Laird Cregar was a towering figure—literally and figuratively—in early 1940s film noir, bringing an eerie charisma and psychological intensity to his roles. With his imposing size and silky voice, he specialized in portraying cultured but disturbed villains, exuding menace with unsettling charm. In Hangover Square and I Wake Up Screaming, Cregar offered portraits of men undone by obsession and mental instability. He infused noir with a gothic sensibility, blending horror and suspense in ways that deepened the genre’s emotional palette. Cregar’s villains were never caricatures; he gave them interior lives, emotional wounds, and terrifying contradictions. His performances hinted at repressed desires and psychological fragmentation, making him a pioneer of noir’s exploration of madness. Tragically, Cregar’s life and career were cut short by a fatal heart attack at age 31, just as he was transitioning to leading man roles. Yet his brief filmography left a profound impression. His characters haunt noir’s early years like specters of guilt and grief. Cregar remains one of the genre’s most unforgettable lost talents.

Film Noir Filmography (1940–1960):

I Wake Up Screaming (1941)

This Gun for Hire (1942)

Hangover Square (1945)

The Lodger (1944)