NC 16: What Could Happen (seventh in a series...)
Posted by Don Malcolm on 12/15/2017, 9:32 am
So, with a list of films not previously screened at NC SF in hand (#6), we can now turn to the matter of the films screened previously that are likeliest to appear on the NC 16 schedule when it is announced on Wednesday, December 20 at NC XMAS.
It should be noted here that some correspondents (all lurkers here at the BB...) have suggested another wrinkle that should be considered for this "what could happen" effort. They wonder if another defining characteristic might be in play that's not been formally announced (remember--all we've been told is that THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF will play, and that all films will be from the 1941-53 time frame).
What is that potential parameter? It's the "A to B" concept that Eddie employed in NC Austin and again in NC LA '17. To accommodate such a possibility, we'll probably have to wind up with two or three variations of a possible lineup (and we WILL get to some prospective film lineups in the days before the official announcement!) but...hey, that's the risk when you walk on the STREET OF CHANCE (...which I'm 99.9% certain will NOT be in the festival lineup again!!!).
So--here is a list of the previously screened films at NC SF that seem likeliest to be included in the NC 16 lineup. As before, the festival in which they've previously appeared is shown inside the fancy brackets {x}.
NC 16 LIKELIEST CHOICES
1941
I WAKE UP SCREAMING {3}
1942
none (not even STREET OF CHANCE!!)
1943
none
1944
DOUBLE INDEMNITY {2}
MURDER MY SWEET {3}
1945
DETOUR {2}
LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN {2}
MILDRED PIERCE {2} Curtiz
CONFLICT {6}
1946
THE LOCKET {2}
STRANGE AFFAIR OF MARTHA IVERS {2}
SOMEHWERE IN THE NIGHT {3}
THE BLUE DAHLIA {4}
NOBODY LIVES FOREVER {4}
NOCTURNE {4}
DEADLINE AT DAWN {2,4}
1947
NORA PRENTISS {1}
OUT OF THE PAST {1,4}
DESERT FURY {2}
THE MAN I LOVE {2}
NIGHTMARE ALLEY {4}
FRAMED {5}
THE UNSUSPECTED {7} Curtiz
1948
THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI {1}
FORCE OF EVIL {3}
ACT OF VIOLENCE {3}
THEY LIVE BY NIGHT {4}
I WALK ALONE {5}
MOONRISE {6}
1949
THE WOMAN ON PIER 13 {1}
THE ACCUSED {2}
THE RECKLESS MOMENT {2}
THE THREAT {5}
1950
WHERE DANGER LIVES {1}
CAGED {2}
SIDE STREET {3}
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS {3}
THE DAMNED DON’T CRY {5}
NIGHT AND THE CITY {6}
THE BREAKING POINT {4,10} Curtiz
1951
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY {2}
M {3}
ROADBLOCK {5}
1952
SUDDEN FEAR {1,2}
ON DANGEROUS GROUND {3}
THE NARROW MARGIN {4}
1953
THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS {4}
JEOPARDY {3}
WICKED WOMAN {5}
Notes
1--The scarcity of film choices in 1941 leads one to believe that I WAKE UP SCREAMING is in the 70+% area for being in the lineup.
2--For 1944, I'd go with DOUBLE INDEMNITY over MURDER, MY SWEET (Eddie has not shown much affinity for Philip Marlowe movies in NC), but there are other options from other festivals (Eddie's pairing of FLESH & FANTASY and DESTINY, for example, that would fit an "A-B" format) that are probably just as likely.
3--While Eddie appears unenamored by Marlowe movies, he's always been solid with Bogart movies...hence we add CONFLICT. (This is a man who's shown THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS twice, so a second time around for CONFLICT is by no means out of the question.) One would love to see DETOUR in the "B" slot (it's been long enough) or LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN in the "A" slot (ditto) but maybe those will be saved for years where the year-by-year pairing approach is not in play.
4--We add MILDRED PIERCE, THE UNSUSPECTED and THE BREAKING POINT to the list in their respective years because we are certain that a Michael Curtiz connection will be incorporated into the NC 16 lineup (as an anchor for a book signing for Alan.) I think THE BREAKING POINT has been shown too recently to get the nod, and I don't know how many "well-known" titles from the past are going to be included, as there continues to be some aversion to doing so...which could also knock out MILDRED PIERCE. With that in mind, we're leaning toward a reprise of THE UNSUSPECTED, even though it was screened five years later than MP.
