When and where Film Noir was first used

The 1950s and 1950s were known for being the common period for film noir. Many French film critics began noticing the theme of ‘black films’ (film noir) in 1946 however many of these films were released in 1944. Films such as ‘Murder, My Sweet’ were released with the film noir theme. This film received awards for the best motion picture at the time. Other films such as ‘Double Indemnity’, ‘The Woman in the Window’ and ‘Laura’ all seemed to show the same theme which was film noir. Film noir was and is not seen as a genre, it is seen as more of a mood or theme through films. Although these films were released in 1944, sources claim that ‘Stranger on the Third Floor’ which was released in 1940, was the first film to fully feature film noir themes throughout.