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Well, Rich:

In spite of the fact that you haven't answered some questions via e-mail that I have, I'll STILL answer you question here! Regarding the WHISTLING IN... series, I would say so, yes! I'd definitely pick WHISTLING IN BROOKLYN in particular, as it's the Police Commisioner himself - I believe - who is deep into crooked politics and corruption, and there is a sense of bleak "noir-ish" futility as "The Fox" (you know who), his wife-to-be (Ann Rutherford), his "sidekick" Chester (Rags Ragland) and lovely reporter (Jean Rogers) will be killed-off by the corrupt villain and his minions without anyone being any the wiser.

Most of the WHISTLING IN... series are variations of the "Old Dark House" kind of satires, but there is enough "Noir" elements in all of them, so I think they fit here. WHISTLING IN THE DARK in fact, has a good noir-type premise of a villain, a spirtualist (played by Conrad Veidt) who appears to be on the up-and-up, but could give Raymond Chandler's phony doctors and spiritual "healers" in FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (movie version: MURDER, MY SWEET) a run for their money.

Then too, if you like Carl Reiner and Steve Martin, you've got DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID and Abbott and Costello's THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH, which has lots of "noir" elements in it. So does, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN, with the seedy world of boxing hoodlums, etc. - like the character played by Sheldon Leonard, a satire of a character out of a "film noir" movie if there ever was one.

Mr. Len