5--Neither of the big two at the FNF have shown any personal affinity for Orson Welles (the man or his movies), so we are 99% confident that LADY FROM SHANGHAI will not get the nod. Welles is a bit like Hitchcock in terms of rep houses in that he gets (begets) re-screenings on his own name value, so that could also explain the absence of TOUCH OF EVIL, THE STRANGER, MR. ARKADIN and THE TRIAL from the list of films screened at NC.
6--If THE UNSUSPECTED plays and the "A-B" rule is in place, it would presumably knock out all of the other 1947 titles (except, possibly, FRAMED). That takes out a lot of really good titles, alas (all of which deserve a replay--and leaves OUT OF THE PAST, the film Eddie specifically mentioned as being ripe to re-screen, left out for NC 16, possibly awaiting a reprise of "SF noir").
7--For 1948, we've already scrubbed LADY FROM SHANGHAI, and we can forget about FORCE OF EVIL. Of the remaining films, ACT OF VIOLENCE and THEY LIVE BY NIGHT are the most highly regarded, while I WALK ALONE has the most glamorous cast (Scott, Lancaster, Douglas). MOONRISE is in an odd category vis-a-vis the "A-B" thing--a Republic film with a larger-than-usual budget due to the presence of director Frank Borzage. Even though Eddie likes it a lot (on his personal Top 25 list), one senses it doesn't quite fit somehow. Looks as though we'll have to play hunches here between the other three...
8--I think if one had to choose an "A" from either THE ACCUSED or THE RECKLESS MOMENT, it would be pretty cut-and-dried. But there were a lot of Paramount films screened as part of NC LA this past March...which means that we might need to pay attention to whom the FNF is most actively dealing with in terms of supplying films for what's now a nationwide operation. So that could change things in terms of the above. One film we can safely eliminate, however, is THE WOMAN ON PIER 13 (aka I MARRIED A COMMUNIST)...if there is to be no "social justice noir" (as continues to be the case), then we are certain not to have "anti-social justice noir" as well. Kind of a pity, though, as a Janis Carter double bill with NIGHT EDITOR would be pretty priceless--even though the years don't match...and surely they're not going to show NIGHT EDITOR again,(it's already gotten the nod three times!)...
9--The 1950 selection depends on just how they decide to treat THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF in the "A-B" thing (if that's in play.) If so, it's a "B," and that would boost the chances of films like WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (what kind of NC would it be without a film from Joan Crawford, anyway?) or NIGHT AND THE CITY.
10--For 1951, I think it's safe to count out M. That leaves two with personal affinities amongst the FNF "top two." Coin flip? Or will Michael Curtiz' coattails carry along Charles McGraw? (Not that that'd be a bad thing, of course.)
11--But if you were going to showcase McGraw, why not THE NARROW MARGIN? For goodness sakes, if you leave that out, you might as well just skip 1952 entirely. SUDDEN FEAR (new 4K restoration looks great, Joan AND Gloria...) paired with NARROW MARGIN is about as dynamite a 1952 as one could have.
12--If no Crawford, then also no Stanwyck? JEOPARDY is a favored little "B" and hasn't been shown in ten years. (But the inclusion of FLESH & FANTASY in the lineup would also fix that potential omission.) We should keep in mind that WICKED WOMAN was paired with the THE BIG HEAT in March at NC LA. From an "A-B" perspective, it's a duo that brings a lot to the table, so we are beginning to lean strongly toward the idea that it will be repeated in SF.
And so we edge closer to some specific "predictions" thanks to the above. Coming next is a more comprehensive look at the "B" noirs shown at NC SF and what light, if any, they can shed on this process. Stay tuned!
NC 16: What Could Happen (eighth in a series...)
Posted by Don Malcolm on 12/18/2017, 8:03 pm
As we try to close in on the puzzle of what will play at NC 16 in SF from 1/26-2/4 (all we know for sure at this point: films from 1941-53, with THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF as the restoration screening), a look at the “B-noirs” shown over the life of the festival is the next piece that might bring us within shouting distance of an answer.
