Film noir is all about style, even as much as it is about crime. The poster art from the noir era has a bold look and an iconography all its own. A sizzling marriage of sex and violence the sinuous figures of femme fatales alongside the granite features of the era's tough-guy stars made this artwork dynamic and dangerous. During the golden age of noir, studios commissioned these arresting illustrations for even the lowliest "B" thriller. The Art of Noir is the first book to present this striking artwork in a lavishly produced, large- format, full-color volume.

The over 250 dazzling posters, lobby cards, and other promotional material, range from the classics Out of the Past, Touch of Evil, and The Big Sleep, to rare archive films such as The Devil Thumbs a Ride, and Blonde Kiss. Noir expert Eddie Muller provides background information for the illustrators, most of whom have never before received credit for their work. With rare offerings from France, Italy, Spain, Britain, and Russian, as well as the knockout graphics of Hollywood, The Art of Noir is the ultimate companion for movie buffs and collectors, as well as artists and designers.

"Eddie Muller seriously takes films not too seriously just the right mix, and with great results."-Paul Schraeder

Eddie Muller, a writer and designer, is the author of Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir and Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir. A noted film noir expert, he organizes and hosts the annual film noir festival at Los Angeles's premier film revival house, American Cinemateque, where he is the official programmer. He lives in San Francisco. His popular noir website is www.noircity.com.