In a Lonely Place (PG)

Dixon Steele, a moody, volatile Hollywood screenwriter who's had his heyday, is accused of murdering a coat check girl from a showbiz restaurant after inviting her home. Laurel Gray, an actress who lives in Dixon's apartment complex, provides an alibi for her neighbour when questioned by the police, and the pair start a relationship.

But the chief of police is unconvinced of Dixon’s innocence and, after learning of his violent past, Laurel begins to question if she is putting herself in danger by staying with him.

Quietly thrilling, pointedly melancholic and boasting some of the finest performances in Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame’s careers, In a Lonely Place is a masterpiece of film noir – and a perfect illustration of the darkness at the heart of post-war Hollywood.