“B-noir” has been (and still remains) a murky concept, and it’s not been systematically applied by anyone, so we shouldn’t be surprised (nor are we being disparaging by mentioning the fact!) that the FNF is in the same boat with everyone else on this score. Some of the films on the list below may not be seen as “B’s,” but they are all 75 minutes or shorter. There are films longer than that here as well, since it covers all films that are at least sometimes referred to as “B’s.” (One film we’ve omitted, though it’s often referred to as a “B,” is WOMAN ON THE RUN, made by an independent company that contracted to Universal, a practice that became much more prevalent in the 50s. It’s 77 minutes long—and it’s also been screened three times at NC SF, just like NIGHT EDITOR.)
The list below incorporates the “B’s” (confirmed, ostensible, and otherwise) previously shown at NC SF, which continue to be designated with the fancy brackets {n} with the festival number in between, and a “p” (for “previous”). It also lists notable B’s that we think are possible selections: these are marked with an “x.” Some of these have been shown at other NC venues: these are marked with a “y.” And another subset has been previously screened by others—Elliot Lavine, most prominently, in his I WAKE UP DREAMING series. (We’ve covered the details of Elliot’s two “B-noir” efforts in 2009-10 in a previous post.) That group is marked with a "z." And finally, films shown in last March’s NC LA are noted with “LA 17.”
Occasionally you will see a hybrid notation, such as “yz” or “pz”: hopefully these will make sense from the explanations above. Here's the list:
1941
The Face Behind the Mask {6} p
Among the Living {9} p
Flight from Destiny x
1942
Street of Chance {11} pz
Fly By Night {8,11} p
Journey Into Fear {12} p
Kid Glove Killer {5} p
Quiet Please, Murder LA 17
Nightmare z
1943
The Seventh Victim yz
1944
Strangers in the Night {9} p
When Strangers Marry z
Address Unknown LA 17
1945
Detour {2} pz
My Name is Julia Ross {9} p
Two O'Clock Courage {7} p
Escape in the Fog {8} p
Dillinger x
Bewitched x
Jealousy z
The Spider x
1946
Night Editor {4,7,11} ppp
Decoy {2,4} pp
Strange Impersonation {11} p
Smooth as Silk {11} pz
Inside Job {8} p
Strange Triangle {7} p
Shock x
Behind Green Lights LA 17
The Mask of Diljon x
The Mysterious Mr. Valentine x
So Dark the Night z
1947
The Woman on the Beach {9} p*
Desperate {7} p
Blind Spot {7} p
The Guilty {13} pz
High Tide {11} pz
The Brasher Doubloon y
Backlash LA 17
Fear in the Night x
Railroaded! z
The Devil Thumbs a Ride z
Lighthouse z
Bury Me Dead z
Fall Guy z
1948
The Spiritualist {5} pz
Bodyguard x
Blonde Ice x
Open Secret y
The Dark Past y
Behind Locked Doors z
I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes z
1949
The Window {4,11} pp
The Set-Up {13} p
The Threat {5} p
The Big Steal x
Strange Bargain x
The Clay Pigeon x
Undertow y
1950
Armored Car Robbery {8} p
A Lady Without Passport x
Dial 1119 x
Destination Murder y
Southside 1-1000 x
1951
The Hoodlum {11} pz
Roadblock {5} p
Cause for Alarm! x
The Big Night y
Two of a Kind x
Chicago Calling y
1952
The Narrow Margin {4} p
Stolen Face x
Talk About a Stranger y
1953
The Hitch-Hiker {12} p
Jeopardy {6} p
Wicked Woman {5} p LA 17
Dangerous Crossing {6} p
Man in the Dark {11} p
One Girl's Confession {8} p
All in all, a total of 35 “B’s” have been screened at NC SF over the first 15 festivals. That number will increase significantly this year if the “A-B” formulation is put into effect, adding at least 12 more “B” screenings (though not necessarily that many more films, as there likely will be repeats from previous festivals—and you may have noticed the “pp” and “ppp” notations above, which demonstrate that certain “B’s” have already been screened in SF more than once: NIGHT EDITOR, anyone?).
Here are some notes on what this list suggests when we look at the upcoming program from the “A-B” perspective:
1. For 1941, FLIGHT FROM DESTINY is a very different kind of early noir, but it looks to be scarce--not showing up in the Warner Archive. It would be a coup for this to appear as the "B" feature in 1941--as Gord (we miss you, Gord!) stated in his NOTW for it back in 2013, it predates THE MALTESE FALCON.
