The Mrs. and I were fortunate enough to catch three of last week's showings, including the fantastic Saturday night tear jerker Chicago Calling.  Unfortunately we'll be gone for the final week of the festival.  Hopefully some of you will make it out as there are some stellar pictures being offered!

Wednesday brings the powerhouse all star combo of Cry of the City and The KIllers.  The Cry cast includes Richard Conte, Victor Mature, Shelly Winters and most importantly Hope Emerson!  KIllers stars Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster at their most ravishing and William Conrad at his creepiest.

Thursday brings a pair of lesser knowns in Undercover Man and So Dark The Night.  So Dark has quite a cult following and could prove to be a goodie.

The Native Son and No Way Out combo on Friday should be spectacular.  No Way Out is a gritty, racially charged classic, featuring Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Harry Bellaver.  The criminally underrated Bellaver, best known as Detective Frank Arcaro from the Naked City TV series, is great as the deaf/mute brother of Ray Biddle, Widmark's maniacal, psycho racist.  Richard Widmark throws his whole self into character and really summons up some demonic forces in this film.  Native Son is an Argentinian/French production based on the well known Richard Wright novel.  Directed by Pierre Chenal of Le Dernier Tournant (1st adaption of Postman Always Rings Twice) fame, this is a very rare screening and is well worth the price of admission.

Wednesday, April 10th begins the second week of the 15th Annual Festival Of Film Noir at the Egyptian Theatre.  Wednesday brings us a pair of Fritz Lang rarities in the gothic melodrama House By The River and Joan Bennett vehicle Secret Beyond The Door.  The stunning Ms. Bennett was a Lang favorite, appearing in Woman In The Window and Scarlet Street.  She had a long and varied career including notable roles as the headmistress of both Collinwood in the original Dark Shadows TV series and the boarding school in Dario Argento's Suspiria. 

Thursday offers up a couple of not-on-DVD rarities in The Case Against Brooklyn and City Across The River.  CIty is considered amongst the earliest film to deal with street gangs and juvenile delinquency and features a young Tony Curtis as well as familiar character faces in Stephen McNally, Jeff Corey, Anabel Shaw and Thelma Ritter. 

Friday promises much in the double feature Street Of Chance and Night Has A Thousand Eyes, both based on Cornell Woolrich novels and boasting casts featuring Clare



Trevor, Burgess Meridith, Sheldon
Leonard and Edward G Robinson.

This Friday, April 5th, kicks off the 15th Annual Festival Of Film Noir at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.  Things get moving fast with a Cy Enfield double, Try And Get Me (aka The Sound Of Fury) and Hell Drivers. The Film Noir Foundation's newly restored print of Try And Get Me should be a stunner- not available on DVD, this is rare glimpse into Enfield's U.S. career which was prematurely derailed due to HUAC blacklisting bullshit.  Hell Drivers is a Rank Organization picture featuring Irish beauty Peggy Cummins, best known for her roles in Gun Crazy and Night Of The Demon.

Saturday brings a great pair of Hollywood damage tales in Sunset Boulevard and The Other Woman.  Needing no introduction, Sunset Boulevard's brilliance never seems to diminish, it's depiction of desperation and delusion seems applicable to every generation of former greats and their hangers on.    The Other Woman features the criminally under rated Cleo Moore as a scheming second string actress who gets involved in a blackmail plot that goes awry.  Those of you unfamiliar with Ms. Moore should check out the Bad Girls Of Film Noir, Vol 2 DVD set, we often have used copies for sale at the Hollywood Amoeba.

I can't believe that it's been more than 3 years since I did my last one, check it out here!