Film noir (French pronunciation) The term film noir, French for "black film",first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unrecognized by most American film industry professionals of that era, a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas.Hollywood's classical film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style.Crime, usually murder, is an element of almost all films noir; in addition to standard-issue greed, jealousy is frequently the criminal motivation. A crime investigation—by a private eye, a police detective (sometimes acting alone), or a concerned amateur—is the most prevalent.