Preview of the Noir City Film Festival's Final Week

It's hard to believe, but the third and final week of the Noir City Film Festival gets underway on Wednesday, April 13th.

There are some wonderful movies and personal appearances on the schedule.

Wednesday night features Joan Crawford and Jeff Chandler in FEMALE ON THE BEACH (1955), along with a brand-new print of Paulette Goddard and Macdonald Carey in the "comedy noir" HAZARD (1948). As a Paulette Goddard fan, I decided I had to find a way to squeeze this into my schedule, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Thursday night, April 14th, it's a Robert Ryan double bill, with the excellent CAUGHT (1949), costarring James Mason and Barbara Bel Geddes, playing alongside BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952) with Ida Lupino.

On Friday evening, actress Jeanne Cooper appears at the William Castle double bill of THE HOUSTON STORY (1956) and NEW ORLEANS UNCENSORED (1955). Cooper's appearance is a change from the originally announced schedule, as it had been hoped Barbara Hale would be able to attend.

Cooper, a longtime star of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, is the mother of Corbin Bernsen, who notably played womanizing attorney Arnie Becker on L.A. LAW.

Susan King of the L.A. Times has previewed Saturday evening, when Glenn Ford's son Peter will appear to sign his new book GLENN FORD: A LIFE. The article notes that the book in some ways may be a tough read for the actor's fans, as Ford led a turbulent life off camera. (Peter says his mother, dancer Eleanor Powell, was "a saint.") Peter will discuss his father in between showings of FRAMED (1947), with Janis Carter, and MR. SOFT TOUCH (1949), costarring Evelyn Keyes.

On Sunday the 17th there are late additions to the schedule, which I mentioned last Friday: brand-new prints of DOWN THREE DARK STREETS (1954), starring Broderick Crawford, Ruth Roman, and Martha Hyer, along with John Saxon and Linda Cristal in CRY TOUGH (1959). Some sources indicate John Saxon will be appearing in person, but it's not currently noted on the Egyptian's schedule.

The festival winds up on Wednesday, April 20th, with two "Gothic noir" titles, GASLIGHT (1944) and the excellent MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945).

MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS stars Nina Foch. Leonard Maltin has paid tribute to his former USC colleague in a new blog post. She was a most interesting woman.

Then it's time to say goodbye to Noir City -- and hope the festival will return next year!

Incidentally, Northern Californians can look forward to a terrific film noir festival in May -- details were posted here last weekend. Those in traveling distance of San Francisco have the opportunity to see some rare and wonderful movies.