Noir City is back, and it returns to the gorgeous Castro theater this year! As in years past they are showing some fairly well known classics (many in newly restored prints) along with many obscure but entertaining films, which makes this film noir festival the best in the world (in my opinion anyway). I’m going to attend most of the film showings but here are some of my favorites from the schedule:

• Friday, January 26th: Raw Deal (1948) - as they say in the Noir City guide it is visually stunning (cinematography by John Alton), with a great cast and direction by Anthony Mann, which makes it a perfect example of the best of the genre. Plays with the rarity Kid Glove Killer (1942), which looks great and I have not seen it yet. Marsha Hunt, the lead actress in Raw Deal, is going to appear in person!
• Saturday, January 27th: Cry Danger (1951) - Dick Powell played in many light comedies and musicals in the 1930s and 1940s as a romantic lead, but he wanted to play meatier roles as he got older. He tried to get the lead part in Double Indemnity but Fred McMurray was selected instead. He finally got his chance in 1944 in Murder, My Sweet, which was followed by tough good guy roles in many great noir films, such as Cornered, Johnny O’Clock, and this film about a bookie who gets framed for a robbery he didn’t commit. With the rarity Abandoned (1949).
• Sunday, January 28th: I have not seen Hell’s Half Acre (1954) yet, but it’s set in Hawaii so it may be the only tiki noir film ever! It’s co-presented by Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge in Alameda, which as you know is the best tiki bar on the West Coast! Also on the bill: 99 River Street (1953).
• Thursday, February 1st: Scarlet Street (1945) - I just recently caught this on TCM, but I really want to see it again on the big screen. It’s got a great cast: Edward G Robinson plays a milquetoast artist with a mean wife and a mid-life crisis. Bad girl Joan Bennett takes him for a ride with help from creep Dan Duryea! Playing with rarity Wicked Woman (1953).
• Friday, February 2nd: Two films featuring cinematography by film noir genius John Alton! First it’s The Big Combo (1955), followed by The Spiritualist (1948).

All the films on the schedule are worth seeing. I especially like seeing the rare ones, but if you have not seen any of the above films on the big screen don’t miss them.

Noir City

Its a new year, so I’m going to try to post more often from now on. Here’s a new feature: a weekly magazine cover from my collection of vintage men’s magazines. This one is a nice exotic cover of Pagan magazine.