So that leaves us with two previously-screened films, each with a weird but unwieldy edge to them...both with actresses Eddie likes a lot (Keyes in FACE, Hayward in AMONG THE LIVING). I think he’s hotter for Hayward.
2. 1942: If we are going A-B, then I think they’ll go with the film just shown in LA and Chicago. My macabre side wishes that they’d go with the rare spy noir “B” NIGHTMARE for its fascinating look at Diana Barrymore “before the fall,” but perhaps one day someone will put some spin into their programming by pairing it with TOO MUCH, TOO SOON, where a soon-to-be-dead Errol Flynn is both charming and spelentic as Diana’s dipso dad (aka “the Great Profile”).
3. A whole lot of scarcity in 1943. The best pairing for this year is still THE FALLEN SPARROW/THE SEVENTH VICTIM...but another factor here might be that this double bill would need to play on Saturday night if they go for chronological order. (Of course, they don’t have to do that, but that’s what was done the previous two times.) So, if that’s the case, they may not think that the “A” feature here (SPARROW) is strong enough for the slot. But we’ll deal with all that when we make some actual lineup guesses a bit later on...
4. 1944: WHEN STRANGERS MARRY is a great little “B”, with a nice turn by “young Bob Mitchum” and it’d certainly be what I’d choose. But the powers-that-be may be enamored with ADDRESS UNKNOWN--a good film, and one which covers the “war noir” slot. A bit of a tough call…
5. 1945: If they don’t choose to re-screen DETOUR, then my $$ are on JEALOUSY. Fine and unusual “B” with a director notably left to rot in Hollywood (Gustav Machaty) and an interesting cast (including Hugo Haas). Another film (like HIGH TIDE) that was first unearthed by Elliot Lavine. (Plus, all the other choices leave me cold...)
6. 1946: SHOCK seems like a good bet: it’s got Vincent Price (in a creepy role) along with Lynn Bari and it’s a Fox “B.” But it was passed over some years back for the NC that was themed “AM I CRAZY?” (#9, I believe), and—let’s face it—it doesn’t have Janis Carter. This is a Tuesday night slot if they’re going in chrono order (with no double double-bills on Sundays, as seems to be tradition) so would they, could they just go with Janis AGAIN? What about Jean Gillie (DECOY)…is she chopped liver, or what? Sure, Janis gets turned on when she sees someone get killed, but Jean kills them TWICE!
7. A lot of “B’s” from 1947 to choose from...it’s strange that Eddie hasn’t played DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE given his love for that heaping slab of excess otherwise known as Lawrence Tierney. There is a print, as Elliot's screening of it indicates. LIGHTHOUSE looks like it would be the next interesting “B” for the FNF to cabbage from Elliot (HIGH TIDE and THE GUILTY first resurfaced in the 2009-10 I WAKE UP DREAMING series), but I don’t think there’s an extant 35mm print.
8. 1948: Another crowded field. OPEN SECRET is the best of the bunch, but its social content almost certainly means that it won’t get the nod, despite a brand-spanking new print from UCLA. I don’t think there’s a print for I WOULDN’T BE IN YOUR SHOES, which is the next best. It may come down to a choice between pet directors: Boetticher (BEHIND LOCKED DOORS) and Fleischer (BODYGUARD). The latter has the possible advantage of having the aforementioned Lawrence Tierney, a figure of legend who’s sadly not all that legendary in the movie in question.
9. 1949: It's probably too soon for THE WINDOW to get screened again. We should expect at least one Charles McGraw movie in the lineup, and here’s the first one where he has a leading role (THE THREAT). STRANGE BARGAIN is a nicely turned little “B,” and it has Harry Morgan playing a cop named Lt. Webb (!!), but the post-pedigree of the film (reprised on an episode of MURDER, SHE WROTE) probably pushes this suburban noir too close to FATHER KNOWS BEST territory for comfort. THE CLAY PIGEON has some good moments, including the fun real-life husband/wife pairing of Bill Williams and Barbara Hale, but Bill is a little stiff throughout—he actually makes a better villain. Despite the re-teaming of Mitchum and Greer, nobody seems to want to show THE BIG STEAL: I doubt this will be the festival that bucks that trend.
