Film noir the most influential of the early noirs. A slew of now-renowned noir "bad girls" followed, such as those played by Rita Hayworth in "Gilda" (1946), Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946), Ava Gardner in "The Killers" (1946), and Jane Greer in "Out of the Past" (1947). The iconic noir counterpart to the femme fatale, the private eye, came to the fore in films such as "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), with Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, and "Murder, My Sweet" (1944), with Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe. The prevalence of the private eye as a lead character declined
Liz Smith (actress) Liz Smith (actress) Elizabeth Gleadle (11 December 1921 – 24 December 2016), known by the stage name Liz Smith, was an English character actress, known for her roles in BBC sitcoms, including as Annie Brandon in "I Didn't Know You Cared" (1975–79), Bette and Aunt Belle in "2point4 Children" (1991–99), Letitia Cropley in "The Vicar of Dibley" (1994–96), and Norma Speakman ("Nana") in "The Royle Family" (1998–2006). She also played Zillah in "Lark Rise to Candleford" (2008), and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1984 film "A Private Function". Liz Smith was born