Noirvember: The Postman Always Rings Twice
About the film:
“Like Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce, The Postman Always Rings Twice is based on a book by pulp novelist James M. Cain. Directed by Tay Garnett, it stars Lana Turner as Cora Smith – another one of film noir’s all-time great femme fatales – who seduces hapless drifter Frank Chambers (John Garfield) into murdering her diner-owning husband (Cecil Kellaway). Turner’s wonderful entrance scene alone is worth the price of admission.”
About Noirvember:
Local film critic and podcaster Matthew Turner returns for a second mini season of film noir classics, which will run exclusively at Chiswick Cinema throughout November 2025.
Broadly speaking, the term film noir (coined by French film critics) refers to Hollywood thrillers and dramas from the 1940s and ’50s that were perceived to have a degree of darkness and cynicism, reflecting post-WII attitudes at the time. Film noir stories frequently revolve around crime, corruption, greed, illicit sex and murder, exposing the dark heart beating beneath the American Dream.
Join us for five film noir classics, all of which showcase key elements of the genre, from hard-boiled dialogue (derived from the detective novels that were often adapted into thrillers), voiceover narration and shadowy lighting to femme fatales, murder plots and decidely unhappy endings.
Like last year, each film will be introduced by Matthew Turner, a lifelong film noir enthusiast, who will also be around in the bar after each screening. In addition, audiences are invited to post about the films online, using the hashtag #Noirvember, a great source of other film noir recommendations.
“Like Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce, The Postman Always Rings Twice is based on a book by pulp novelist James M. Cain. Directed by Tay Garnett, it stars Lana Turner as Cora Smith – another one of film noir’s all-time great femme fatales – who seduces hapless drifter Frank Chambers (John Garfield) into murdering her diner-owning husband (Cecil Kellaway). Turner’s wonderful entrance scene alone is worth the price of admission.”
About Noirvember:
Local film critic and podcaster Matthew Turner returns for a second mini season of film noir classics, which will run exclusively at Chiswick Cinema throughout November 2025.
Broadly speaking, the term film noir (coined by French film critics) refers to Hollywood thrillers and dramas from the 1940s and ’50s that were perceived to have a degree of darkness and cynicism, reflecting post-WII attitudes at the time. Film noir stories frequently revolve around crime, corruption, greed, illicit sex and murder, exposing the dark heart beating beneath the American Dream.
Join us for five film noir classics, all of which showcase key elements of the genre, from hard-boiled dialogue (derived from the detective novels that were often adapted into thrillers), voiceover narration and shadowy lighting to femme fatales, murder plots and decidely unhappy endings.
Like last year, each film will be introduced by Matthew Turner, a lifelong film noir enthusiast, who will also be around in the bar after each screening. In addition, audiences are invited to post about the films online, using the hashtag #Noirvember, a great source of other film noir recommendations.
Cast
Lana Turner • John Garfield • Cecil Kellaway
Director
Tay Garnett
Running Time
108 minutes