Mr. Mason’s Turn

While there’s always a ready audience for film noir books, it’s no easy task in 2026 to produce one that has something original to say. David Meuel, who two years ago published an intriguing study, Joan Crawford in Film Noir, now turns his attention to another fine actor with James Mason in Film Noir: Master of Cinema’s Dark Art (McFarland). Similar in format to the Crawford book, Meuel’s newest is a well-written and thought-provoking treatise on the numerous films that argue for the British-born Mason (1909-1984) to be recognized as a noteworthy figure in the shadowy ranks of film noir.

All told, Meuel delves into sixteen feature films and one memorable episode of TV’s The Alfred Hitchcock Hour to make his case. Never one to merely parrot others’ opinions, the author makes perhaps his most surprising assertion when he argues for 1954’s A Star is Born — yes, that brightly-colored musical film — being pertinent to Mason’s noir credentials. Readers may or may not agree, but they’re apt to acknowledge his compelling argument. His writing style is never stuffy or pedantic; a published poet, his text reads very smoothly. There’s no doubt we’re in the hands of a film historian who knows his stuff.

As always with Meuel’s books, I came away feeling that I need to see one or more of the films he covers pronto. Here, I was particularly interested in his analysis of The Reckless Moment (1947). But that’s just one of the classic films that James Mason in Film Noir is likely to have readers scurrying to experience, or revisit.

NOTE: I was furnished with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.