10. 1950: Another shot for McGraw (ARMORED CAR ROBBERY), but this one might’ve been shown too recently to get picked. Tony D’Ambra makes a strong case for A LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT, and it has another pet director (Joseph H. Lewis) at its helm: a definite maybe. Our own ChiO would plug for DIAL 1119, and I’m cool enough with that to own the 6-sheet for it, though that fact will have zero influence in Alameda.
Could the boys have grown fond of Don DeFore after his smirky turn in TOO LATE FOR TEARS? His performance in SOUTHSIDE 1-1000 proves that the acorn never falls far from his tree (save for that one astonishing time in RAMROD): the film rises mostly due to the spiffy modulations of Andrea King, who is so, so good at being a bi#ch (I put the # in before the censor did, BTW). There’s also the cachet of Boris (STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR) Ingster. But methinks you can throw a blanket over these three...
11. 1951/1952: I was joking in the last installment about “skipping 1952,” but it just registered that if the festival continues with the policy of not having double double-bills on Sunday, we are running out of real estate (so to speak) WRT covering all the years. Clearly you can’t skip 1951, as it’s the year for THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF, but then there’s the fact that, as noted in that same prior post, the double bill of SUDDEN FEAR/THE NARROW MARGIN would be just about as good as one could possibly do for 1952.
Assuming this slot, whatever it is year-wise, is occurring on Saturday night, then we might well see Alan take the stage (often the case in the second weekend), and that could mean…McGraw. So: ROADBLOCK, or THE NARROW MARGIN? The latter is by far the better film; the former is an inferior knockoff of THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF. (You can read Glenn Erickson bust through ROADBLOCK: https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s4440road.html.)
So, how to resolve this? Coin flip? No. If you already have McGraw in THE THREAT, opt out of all this and go in a completely different direction. Get the lady who was called "The Threat"...Liz Scott! Dash across the pond for STOLEN FACE, a frankly delirious British "B" where La Liz is clearly having a great time playing a dual role. For goodness' sake, send the fedora-ites home Saturday night with a smile on their lips!
12. Finally, 1953: I do think that the final day--which is also Super Bowl Sunday--will be a two-film day, though it’d be nice if they tossed in a third film (as has often been the case in the past). Going with the former, I’d bet somebody’s ranch on THE BIG HEAT, what with Glenn, Gloria, Lee and those pots of coffee; and even though the IMDB says that CRIME WAVE is a 1953 film, it also shows its release date as March 6, 1954, so the chance to have “thug heaven” with Marvin and Tim Carey is, sadly, a non-starter. Too bad…so we will most likely get Percy’s hot plate to go with the flying java.
So what can we reliably predict thus far from this?
First, what I think we can we take to the bank...
1941: I WAKE UP SCREAMING/
1942: THIS GUN FOR HIRE/
1943:
1944:
1945: /JEALOUSY
1946:
1947: THE UNSUSPECTED/
1948:
1949: /THE THREAT
1950:
1951: THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF/
1952:
1953: THE BIG HEAT/WICKED WOMAN (same as LA)
We're not quite 100% about JEALOUSY, but one has to go out on a limb somewhere. Fourteen years ago there was enough reverence for DETOUR that it played by itself (with an in-person from the late, great Ann Savage). I think it will be held out for something different, possibly a down-the-road pairing with DECOY.
Moving squarely into the realm of speculation, we present a more detailed SWAG (semi wild-ass guess..) using the A-B year-by-year format. (In case it hasn’t been mentioned before—lots of words written on this, hard to remember!—we are also assuming that there are no foreign films this time: they wouldn’t easily fit into the “A-B” construct.)
1941: I WAKE UP SCREAMING/either AMONG THE LIVING or FACE BEHIND THE MASK
1942: THIS GUN FOR HIRE/probably QUIET PLEASE, MURDER (which is same as NC LA)
1943: something other than what should be THE FALLEN SPARROW/THE SEVENTH VICTIM, so...SHADOW OF A DOUBT (Hitch?!)/still should be THE SEVENTH VICTIM!
1944: DOUBLE INDEMNITY/WHEN STRANGERS MARRY or FLESH & FANTASY/DESTINY (the latter seems a bit “light in the loafers” to carry an entire Sunday, though...)
