Another 1944 film crucial to the development of film noir, this critically lauded suspenser stars Edward G. Robinson as a middle-aged husband whose accidental meeting with a gorgeous femme fatale (Joan Bennett) leads to murder, blackmail, and suicide. Fritz Lang’s clever direction and the vivid performances of the leads—including Dan Duryea’s sinister dandy (the first appearance of what would become his archetypal noir character)—made this a big hit, although its lone Oscar nod was for the terrific score by Hugo Friedhofer and Arthur Lange. Robinson’s transition from snarling tough guy to timid milquetoast marked a significant shift in his career, leading to many more appearances in noir.