! Now, supposed I’ll have to keep only five of these, I would probably go with Sunset Boulevard, Murder by Contract, On Dangerous Ground, The Third Man and Double Indemnity. But these are difficult choices!

Now, I’m very curious to know what are YOUR favourite film noir scores! Please let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading and have a nice Noirvember!

**Enjoy this blog’s content? Consider supporting The Wonderful World of Cinema!**