The Film Noir Files for October 2026

Welcome to The Film Noir Files, the noir series here at Shadows and Satin and over at Speakeasy, the blog authored by my pal Kristina, where each month we recommend a film noir feature for you to watch on TCM. We never know what the other has selected until we post, and part of the fun is trying to never pick the same movie! As I’d expected, I faced a bit of a challenge finding a film noir to recommend for October, especially with many gems airing this month that I’ve already highlighted, like The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Crime Wave (1954), and Leave Her to Heaven (1945), which I featured in a “Noir or Not” post back in 2011. Fortunately, after reviewing the list of offerings, one movie stood out to me – Loophole (1954), an underrated confection starring noir vets Charles McGraw, Barry Sullivan, and Dorothy Malone. After its release, the film was described by one reviewer as a “mighty respectable little melodrama,” and I heartily agree. Sullivan, McGraw, and Malone shine in Loophole.…