Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up...
Posted by Don Malcolm on 7/27/2022, 12:56 pm

...and the 8-film B-noir marathon was (mercifully, perhaps) shaved down to six (that way Eddie doesn't have to give anyone a prize, because everyone who's anyone can see six films in a day, no problem!)

As for the guessing game that Bob and I indulged in, I nailed three (though FACE BEHIND THE MASK did not wind up in the marathon lineup). Sorry, Bob, they shut you out. The FNF boys decided to stay strictly in the 1940s for their B-noir, which either shows an odd sense of "purity" or a lamentable lack of imagination--but is probably related more to the fact that these films are readily available and have all been shown before.

I should have thought of THE ARGYLE SECRETS, due to its having been a restoration project. But the fact that I didn't suggests that the film is simply not memorable enough to register. (It also doesn't appear in the IMDB list under film noir, so neither Bob nor I got to see it as part of the "cheat sheet" listing.)

I thought that Eddie had already done his "Duvivier thing" (FLESH & FANTASY + DESTINY) in Chicago before, but evidently not.

A few holdovers from the SF show aside from THE ARGYLE SECRETS...there's also ALL THE KING'S MEN (part of a Brod Crawford double bill that will, appropriately, be hosted by Alan K. Rode), as well as THE SNIPER (for that San Francisco connection).

And Charlie McGraw is not left out--he's on hand in the final film of the series, THE CRUEL TOWER. Make those plane reservations for a quick trip to Chicago, Carl!

Friday August 26
James Caan Tribute
THIEF (1981, 122 min, 35mm)
FLESH AND BONE (1993, 126 min, 35mm)

Saturday August 27
6-film B-noir marathon
AMONG THE LIVING (1941, 67 min, 35mm)*
STREET OF CHANCE (1942, 70 min, 35mm)
DR. BROADWAY (1942, 68 min, 35mm)
SMOOTH AS SILK (1946, 64 min, 35mm)
SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946, 71 min, 35mm)*
THE ARGYLE SECRETS (1948, 64 min, 35mm)

Sunday August 28
FLESH AND FANTASY (1943, 94 min, 35mm) + DESTINY (1944, 65 min, 35mm)
NIGHT HAS 1000 EYES (1948, 81 min, 35mm)
SORRY WRONG NUMBER (1948, 89 min, 35mm)
SOUTHSIDE 1-1000 (1950, 73 min, 35mm)

Monday August 29
THE SNIPER (1952, 88 min, 35mm)
THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK (1941, 61 min, 35mm)*

Tuesday August 30
ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949, 110 min, 35mm)
SCANDAL SHEET (1952, 82 min, 35mm)

Wednesday August 31
DETECTIVE STORY (1951, 101 min, DCP)
711 OCEAN DRIVE (1950, 102 min, 35mm)

Thursday September 1
PLAYGIRL (1954, 85 min, DCP)
THE CRUEL TOWER (1956, 79 min, DCP)

*Films that were listed by yours truly as likely to be in the B-noir marathon

Re: Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up...
Posted by ChiBob on 7/27/2022, 7:22 pm, in reply to "Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up..."

My three 1950s picks were done as a lark, simply to get some babe action into Noir City. However, I am surprised that when it comes to the 40s that High Tide, The Guilty and I Wouldn't Be In Your Shoes weren't picked. Speaking of B films -
the "free movies" option on Xfinity under the crime category has a whole host of B films from the 1955-1960 period. Some nifty titles like The Walking Target, The Big Caper, Street Of Sinners, Vice Raid, and Guns, Girls and Gangsters, as well as some clinkers like The Big Boodle and Inside the Mafia. All in very good prints.

Re: Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up...
Posted by Don Malcolm on 7/30/2022, 3:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up..."
Bob, I'm with you on that--I also looked for a wider historical range of B-noir titles in Chicago. They kinda sorta did that with SOUTHSIDE 1-1000, which has Andrea King's great acting job (in addition to her fine line readings, she also manages to convince you that she's actually smitten with Don "the Schlub" DeFore).

Looks like some quid pro quo between the honchos of the FNF--and you could certainly consider PLAYGIRL and THE CRUEL TOWER to be "B's" of a certain type.

It smacks of a similar formula concocted for the 2018 NC Chicago, with some rare but "meh" films sprinkled all over the place.

As for HIGH TIDE and THE GUILTY, since they played recently on TCM, there may have been some worry that folks wouldn't want to pay $$ to see them again too soon.

Re: Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up...
Posted by Dan in the MW on 8/4/2022, 6:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up..."

I am late to the Blackboard as to the resumption of Noir City Chicago. As a long time attendee, I am somewhat disappointed at the number of repeat titles that have been screened before. I believe that ten of the movies were shown in Chicago at earlier festivals.

"Thief" was filmed in Chicago and the climactic scene was shot on location in a neighboring subdivision (Budlong Woods), so many of us watched it during its original theatrical release. Sadly, much of the footage wound up on the cutting room floor. The special effects team built a false front on a residential home to be used for the explosive climax. The pyrotechnics were a bit too much and the actual house suffered significant fire damage and had to be demolished.

Here are the films that I may check out which are new to me. Others are familiar. Not sure if I would invoke my own, "Yes, I know it, but I have not seen it on the big screen yet" justification for films like "Doctor Broadway" or "Argyle Secrets."

Friday August 26
James Caan Tribute

FLESH AND BONE (1993, 126 min, 35mm)

Saturday August 27
6-film B-noir marathon

SMOOTH AS SILK (1946, 64 min, 35mm)
SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946, 71 min, 35mm)*

Sunday August 28

SOUTHSIDE 1-1000 (1950, 73 min, 35mm)

Thursday September 1
PLAYGIRL (1954, 85 min, DCP)
THE CRUEL TOWER (1956, 79 min, DCP)

Re: Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up...
Posted by ChiO on 8/5/2022, 4:22 am, in reply to "Noir City Chicago 2022 schedule up..."

My enthusiasm wanes a bit each year, so I haven't decided whether to make the plunge into the entire festival.

But I can see whiling away a Saturday....