Film Noir (et blanc) recommendations

YES:  "Ace in the Hole" (1951)  Billy Wilder's own favorite film.  An ambitious newspaper man (Kirk Douglas) chews up the New Mexico scenery to delay the rescue of a man stuck in the mountain until he gets an offer from New York for $1,000 a day for his stories.  Depressingly, the victim dies.  (Oh, sorry if I spoiled the ending.)

Best line (from Jan Sterling, the victim's wife):  "I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons."

NO:  "Johnny O'Clock" (1947)  Dick Powell, whose singing and dancing films are better, is beset by cop Lee J. Cobb who already looked old.  Evelyn Keyes isn't exciting, the story is routine, and the ending is predictable.  Noir is supposed to be more clever and/or surprising.