Film noir was used to describe a particular type of Hollywood crime movies that was made popular in the 1940s and 1950s. It usually centered around murders, damsels in distress and private investigators and set in a heavy black and white contrast – creating the famous visual style with long shadows and very little light. The term Film noir (dark film) was actually first used in 1946 when a French critic applied to it to describe the movies in America at that time. A guy that goes under the mysterious name Doctor Macro has scanned and retouched a huge bunch of posters and photographs of celebrities of the time and is presenting them in high resolution downloads on his website – so for more 'femme fatales' and mysterious men in hats, head over there straight away.
Digital painter Melvin Hale uses modern technology to make old black and white photos come alive again. Melvin's studio is located in Palm Springs, California where he has been working on refining his technology of digitally colorizing and restoring vintage black and white images of mid-century America - including roadside attractions, portraits, buildings and a handful of other subjects. Melvin has also been awarded several prizes for his work, one being the prestigious Crystal Award of Excellence from the California State Fair which has been a exhibitor of fine art since it opened in 1884. For those who are interested in swanking up their living room, copies of his colorized vintage paintings can be bought through Melvin's website.
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Stumbled upon these fabulous end titles from various classic mid-century movies. Above "My Fair Lady" directed by George Cukor from 1964 and at the bottom the end title from a MGM cartoon produced in the 1940s. It seems that these kind of end titles are a long lost art form and all we can do now is admire the style and grace of times gone by. If you want to see the rest of the stills, be sure to stop by the The End photo group on Flickr.
Frank Sinatra's old desert hideaway, Twin Palms in Palm Springs, California is up for sale. In the late 1940s Frank had just made his first million and he wanted to celebrate in style, so he commissioned architect E. Stewart Williams to design a lush weekend getaway house for throwing parties and lounging by the pool to be ready before New Years eve 1948. Now you too have the chance to get your hands on this oasis in the desert, the price tag is a modest $3,250,000 but can also be leased at $14,000/month (cocktails not included). The house is perfect for glamorous photoshoots and filming location, so anyone wanting to make some money off their purchase will most likely find Twin Palms a solid investment. Here's an idea, let's all put in $1000 each and buy it collectivly. I will even volunteer to host the first cocktail party!
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