Tuesday, September 21, 2021

2021 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival Opens in Palm Springs October 21st

The 2021 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival opens a month from today!

The 21st edition of the festival will take place from October 21st through October 24th at the Palm Springs Cultural Center's Camelot Theatre, located at 2300 E. Baristo Road in Palm Springs.

Festival producer and host Alan K. Rode will present a dozen films between Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, with a variety of special guests on hand, including Victoria Mature (daughter of Victor Mature), Susan Andrews (daughter of Dana Andrews), and Mark Fleischer (son of director Richard Fleischer).

The weekend will also include a book signing featuring Rode, author of MICHAEL CURTIZ: A LIFE IN FILM and CHARLES MCGRAW: BIOGRAPHY OF A FILM NOIR TOUGH GUY; Eddie Muller, author of the newly revised and expanded edition of DARK CITY: THE LOST WORLD OF FILM NOIR; and Steven C. Smith, author of MUSIC BY MAX STEINER: THE EPIC LIFE OF HOLLYWOOD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL COMPOSER.

I've previously enjoyed several of the films on this year's schedule, and there are also a few titles I've never seen before, a great combination.

Opening night on the 21st will feature WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950), starring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, who reunited with LAURA (1944) director Otto Preminger for the film. Susan Andrews is scheduled to attend the screening. I was fortunate to see her interviewed at a screening of LAURA in 2013 and really enjoyed hearing her thoughts regarding her father.

The films on Friday, October 22nd, will be NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (1948) with Edward G. Robinson and Gail Russell; Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in THE BIG SLEEP (1946), scored by Max Steiner and introduced with Steven Smith; the Argentinian film EL VAMPIRO NEGRO (THE BLACK VAMPIRE) (1953); and the French film QUAI DES ORVERES (JENNY LAMOUR) (1947).

On Saturday, October 23rd, the movies will include THE CRUEL TOWER (1956) with Charles McGraw; ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938) with James Cagney, featuring another Max Steiner score; the excellent HIGH WALL (1947) starring Robert Taylor; and VIOLENT SATURDAY (1955), starring Victor Mature. Director Richard Fleischer's son Mark will be interviewed at the latter screening.

The final day, October 24th, will feature the not-on-DVD PLAYGIRL (1954), which I thoroughly enjoyed at the Noir City Hollywood Festival in 2019; THE LONG HAUL (1957), introduced by star Victor Mature's daughter Victoria; and the outstanding Max Ophuls film THE RECKLESS MOMENT (1949), starring Joan Bennett as an Orange County, California housewife being blackmailed by James Mason. THE RECKLESS MOMENT will be shown in 35mm.

The city of Palm Springs currently has strict COVID protocols, and Alan Rode recently shared the information that vaccinations will be required for admittance to the festival. Masks will not be required when seated in the theater.

Please visit the festival website or Eventbrite for tickets and additional information.

Links for my complete coverage of previous Arthur Lyons Festivals: 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

4 Comments:

Blogger CLM said...

Glad they are taking precautions so the event can go forward! It sounds fascinating.

3:34 PM  
Blogger Jerry Entract said...

Great selection of films, Laura. I have seen, and enjoyed, all of them except the two foreign language films. Should be a wonderful occasion for all attendees - just wish I could be one of 'em.

11:19 PM  
Blogger Bill said...

I wonder how many remember that in the 50s Warner Bros had a weekly hour long show, Warner Brothers Presents, which rotated between Kings Row, Cheyenne, and Casablanca which starred Charles McGraw as Rick. I thought he was quite good in that type of role. There were 10 episodes. Only Cheyenne went on to be a hit series. It would be fun to see those Casablanca episodes now.

12:09 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

Hi Constance (CLM), glad it's actually going to take place this year!

Jerry, I'm really enthused about this lineup, a great mix of movies I like with the unfamiliar. Barring the unexpected (and there's been a lot of that in the last year and a half...) I'll be there to cover it again this year.

Bill, I haven't seen much of CHEYENNE yet but own the DVDs and like what I've seen. I'd love to see the other two series you mention -- fave Jack Kelly of MAVERICK was in KINGS ROW!

Best wishes,
Laura

6:00 PM  

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