Femme fatale in "The Killers" and Cora (Lana Turner) in "The Postman Always Rings Twice", based on novels by Ernest Hemingway and James M. Cain respectively, manipulate men into killing their husbands. In the Hitchcock film "The Paradine Case" (1947), Alida Valli's character causes the deaths of two men and the near destruction of another. Another frequently cited example is the character Jane played by Lizabeth Scott in "Too Late for Tears" (1949); during her quest to keep some dirty money from its rightful recipient and her husband, she uses poison, lies, sexual teasing and a gun to keep men wrapped around
Lana Turner credits film noir "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) advanced her career significantly and established her as a dramatic actress. She later appeared in the drama "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) opposite Kirk Douglas. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, she also co-starred opposite Clark Gable in a total of four films, including "Slightly Dangerous" (1942), "Somewhere I'll Find You" (1943), and "Betrayed" (1954). After the critical and commercial failure of "Diane" (1956), MGM opted not to renew Turner's contract. At the time, her films with the studio had collectively earned over $50 million (). In 1957, she took a leading