<P> The term film noir , French for `` black film '' ( literal ) or `` dark film '' ( closer meaning ) , first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946 , was unrecognized by most American film industry professionals of that era . Cinema historians and critics defined the category retrospectively . Before the notion was widely adopted in the 1970s , many of the classic films noir were referred to as `` melodramas '' . Whether film noir qualifies as a distinct genre is a matter of ongoing debate among scholars . </P>
<P> The term film noir , French for `` black film '' ( literal ) or `` dark film '' ( closer meaning ) , first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946 , was unrecognized by most American film industry professionals of that era . Cinema historians and critics defined the category retrospectively . Before the notion was widely adopted in the 1970s , many of the classic films noir were referred to as `` melodramas '' . Whether film noir qualifies as a distinct genre is a matter of ongoing debate among scholars . </P>
who coined the term film noir in 1946
who coined the term film noir in 1946
Nino Frank
Nino Frank