1945: LADY ON A TRAIN or CONFLICT/JEALOUSY
1946: as the 8-ball says... “Reply hazy, ask again later…”
1947: THE UNSUSPECTED/ your guess really is as good as mine
1948: ACT OF VIOLENCE/BEHIND CLOSED DOORS (this comes from Eddie’s professed love of marquees where two films form a sentence of their own...but note that this would also work with I WALK ALONE)
1949: THE RECKLESS MOMENT/THE CLAY PIGEON or THE THREAT
1950: A LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT/WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (no, I think I’m forcing this one to fit the “marquee thing” above...so neither of these is probably right. Will sleep on it...)
1951/2: THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF/THE NARROW MARGIN (splitting the difference...but still pining for a double dose of Liz here)
1953: THE BIG HEAT/WICKED WOMAN (same as NC LA)
[THIS JUST IN: Looking ahead to the January NOIR ALLEY listings, we see ACT OF VIOLENCE scheduled to run on 1/21/18. While we can't be sure the all NA films will be N/A at NC, it's really a pretty good bet--though we'd still like to see RAW DEAL if only for one more chance to honor Marsha Hunt in a theater setting. It's likely that these two are both out, however, which would give a boost to I WALK ALONE's chances (Paramount, with those three noir icons at the top of the cast).]
This shapes up (assuming we are close...) as a pretty good “play it safe” festival, though the format does seem more constricting than necessary. Strict chrono order means you’re going to have sparse years dominating your opening weekend, which limits your options. That probably means you have to play SHADOW OF A DOUBT on the first Saturday...it’s a classic, of course, but it ties into a kind of TCM-esque conformity that had been rather scrupulously avoided in the past. (Of course, we live in chaotic times!!)
There’s also an inherent historical awkwardness here that can’t really be avoided. The professed notion behind “A-B” is to show modern-day audiences what a characteristic 40s “night at the movies” was like. That really only works if you have a floor show, a cartoon and/or a newsreel, then the “B” film, followed by the “A.” Now you can supply a different type of floor show (as is increasingly the case at NC SF), but the cartoon/newsreel is too dated for the post-modern fedora crowd to sit through: I suppose you could have someone animate Eddie's TCM comic book, but that just might cross over the acceptable level of self-promotion. Bottom line: unless you actually play the “B” in front of the “A,” you’re not really being authentic. It will be interesting to see if any of the “B’s” get played first.
This will also be the first time that NC SF is driven by a premise that did not originate with the SF audience in mind. For better or worse, the “theme” ideas that have been part of NC all started in SF. That’s no longer the case. (It also brings up the question about what will be done in LA this coming March: since they had an A-B/chronological show there last time, it’s not likely to be the format there again in 2018. Will it be back to the heist films, which never played there in ’17? Stay tuned...)
Eddie's film choices before NOIR CITY
Posted by Don Malcolm on 12/20/2017, 7:19 pm
The NC 16 schedule is up at the Noir City site, and we will post shortly...
[condensed from full listing of Eddie's pre-NC screenings in LA]
FILMS SCREENED BY EDDIE MULLER PRIOR TO NC/SF
THAT HAVE YET TO BE SCREENED THERE
1944
When Strangers Marry, One Mysterious Night
1945
Fallen Angel, Apology for Murder
1947
The Devil Thumbs A Ride, Brute Force, Johnny O’Clock, Violence
1948
Whiplash
1949
The Big Steal, White Heat, Mystery Street
1950
The File on Thelma Jordon, Panic in the Streets, Shadow on the Wall
1951
The Scarf, The Well*, The Second Woman, Under the Gun
1952
The Thief
1953
Bad Blonde
1954
The Human Jungle
1955
The Phenix City Story, Tight Spot
1956
The Killer Is Loose, A Kiss Before Dying*
1957
Plunder Road, Man in the Shadow
1958
Murder By Contract*
1959
Guns, Girls & Gangsters
That's a total of 30 films, 21 in the 1941-53 time frame. Almost enough for an entire festival, though you'd need to put some films in at the front end (1941, 1942, 1943). You might actually decide that this festival would be preferable to the one that is just being announced...
...or not!
The asterisks by films in the above list are for ones that were eventually screened at NC 17 in 2019.
NC 16: What Is Actually Happening (Official Schedule)
Posted by Don Malcolm on 12/20/2017, 7:39 pm
Now, after seventeen years...
