Further to the crippling effect of high heels and fetishising of woman as victim. I mean how many times have we seen some typical dolly bird / airhairded bimbo character with big tits tottering along down some dark alley while being pursued by a 'shadow'.

Cue "scream" and her clippy cloppy trying to run but... Oh No! She almost immediately falls over (skirt half way up her thigh, but not quite exposing her crotch (well we don't want to see her pissing herself as it would ruin the aesthetic) as said shadow looms over her... Glint of knife (ie: symbol of shadow bloke's dick) Fade out.

I think I've seen this exact same scene again and again in virtually every American crime drama and film created. But it was especially popular throughout the seventies and eighties.