We'll start with MW Dan's reminder to us about the virtues of B-noir, and build toward an idea that Eddie or Elliot should consider. Here are the texts from 2020 that deal with the raw materials for such a festival...

"The Threat" (1949)

Posted by Dan in the MW on 2/7/2020, 12:19 pm
I finally saw this fast paced R-K-O film for the first time yesterday. It is an exceptionally good "B" noir. Despite the cast credits, it is Charles McGraw's movie.

A violent criminal escapes from Folsom prison (most of the sequence is economically shown under the opening titles) and reassembles a few members of the old gang to seek revenge upon those responsible for his arrest and conviction. He is also searching for his former partner and his share of $100,000.00.

Well worth seeking out. Sixty-six minutes in length without a wasted frame.

Re: "The Threat" (1949)

Posted by Don Malcolm on 2/7/2020, 5:57 pm, in reply to ""The Threat" (1949)"
Edited by Don Malcolm on 2/8/2020, 8:03 am
Dan, didn't they bring this to Chicago last year? (Looking it up, the answer is...NO! They tossed in "I Was a Shoplifter"...bummer. Hard to believe that it didn't get the nod, as it's been shown in SF, LA and Palm Springs in recent years.)

McGraw is, of course, the gold standard for venal thugs, and he simply takes over the film. I'm with Paul Mavis and several other critics, however, in thinking that things have over-corrected and THE THREAT is now somewhat over-valued due to its insistent emphasis on pace over narrative structure.

I would love to see FNF construct a whole new approach, now that they've pushed through the following phases:

--overly arty theme [#14]
--"heist" thread that got ragged [#15]
--42-51 (uneven A/B) [#16]
--50-61 (A/B with better titles but dubious end-of-the-50s "history lesson") [#17]
--international noir (1/4th borrowed from others, some flabby execution dragging down an otherwise worthy idea) [#18]

That approach, ahead of #20, which we can only hope will be a return to San Francisco noir, should be a full-out "B"-noir festival. More movies. Triple bills. A marathon on the first Saturday night, producing 36-hour programming over that weekend!

According to IMDB, there are 336 titles that fit a search description for film noir from 1940-1965 with a running length of 50-80 minutes. While a lot of "B's" got shown in 2018-2019, there are dozens of great ones that can make for a great festival.

Here's a massive list (135 movies...) for them to choose from...surely we can get a 40-film "B-noir" festival that can cover some familiar ground and introduce 10-12 noteworthy films that no one has seen, yes?

STRANGER ON THE THIRD FLOOR (1940)
ANGELS OVER BROADWAY (1940)
CAFE HOSTESS (1940)
THE MAN WHO WOULDN'T TALK (1940)
THE DEVIL PAYS OFF (1941)

THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK (1941)
FLIGHT FROM DESTINY (1941)
DR. BROADWAY (1942)
KID GLOVE KILLER (1942)
JOURNEY INTO FEAR (1943)

CALLING DR. DEATH (1943) <---for Dan H.
THE MARK OF THE WHISTLER (1944)
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (1944)
WHEN STRANGERS MARRY (1944)
BEWITCHED (1945)

DANGER SIGNAL (1945)
DETOUR (1945)
DILLINGER (1945) <---Tierney
ESCAPE IN THE FOG (1945)
THE GREAT FLAMARION (1945)

MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945)
THE SPIDER (1945)
BEHIND GREEN LIGHTS (1946)
DECOY (1946) [finally shown on NOIR ALLEY]
THE GLASS ALIBI (1946)

THE LAST CROOKED MILE (1946)
LETTER FROM THE DEAD (1946, Sweden)
THE MADONNA'S SECRET (1946)
SHOCK (1946)
SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946)

STEP BY STEP (1946) <---Tierney
STRANGE IMPERSONATION (1946)
THE THIRTEENTH HOUR (1947)
BLIND SPOT (1947)
THE BRASHER DOUBLOON (1947)

DESPERATE (1947)
THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE (1947) <--- Tierney (if they can clear the rights...)
FALL GUY (1947)
THE GUILTY (1947) [shown on NOIR ALLEY, released with HIGH TIDE by Flicker Alley]
THE PRETENDER (1947)

TAKE MY LIFE (1947, UK)
BEHIND LOCKED DOORS (1948)
BODYGUARD (1948) <--- Tierney
GANGSTERS CONTRA CHARROS (1948, Mexico)
FORCE OF EVIL (1948) <---gotta get it into a festival any way we can... ['23 note: it happened already, in '22]

HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948) [shown at NC 20 in '23]
THE AMAZING MR. X (1948) [shown at NC 20 in '23]
THE STRANGE MRS. CRANE (1948)
BLONDE ICE (1948) [restored version coming out this summer on ClassicFlix]
THE CLAY PIGEON (1949)

FOLLOW ME QUIETLY (1949)
HUSET NR 17 (1949, Sweden)
JOHNNY STOOL PIGEON (1949)
THE SET-UP (1949)
SHOCKPROOF (1949)

STRANGE BARGAIN (1949)
THE THREAT (1949)
THE TREASURE OF MONTE CRISTO (1949)
MARY RYAN, DETECTIVE (1949) <--- Marsha Hunt
ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950)

DIAL 1119 (1950)
FUGITIVE LADY (1950)
GAMBLING HOUSE (1950)
KILL OR BE KILLED (1950) <--- Tierney
A LADY WITHOUT PASSPORT (1950)

MURDER WITHOUT CRIME (1950, UK)
NO TRACE (1950, UK)
ONE WAY STREET (1950)
QUICKSAND (1950)
SHAKEDOWN (1950) <--- Tierney

SOUTHSIDE 1-1000 (1950)
CAUSE FOR ALARM! (1951)
CHICAGO CALLING (1951)
CRY DANGER (1951)
THE HOODLUM (1951) <--- Tierney

MISSING WOMEN (1951)
INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR (1951)
SMUGGLER'S ISLAND (1951)
THE TALL TARGET (1951)
THE NARROW MARGIN (1952)

THE NIGHT WON'T TALK (1952, UK)
WITHOUT WARNING! (1952)
ESCAPE BY NIGHT (1953, UK)
COUNT THE HOURS (1953)
CRY OF THE HUNTED (1953)

THE BIG BREAK (1953)
THE HITCH-HIKER (1953)
JEOPARDY (1953)
CRIME WAVE (1953)
WOMAN IN THE DARK (1953)

DAYS OF HATE (1954, Argentina)
HEAT WAVE (1954, UK)
HIGHWAY DRAGNET (1954)
IMPULSE (1954, UK) <--- Cy Endfield
LOOPHOLE (1954)

THE MIAMI STORY (1954)
RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11 (1954)
SUDDENLY (1954)
TIGER BY THE TAIL (1954, UK)
THE BIG TIP OFF (1955)

CELL 2455, DEATH ROW (1955)
SHACK OUT ON 101 (1955)
WOMEN's PRISON (1955)
FEMALE JUNGLE (1955) <--- Tierney (Mansfield!)
EDGE OF HELL (1956)

THE HOUSTON STORY (1956)
THE KILLER IS LOOSE (1956)
TIME TABLE (1956)
HELL BOUND (1957) [shown on NOIR ALLEY'
LURE OF THE SWAMP (1957)

PLUNDER ROAD (1957)
STREET OF SINNERS (1957)
APPOINTMENT WITH A SHADOW (1957)
COP HATER (1958)
THE EDGE OF FURY (1958)

GIRLS ON THE LOOSE (1958)
A COOL SOUND FROM HELL (1959, Canada)
THE NAKED ROAD (1959)
THE 3RD VOICE (1960)
THE DELINQUENTS (1960, Spain)

GET OUTTA TOWN (1960)
LA TRICHEUSE (1960, France-Belgium)
FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE (1961)
THE MURDER MEN (1961)
THE TRUNK (1961, UK)

THE MAN IN THE BACK SEAT (1961, UK)
STRONGROOM (1962, UK)
DON'T TALK TO STRANGE MEN (1962, UK)
THE RIGHT HAND OF THE DEVIL (1963)
MAN IN THE DARK (1964, UK)

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOICE? (1964, UK) <--- late Dan Duryea
THE THRILL KILLERS (1964)
WALK A TIGHTROPE (1964, UK) <--- late Dan Duryea
ACT OF MURDER (1964 UK)
THE MURDER GAME (1965, UK)

[EDIT: Of course, there are many gradations of "B-noirs" slammed together on this list, from Poverty Row to "B units" at major studios to British "quota quickies" to lean & mean films with short run times from around the world. Figure that you start at 7pm, with three films most nights (maybe just 2 on Monday and Wednesday), with 25 films shown on the first Saturday-Sunday: that gets you to 52 films, creating the perfect promotional items: Noir City playing cards!]