Why Rita Hayworth’s dazzling Gilda proved too much for American censors – and Orson Welles

• Despite its French appellation, the film noir became a staple of Hollywood from around the time of America’s entry into the Second World War until the early 1950s. Such films are often set at night, with low-key lighting painting dramatic shadows onscreen. But true darkness lies in their storylines: people are betrayed, imperilled or murdered. Director Charles Vidor’s 1946 masterpiece Gilda is of the genre. But while it fulfils most of the requirements of film noir, it is not always so easy to r