Noirvember with Kanopy

November is for noir. Kanopy, a streaming service available free with your WPL card, has a selection of classic film noir to help you celebrate Noirvember. While the 1940s and 1950s is considered the classic period for American film noir, Kanopy also has European classics from the 1930s and 1960s. Connect with other film noir aficionados and share your thoughts about these movies using #noirvember on social media. If you do not have a Kanopy account, create one here. 

Lured (1947)

Running time: 103 minutes

Sandra Carpenter is a London-based dancer who is distraught to learn that her friend has disappeared. Soon after the disappearance, she's approached by Harley Temple, a police investigator who believes her friend has been murdered by a serial killer who uses personal ads to find his victims. Temple hatches a plan to catch the killer using Sandra as bait, and Sandra agrees to help. But complications arise when Sandra becomes engaged to a nightclub owner.

The Stranger (1946)

Running time: 95 minutes 

Immediately following World War II, ex-Nazi Franz Kindler is living under a false identity as a teacher in a small Connecticut town, and has even married the headmaster's daughter as part of his cover. When one of Kindler's old German associates arrives unexpectedly in town, bringing in his wake a sly federal investigator, Kindler resorts to desperate measures to preserve his secret.

M (1931)

Running time: 110 minutes 

Language: German 

Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice. 

Purple Noon (1960)

Running time: 119 minutes

Language: French 

Tom Ripley travels to Italy to visit his friend Phillippe and his new fiancé. What Phillippe doesn't know is that his father has paid Tom to convince his son to abandon Europe and return to his family responsibilities in San Francisco. When Phillippe's family cuts off their funding of Tom's extravagant lifestyle during his covert mission, he discovers another way to maintain his newfound standard of living.

Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Running time: 100 minutes 

A mysterious person contacts a trio of criminals to help with a bank heist. The four wear masks and remain strangers to each other, planning to reunite in Mexico to divvy up the loot. Joe Rolfe, the man they framed to take the heat, gets his charges dropped, and the police offer him a reward if he can help recover the cash. He agrees, and when one of the thieves meets his end, Rolfe assumes his identity to catch the crooks.