In the 1940’s, women reigned supreme in
Hollywood, and a feature could be built and
marketed on the lead actress alone. Thanks to film
noir, audiences were introduced to an entirely new
type of woman in the 40s: the Femme Fatale.

The 2018 series of ‘Femme Fatales of the Forties’
films is hosted by UCR Extension and the Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute. In addition to the full
screenings of three major films, clips and photos
of the other femme fatales will be featured
with an in-depth discussion of their pop culture
significance during their time — and our own.

July 10 The Letter (1940)
An early foray into Noir, this Best Picture Oscar
nominated film stars Bette Davis as a coolly
calculating murderer whose victims fall prey to her
beguiling charms under a hypnotic Singapore moon.

July 17 Born to Kill (1947)
Dubbed “the Queen of Noir,” Claire Trevor stars as
a socialite psychopath who meets her match — and
soul mate — in murdering drifter Lawrence Tierney
in this cult film favorite that astonished critics at the
time and still packs a powerful punch today.

July 24 Out of the Past (1947)
Considered one of the greatest Film Noirs ever made,
this mind-boggling masterpiece stars Jane Greer as a
glamorous, ruthless Femme Fatale who gets her hooks
into drifter Robert Mitchum and tumbles him through
exotic adultery in Puerto Vallarta, and icy intrigue in
Lake Tahoe. Also starring Kirk Douglas.

Enrollment is limited. To reserve your place, call (951) 827-4105 or go to www.extension.ucr.edu/osher