The 2024 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival Schedule

The Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival celebrates its silver anniversary in the desert this May!

The 2024 edition of the festival opens in Palm Springs on Thursday evening, May 9th.

The festival runs through Sunday, May12th, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. The Center, at the site of the former Camelot Theatres, is located at 2300 E. Baristo Road.

Passes are now on sale, with a dozen films scheduled to be shown over the course of the 72 hours between Thursday and Sunday nights.

Festival producer and host Alan K. Rode has a quartet of excellent guests lined up: Actor/writer Jim Beaver, film historian Luis Reyes, writer-producer Kirk Ellis, and actor-writer Michael McGreevey.

I've had the honor of meeting all of the guests but Beaver at past festivals, and I look forward to hearing their thoughts on the movies screened.

I'm very enthused about this year's schedule, a wonderful mix of new-to-me titles and familiar films.

Four of the films I've never seen in any format, and I'm also delighted at the prospect of seeing movies like CRIME WAVE (1954) and DAY OF THE OUTLAW (1959) theatrically for the first time. CRIME WAVE is a particular favorite of mine which I think will be wonderful to watch with an audience.

The opening night film on May 9th will be BODY AND SOUL (1947) starring John Garfield, directed by Robert Rossen. The night's special guest will be Jim Beaver. A reception follows the screening.

Saturday's line up icks off with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in THE SCARLET CLAW (1944), directed by Roy William Neill.

It's followed by Anthony Mann's BORDER INCIDENT (1949), filmed by John Alton, and a personal favorite, Mitchell Leisen's NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950).

Luis Reyes will be the special guest at BORDER INCIDENT, which stars George Murphy and Ricardo Montalban. Barbara Stanwyck and John Lund star in NO MAN OF HER OWN.

Friday evening concludes with Rod Steiger starring in the British film ACROSS THE BRIDGE (1957), directed by Ken Annakin.

Saturday starts off with Andre De Toth's CRIME WAVE (1954), which has fantastic location shooting in the Greater Los Angeles area. Sterling Hayden and Gene Nelson star. Hayden is great fun as a grumpy cop, and I thought Nelson, best known as a dancer, was a revelation as an ex-con.

Next up are DEAD RECKONING (1946), starring Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott, directed by John Cromwell, and WOMAN IN HIDING (1950) with a wonderful cast of Ida Lupino, Howard Duff, Stephen McNally and Peggy Dow. WOMAN IN HIDING was directed by Michael Gordon.

Saturday evening closes with the wonderful "snowy Western" DAY OF THE OUTLAW (1959), starring Robert Ryan and Burl Ives, directed by Andre De Toth. Michael McGreevey, who appeared in the film as a child, is that night's special guest.

Sunday morning kicks off with a Humphrey Bogart film I don't know at all, THE ENFORCER (1951), directed by Bretaigne Windust and the uncredited Raoul Walsh.

It's followed by the fun "B" mystery ESCAPE IN THE FOG (1945), directed by Budd Boetticher, with Nina Foch in the lead. Kirk Ellis will be the guest at this screening.

The festival concludes in fine style with one of Alfred HItchcock's most beloved films, SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943), starring Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten.

For additional details on the films, schedule, and more, please visit the festival's newly updated website.

I hope to see some of my readers in the desert this May!

For a look at past Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival coverage, please visit these links: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

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