Film noir, which enjoyed particular success in the 1930s and 1940s, is probably the most profound genre of classic Hollywood cinema. Eckhart Schmidt tries to show the background and developments and speaks, among others, with directors such as Richard Fleischer and Robert Wise as well as with "femme fatale" actresses. Filmmakers of the following generations explain how the style and themes of noir continue to shape cinema today.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Richard FleischerSelf | Self |
 Sydney PollackSelf | Self |
 Jane RussellSelf | Self |
 Vincent ShermanSelf | Self |
 Coleen GraySelf | Self |
| NNorman M. KleinSelf | Self |
 Jennifer TillySelf | Self |
 Robert WiseSelf | Self |
 Rhonda FlemingSelf | Self |
 Christa LangSelf | Self |
 Curtis HansonSelf | Self |
 Audrey TotterSelf | Self |
 Ann SavageSelf | Self |
 Joe DanteSelf | Self |
| JJan-Christopher HorakSelf | Self |
| HHarold NebenzalSelf | Self |
| AArianne UlmerSelf | Self |
| AAlain SilverSelf | Self |
 David RaksinSelf | Self |
 Michael MannSelf | Self |
 Lawrence KasdanSelf | Self |
 Paul SchraderSelf | Self |
 Steven GaydosSelf | Self |