About the book
Bernie Dowling follows Elisha Cook Jr. from a forgotten 1937 masterpiece to Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956), by way of Stranger on the Third Floor, The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and Born to Kill.
Throughout, Dowling's sly humour and sharp cultural analysis make this more than a film history book. It is a reverential applause for Elisha, the actor named after a miracle worker.
A treat for cinephiles who understand the essence of the bit player in noir. Entry through a different door of perception for cinema students. Essential reading on the journey into the heart of noir.
