A Visit to the 20th Annual Noir City Film Festival

Opening night of the annual Noir City Hollywood film festival is one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar for classic film fans in Southern California, and this year was no exception.

The 20th Anniversary edition of the festival opened last night, April 13th, and it was as much fun as anticipated.

I'm told this poster on display in front of the Egyptian was on loan from a fan:

This was the eighth year in a row I've attended the festival's opening night! I've been attending for nine festivals now and made countless terrific movie memories.

This year Noir City plays for 10 consecutive days at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, with closing night on April 22nd.

My detailed date-by-date look at the festival schedule may be found here.

As I covered in that post, all but one film in the festival will be screened in 35mm; the exception is a new digital restoration of THE TURNING POINT (1952). A number of the films are not available on DVD.

As we have sometimes done in the past, my husband and I started our evening in classic Hollywood fashion at Miceli's, which opened in 1949 and bills itself as "Hollywood's Oldest Italian Restaurant." Miceli's is located next to the theater on Las Palmas Avenue. It even has a film noir connection, having been a featured location in Jacques Tourneur's NIGHTFALL (1957).

Then it was over to the Egyptian Theatre courtyard where vintage police cars were available for photo ops:

My friend Karie Bible and friends enact a noirish dramatic scene for our camera:

The photos are slightly blurry, but here are the Film Noir Foundation's Alan K. Rode and Eddie Muller before the movie:

Rode and Muller with writer James Ellroy, who will be honored Saturday night at a sold-out screening of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997)...

...and with Leonard and Alice Maltin.

The Egyptian as it begins to fill, with actor Clu Gulagher in his usual front row center seat:

Opening night featured Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake in THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946) and Franchot Tone and a bevy of lovely ladies in I LOVE TROUBLE (1948). Between films there was an hour-long reception in the Egyptian courtyard, featuring the Dean Mora Trio.

Eddie Muller chats with fans during the party:

It was quite the happening event! It was great to see a number of friends.

As always, this introductory post to the Noir City Hollywood Festival will be regularly updated with review links for all films seen at the festival. As the saying goes, watch this space!

New reviews of films seen at the 2018 Noir City Film Festival: I LOVE TROUBLE (1948); L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997); DARK CITY (1950); ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949).

Previously reviewed films seen at this year's festival: THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946); ARMORED CAR ROBBERY (1950); DRAGNET (1954); LOOPHOLE (1954).

Posts on past Noir City Festivals which contain review links for all films seen each year: A Visit to the 19th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2017); A Visit to the 18th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2016); A Visit to the 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2015); A Visit to the 16th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2014); A Visit to the 15th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2013); A Visit to the 14th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2012); A Visit to the 13th Noir City Film Festival (2011); A Visit to the Noir City Film Festival (2010).