Thrillers, Chillers, and Killers

Films and radio entertained audiences throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood, but radio thrillers and film noir possessed a unique connection during this period. Whether audiences viewed thrillers and noirs on screen or indulged in the “theatre of the mind” that was what is now old-time radio, the noir style of storytelling was evident in both cinema and radio.

Frank Krutnik’s Thrillers, Chillers, and Killers: Radio and Film Noir examines the connection between noir films and radio productions, arguing that radio’s noir dramas served as a counterpart to noir films. Through exceptional research, Krutnik delivers on this point and offers readers an additional understanding of a medium that was considered a rival to cinema.

This book is recommended to fans of film noir and old-time radio dramas.


Frank Krutnik’s Thrillers, Chillers, and Killers: Radio and Film Noir is available for purchase via Rutgers University Press.