OK, not quite that long--after all, it’s only NC 16 we’re talking about--though Eddie has been programming noir since 1999, putting him about nine years behind Elliot Lavine.
It would be interesting to compare the range of films within the list of titles screened by these two. While it would be quite divergent, there would be a significant amount of overlap.
So enough of the opening digression: here is your official NC 16 schedule.
Fri/26 I WAKE UP SCREAMING {3}/AMONG THE LIVING {9}
Sat/27 THIS GUN FOR HIRE/QUIET PLEASE MURDER
SHADOW OF A DOUBT/ADDRESS UNKNOWN
Sun/28 FLESH & FANTASY/DESTINY
Mon/29 CONFLICT {6}/JEALOUSY
Tue/30 THE BLUE DAHLIA {4}/NIGHT EDITOR {4,7,11}
Wed/31 THE UNSUSPECTED {7}/HIGH TIDE {11}
Thu/1 I WALK ALONE {5}/BODYGUARD
Fri/2 THE ACCUSED {2}/THE THREAT {5}
Sat/3 SOUTHSIDE 1-1000/THE UNDERWORLD STORY
THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF {4}/ROADBLOCK {5}
Sun/4 THE BIG HEAT/WICKED WOMAN {5}
We mention Elliot to permit us to apply the “comparison” idea to the films screening in NC 16 (about which, more in just a minute). Of the 24 films, six of them (25%) were shown by Elliot over the course of six I WAKE UP DREAMING festivals at the Roxie Theatre from 2009-14. (They are the films shown in italics.)
The most striking thing about the list is the number of repeat screenings. There are a total of 13, which eclipses the previous high of nine, set in NC 11. (There were eight repeat screenings in NC 8 and NC 10; the number had dropped significantly beginning with NC 12. Over the past four SF festivals prior to NC 16, the total number of repeats was nine. So NC 16 has more previously screened films than the last four years combined.)
Here’s a list of where the repeats were originally screened:
NC 5--4
NC 4--2
NC 11--2 (counting NIGHT EDITOR for its most recent repeat prior to this year)
NC 9, NC 7, NC 6, NC 3, NC2--1 each
Seven films screened in NC LA ’17 were incorporated into NC 16: THIS GUN FOR HIRE* (1942); QUIET PLEASE, MURDER* (1942); ADDRESS UNKNOWN* (1944); THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1951), THE BIG HEAT* (1953); and WICKED WOMAN (1953). Of these, four had not screened in SF previously (those marked with an asterisk).
In terms of our predictions: it’s clear that the more structured approach to the schedule (1941-53 time frame, year-by-year in chronological order, and A-B orientation) made it much, much easier to zero in on things. All eight of our revised “can’t miss” picks made it into the lineup, and we discussed many of the selections as part of our detailed handicapping along the way. This was our best shot at zeroing in, and things worked out extremely well. (We are not expecting Eddie to afford the same opportunity again soon—probably not until 2022, when we still think that he’ll return to “SF noir” for NC 20.)
We will add some other thoughts in the brief year-by-year notes that follow.
Some notes...
1941--This is not quite as slam-bang an Opening Night as we’ve come to expect, but perhaps that doesn’t matter in SF. We were right about Hayward over Keyes...plus the weirdness of AMONG THE LIVING is more “in the pocket” of garden-variety noir psychology. HIGH SIERRA still hasn’t been shown at NC SF. The absence of THE MALTESE FALCON boosts the idea of SF noir redux at NC 20.
1942--THIS GUN strikes me as a weekend evening level film, but the strict chrono order foils that. This is the first of two double bills shown at NC LA ’17 that repeats fully intact at NC 16.
1943/44--Much as we admire THE FALLEN SPARROW, it is not really strong enough to occupy the Saturday night slot. Hence Hitch and SHADOW OF A DOUBT. I would still have gone with the Lewton “homefront made strange” mini-masterpiece THE SEVENTH VICTIM over the Nazi film ADDRESS UNKNOWN. (And yes, FNF has screened it elsewhere.)
1943/44 again--A little fast and loose date-wise as well to get the not-unexpected FLESH & FANTASY (’43)/DESTINY (’44) duo in place. But it does set up a run of six consecutive NC premieres before the repeat screenings begin to dominate.
