22nd Annual Noir City Hollywood Festival Opens March 6th

The 22nd Annual Noir City Hollywood Festival opens at the Egyptian Theatre next Friday evening, March 6th.

The festival, hosted by Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode of the Film Noir Foundation, will take place over 10 consecutive days, concluding on Sunday, March 15th.

28 films will be shown, with at least 18 of the films to be shown in 35mm (one film is yet to be announced).

Most of the screenings will take place at the Egyptian, including weekend matinees and marathons. On Monday, March 9th, the festival moves for one evening to the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, while the Tuesday evening screenings will take place at the restored American Legion Post 43 Theatre, a few blocks away from the Egyptian.

This year's festival pairs "A" and "B" U.S. titles with films from several different countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Sweden, Japan, and Germany.

I've attended opening night of this festival for ten years in a row as of this year, and it will be my eleventh year to attend overall. I've already purchased tickets to attend on half a dozen of the film's 10 days. The festival promises to be a great time mixing new discoveries with old favorites.

Here's a day-by-day look at this year's lineup; click any hyperlinked title for my past review.

Opening night on March 6th features the Argentinian film THE BEAST MUST DIE (1952), aka LA BESTIA DEBE MORIR, shown in 35mm, along with a digital print of Rita Hayworth in GILDA (1946). I've heard great things from friends about THE BEAST MUST DIE, which stars Laura Hidalgo (right), and I haven't seen GILDA on a big screen since I was a teenager and saw it at the Vagabond Theater.

The screenings on March 7th begin earlier in the evening than usual, at 5:00 p.m., with an M-themed triple feature: A digital print of the original German version of M (1931), followed by a 35mm print of M (1951) and a digital print of THE BLACK VAMPIRE (1953), known as EL VAMPIRO NEGRO in its native Argentina.

There's a 1:00 Sunday matinee on March 8th, featuring a pair of 35mm prints: THE DEVIL STRIKES AT NIGHT (1957), also known as NACHTS, WENN DER TEUFEL KAM in Germany, and the rarely seen and very enjoyable "B" film FLY-BY-NIGHT (1942). Both films were directed by Robert Siodmak. I'm really looking forward to FLY-BY-NIGHT on a big screen!

The Sunday evening program on the 8th features a digital print of the Korean film THE HOUSEMAID (1960), also known as HANYO, along with a 35mm print of Nina Foch in MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (1945).

On Monday, March 9th, the festival moves for an evening to the Aero Theatre, where playwright-director David Mamet will be interviewed by Eddie Muller. Mamet's HOUSE OF GAMES (1987) will be shown in 35mm. An unannounced "surprise second feature" will also be screened.

Tuesday the 11th will be a military-themed evening hosted by Alan K. Rode at the American Legion Post 43 Theatre, featuring 35mm prints of ACT OF VIOLENCE (1949) and SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1946). I really like both these films and the venue, although I probably will take the night off since I saw ACT OF VIOLENCE at the 2018 Noir City Festival and SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival last spring.

On Wednesday, March 11th, this year's Miss Noir City, Victoria Mature -- seen in the poster at top of this post -- will appear in person to introduce a digital print of her father's British-made film THE LONG HAUL (1957). THE LONG HAUL costars Diana Dors (seen with Mature at right). Later in the evening the German film BLACK GRAVEL (1961), aka SCHWARZER KIES, will be shown, also in a digital print.

I'm really looking forward to March 12th, a 35mm double bill of THE NAKED CITY (1948) paired with the Argentinian film HARDLY A CRIMINAL (1949), also known as APENAS UN DELINCUENTE. It's been over a decade since I last saw THE NAKED CITY, and it will be my first time to see it in a theater; I really enjoyed HARDLY A CRIMINAL at Noir City half a dozen years ago.

Friday the 13th features a digital print of the classic GUN CRAZY (1950), shown with a 35mm print of the Japanese film PALE FLOWER (1962), known in Japan as KAWAITA HANA.

On Saturday, March 14th, a five-film marathon begins at 2:00, with every film shown in 35mm: OUT OF THE PAST (1947), THE GUILTY (1947), HIGH TIDE (1947), THE PROWLER (1951), and TRY AND GET ME (1950). I intend to attend the first four films in the marathon; I've never seen THE PROWLER before, and it will be my first time to see OUT OF THE PAST on a big screen! THE GUILTY, which features Bonita Granville in a dual role, was enjoyed at the 2015 UCLA Festival of Preservation, and I saw HIGH TIDE at the 2013 UCLA Festival. It will be good to revisit each of these rare films.

A 1:00 matinee on Sunday, March 15th, features a 35mm print of Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten in PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948), which I saw in the late '70s at the Tiffany on Sunset Boulevard. It's being shown with a digital print of the Swedish film GIRL WITH HYACINTHS (1950), aka FLICKA OCH HYACINTER.

The festival concludes on Sunday evening with a 35mm print of THE SPIRITUALIST (1948), also known as THE AMAZING MR. X, starring Turhan Bey and Lynn Bari. It will be shown with a digital print of the Mexican film IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND (1949), aka EN LA PALMA DE TU MANO. If I have the stamina for two four-film days in a row, I'll be at both double bills that day!

It's nice that this year we get a month to regroup before the start of the TCM Classic Film Festival on April 16th! Stay tuned to this blog for more coverage of both festivals.

Key posts on past Noir City Hollywood Festivals: A Visit to the Noir City Film Festival (2010); A Visit to the 13th Noir City Film Festival (2011); First Preview of 14th Annual Noir City Film Festival; Schedule Announced for Noir City 14 in Hollywood; Final Week of Noir City 14 Schedule Announced; A Visit to the 14th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2012); Schedule Announced for Noir City 15 in Hollywood; A Visit to the 15th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2013); Schedule Preview of Noir City 16 in Hollywood; A Visit to the 16th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2014); 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival Opens in Hollywood This Friday; A Visit to the 17th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2015); 18th Annual Noir City Film Festival Opens in Hollywood This Friday; A Visit to the 18th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2016); 19th Annual Noir City Film Festival Opens in Hollywood March 24th; A Visit to the 19th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2017); 20th Annual Noir City Festival Opens in Hollywood April 13th; A Visit to the 20th Annual Noir City Film Festival (2018); 21st Annual Noir City Hollywood Festival Opens March 29th; A Visit to the 21st Annual Noir City Film Festival (2019).

Update: A Visit to the 22nd Annual Noir City Film Festival.

Update: 2020 Noir City Hollywood Film Festival Cancelled Beginning March 12th.