Repeat Performance

The Noir film fest at the Roxie has been extended an additional week. It appears that the show has been quite a success. This is a great opportunity to catch some of the shows you've missed, or to re-watch some of them. Since many of these films are rare, this may be your last chance. See the Roxie's website for their extended schedule.

And the Arthur Lyon's Film Noir Festival is almost upon us. It runs from May 28th to May 31st. Some of the films being shown are: Armored Car Robbery (1950), Woman on the Run (1950), The Garment Jungle (1975), Criss Cross (1949) and others.

The festival will also show The Bad Seed (1956). Does that qualify as noir? The short answer is no. The longer answer is also no. The Bad Seed was a horror/thriller film based upon William March's 1954 novel of the same name. The novel was first adapted for the stage and later for film. More on this later ...

A Coffin for Dimitrios

Today's (May 23rd, 2009) Wall St. Journal has an article by Sarah Weinman entitled: "Startling Spy Story -- Ambler's A Coffin for Dimitrios' was postmodern in 1939". For more information on Ms. Weinman and her article, see http://www.sarahweinman.com/.

In other noir news, Pedro Almodovar's latest film, Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces), opened at Cannes, recently. Almodovar, the darling of Spanish film, and possibly European film, is largely ignored in the United States. Maybe because he prefers sex to violence and his films are always stamped with the kiss-of-death R rating in the US. According to the Bloomberg review: Almodovar delivers a film noir with few loopy moments and a conventional plot: Two older men in the movie business fight over a sultry starlet born on the wrong side of the tracks. Is it really noir? Probably not, as journalists and critics love to abuse the noir appellation, but given Almodovar's track record for making quirky and insightful films -- noir or not -- look for it when it finally hits our theaters.

Showings at the Roxie today: The Burglar (with Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield), and Witness to Murder (with Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, and camera work by John Alton).

Dr. McCoy and The Dead

I noticed, in the credits to Canon City, the venerable, iconic, DeForest Kelley -- best known as Dr. McCoy of Star Trek fame. Yes, before Star Trek, Kelley had a career, and appeared in a number of B noirs, and westerns. His first film was Fear in the Night (1947), a noir which starred Kelley and was based on the Cornell Woolrich story "Nightmare".

Fear in the Night appears to be available on DVD by Synergy Entertainment as part of the Synergy Archive Series. On visiting their website (http://synergyent.com/), I noticed some very neat stuff, and some stuff which maybe it would be better if time were to forget.

Canon City, however, appears to be unavailable on DVD -- but you had the opportunity to see it at the Roxie (see previous posting). This series continues until next week, so I highly recommend checking it out.

Maybe DeForest Kelley sticks to the brain because another Star Trek movie has hit the summer blockbuster screen. That's a bad thing, right? Well, maybe not. I've seen it twice already and it brings another Star Trek icon to the screen -- Leonard Nimoy (who appears in the new film). To the best of my knowledge, Nimoy has not played a role in noir.

Speaking of things that are not available on DVD, John Huston's last film, and a brilliant film it is, The Dead (1987) is not in print. It is based on the final story of James Joyce's "Dubliners". In the film, Huston's daughter, Anjelica, plays Mrs. Conroy. This brings the Huston cycle full circle, as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) let John Huston direct his father, Walter Huston. And speaking of The Dead, Christopher Walken once played the lead role of Gabriel Conroy, in an off-broadway production, which I was fortunate enough to see.

Getting back to Cañon City, Cañon City is not just a movie -- it's also a town in Colorado. And maybe if you aren't going to be attending the Arthur Lyon's Film Festival in Palm Springs (also mentioned in a previous post), you may wish to attend "Western Heritage Days" (May 29th - May 31st) in (you guessed it) Cañon City, Colorado. See http://www.canoncity.com/index.php for more info.

And the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival

May turns out to be a great month for noir.

Thank you to Michele M for reminding me of the Arthur Lyons’ Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs. The festival was renamed to commemorate the late Arthur Lyons, who died last year.

The Palm Springs Cultural Center will present The Arthur Lyons’ Film Noir Festival at the Camelot Theatres on May 28-31 2009. More on the festival and Arthur Lyons later. But, for now, the official website is: http://arthurlyonsfilmnoir.ning.com/

It begins tomorrow

The noir festival at the Roxie Theater begins tomorrow and has a great lineup. This is your opportunity, not only to see some great (and rare) movies, but to support a fantastic theater. Theaters, like the Roxie, are closing on a regular basis. The Parkway Speakeasy, in Oakland, no longer exists. I have nothing against the megaplexes -- they work hard to get our business. But it is nice to have choice, and there are some movies that I just don't want to watch on DVD. One of my favorite movies is High Sierra, and I just don't believe it translates well to the small screen. It needs to be watched in a theater.

And it is one thing to appreciate a theater, but quite another to get off your keister and keep it going.

Thursday, May 14
Special Pre-Opening Night Shindig!
ALL NIGHT LONG

Friday May 15:
THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE (1947)
THE GUILTY (1947)

Saturday May 16:
RAW DEAL (1948)
RAILROADED (1947)

Sunday May 17:
CANON CITY (1948)
FRAMED (1947)

Monday May 18:
THE SPECTER OF THE ROSE (1946)
THE MADONNA'S SECRET (1946)

Tuesday May 19:
THE STORY OF MOLLY X (1949)
PORT OF FORTY THIEVES (1944)

Wednesday May 20:
THE LAST CROOKED MILE (1946)
VIOLENCE (1947)

Thursday May 21:
PRIVATE HELL 36 (1954)
NO MAN'S WOMAN (1955)

WEEK TWO:

Friday May 22:
NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL (1955)
THE HOODLUM (1951)

Saturday May 23:
THE BURGLAR (1957)
WITNESS TO MURDER (1954)

Sunday May 24:
REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1946)
HOLLOW TRIUMPH (1948)

Monday May 25:
WOMEN IN THE NIGHT (1948)
UNDER AGE (1941)

Tuesday May 26:
SUSPENSE (1946)
THE PRETENDER (1947)

Wednesday, May 27:
ALLOTMENT WIVES (1945)
WIFE WANTED (1946)

Thursday May 28:
CITY OF FEAR (1959)
SHACK OUT ON 101 (1955)

The Roxie Cinema is located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District, at 3117 16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero. Local Muni are the 22 and 53 (both at 16th & Valencia), 33 (18th & Valencia), 14 (16th & Mission), 49 (16th & Mission). Bart stops one block east at 16th & Mission.

Noir at the Roxie

Welcome to the first installment (would that be the correct word?) of our film noir blog. By "our", I mean yours and mine, as this is a community blog -- just as the Danger & Despair Knitting Circle screenings are community events (http://www.noirfilm.com).

Look here for upcoming screenings, events, noir news, discussions and current film musings.

Check 0ut the upcoming screenings at the Roxie, in San Francisco:
Film noir returns in May to the Roxie where it once enjoyed its greatest renaissance! Two weeks — from May 15 through May 28th (with a focus on B noirs). Most are not available on DVD and many not seen in theaters for decades! For more info, see: http://www.roxie.com/events/details.cfm?eventID=FCAC11E7-0DC0-741A-D041284EDF775428
And http://www.sf360.org/features/elliot-lavine-revisiting-the-old-haunts

Yours,
Robert