1945--Odd that two big Bogie films (BIG SLEEP and DEAD RECKONING) can’t get a tumble at NC while two films left on the shelf for two years by Warners (CONFLICT and TWO MRS. CARROLLS) have been shown twice.
1946--As for Chandler: his three contemporary Marlowe films have been mostly ignored (MURDER, MY SWEET is the exception) while THE BLUE DAHLIA (his only solo screenplay) gets a second play. C’mon guys, SF wants to see George Montgomery ham it up as Marlowe in THE BRASHER DOUBLOON...
1947-- ...which would have made a fun companion for THE UNSUSPECTED, actually. Opulent mansions, conniving oldsters, strange doings, and two semi-hapless, doe-like heroines (Nancy Guild, Joan Caulfield). Ah, well: an opportunity lost in favor of showcasing an earlier restoration project. HIGH TIDE is good, but it really could have waited.
1948--The three noir icons win! Of course, La Liz was much better in PITFALL, which would have given us another look at Jane Wyatt (and let’s not forget Raymond Burr, who’s sadly nowhere to found in this lineup). Fleischer KO’s Boetticher and the great “titles making sentence” idea (I WALK ALONE/BEHIND CLOSED DOORS) crashes and burns.
1949--Alan made an explicit comparison between THE THREAT and WHITE HEAT in his discussion of the former in his McGraw bio: it would have been interesting to run them together. But one figures that THE ACCUSED seems more “in the moment”...though it’s hard to know if the women in the audience will think Loretta’s character is getting a fair shake.
1950--Pleased to see THE UNDERWORLD STORY at last, a film that has some Cy Endfield social commentary. (Be still my heart!!!) Pairing it with THE LAWLESS, of course, is the way to go, but instead it’s GOP stalwart Don DeFore and an all-too-high smirk-to-fisticuffs ratio. Thank God for Andrea King...
1951--Here’s where you could get your dose of Burr: you’d have to wait and wait for him, but he really does add the perfect capper to the lunacy in HIS KIND OF WOMAN. Plus Mitchum and Russell. And Vincent Price! (Sigh.) Maybe it’s being held out for next year’s Xmas show. Also note that the chance of a Felix Feist double bill was passed up: TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY (last seen at NC 2) was warmed up and ready to go. (Oh, well. That really would have been a feast of Feist...)
1952--Here is your “404” Not Found message...no 1952 film in the lineup. I think adding WITHOUT WARNING! as a third final Sunday film would have been a masterstroke. And I think that SUDDEN FEAR is being saved for NC 20.
1953--Same duo as the closing night in LA (second such connection between the two festivals). Too bad it couldn’t be on a Saturday night: methinks they would turn hundreds of people away. But maybe Super Bowl Sunday (about which more in a moment) will turn out to be a way to break the bank with two large crowds. After seeing these two again, you may agree with me that it is a darned shame that Gloria Grahame and Percy Helton never shared a scene together. (Not to mention: Bev Michaels and Lee Marvin. Oops--we mentioned them!) The universe is often so unfair...
Other quick notes:
--Yes, NIGHT EDITOR is now officially the greatest noir of all time, with its record-breaking fourth appearance at NC SF.
--We would like to see next year’s festival focus on the period 1954-65. That would work the same way (twelve years, twelve double bills) and would cover a lot of ground that the FNF has not yet trod. And it would be a lot easier to guess, just as was the case this time!
--You might still prefer a lineup made up of the "lost LA" films screened in 1999-2002 but that have not made it to the Castro in nearly twenty years. I'm remaining agnostic on that, but the idea is there for the taking, along with the "second half/trailing edge" festival suggested above.
Of course, as we know now, Eddie ran the A-B concept into the ground in 2019 with a 1949-61 timeframe, followed by his "partially-borrowed-from-MCP" international noir series just ahead of the COVID crisis last year--seems longer than that, doesn't it? Our best guess for '22, given Eddie's count-to-ten style of borrowing from our ideas/concerns, is that he'll probably push into "socially semi-conscious noir" when NC comes out of mothballs--there are few other themes that can burnish his rep as a serious cinephile, even as he keeps on keeping on with his "barroom not classroom" prattle. But we won't faint away if he decides to feint in a different direction--maybe he'll try neo-noir at last, or decide that since 2022 should've been NC 20, he'll go with SF as a valentine to the home town, or--ah well, we'll just wait and see...
Responses