19th Annual Noir City Film Festival Opens in Hollywood March 24th

The 19th Annual Noir City Hollywood festival opens at the Egyptian Theatre next Friday evening, March 24th.

The festival will follow last year's format, taking place over ten consecutive days, concluding on April 2nd.

Last year I was able to attend eight of the festival's ten evenings, including three films on the final night; my hope, unless I need a night off from wading through freeway traffic, is to be at all ten screenings this year! As always, I'll be reporting here on each of the films seen.

I find this year's festival format particularly interesting, pairing an "A" and a "B" film each evening. The schedule is a great mix of old favorites and little-seen rareties. Click any hyperlinked title below for the corresponding review of those films I've seen in the past.

We already have tickets for Opening Night, which features Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake in THIS GUN FOR HIRE (1942), paired with George Sanders and Gail Patrick in QUIET PLEASE - MURDER (1942).

We saw THIS GUN FOR HIRE at a tribute to Alan Ladd at the festival five years ago but are more than happy to see it again! I've only seen the rather odd QUIET PLEASE - MURDER once and am curious to see it on a big screen.

March 25th features a favorite I've never seen on a big screen, MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944), starring Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, and Dan Duryea. It's paired with ADDRESS UNKNOWN (1944) starring Paul Lukas.

I'm quite thrilled about the schedule on March 26th, when I'll have the chance to see a Deanna Durbin film in a theater for the very first time -- and it's one of my favorites, LADY ON A TRAIN (1945), costarring Ralph Bellamy, Dan Duryea, and many more fun faces. It's paired with Nina Foch in ESCAPE IN THE FOG (1945), directed by Budd Boetticher.

On March 27th the evening kicks off with THE DARK CORNER (1946), starring Mark Stevens and Lucille Ball. It will be shown with BEHIND GREEN LIGHTS (1946), starring William Gargan and Carole Landis.

The rarely seen Alan Ladd-Gail Russell film CALCUTTA (1947) is on the schedule on March 28th. It's shown with BACKLASH (1947) starring Jean Rogers and Richard Travis.

I'm especially looking forward to Wednesday, March 29th and THE ACCUSED (1948), starring Loretta Young and Robert Cummings. It's a Young film I haven't seen yet! It's being screened with THE HUNTED (1948), which I fell in love with at the festival half a dozen years ago. Preston Foster and Belita star. I'm so excited to have another chance to see that one at the Egyptian!

On March 30th there's even more Alan Ladd! He stars in CHICAGO DEADLINE (1949). It's being shown with I WAS A SHOPLIFTER (1950), which has a fantastic cast including Scott Brady, Andrea King, Charles McGraw, Tony Curtis, and Rock Hudson.

March 31st there's a Dana Andrews-Gene Tierney film I've not yet seen, WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950). It's showing with Evelyn Keyes in THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK (1950).

THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950) will be shown on April 1st, starring Lee J. Cobb and Jane Wyatt. It's on a double bill along with Jeff Chandler in IRON MAN (1951), costarring Stephen McNally, Evelyn Keyes, and Rock Hudson.

The festival closes on April 2nd with a noir classic I've never seen, THE BIG HEAT (1953), starring Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. It's paired with WICKED WOMAN (1953) starring Richard Egan and Beverly Michaels.

With the exceptions of CALCUTTA, WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, and THE BIG HEAT, which will be shown via DCP, all films in the festival will be screened in 35mm prints; some of the prints are brand-new. A number of the films being shown have never been released on DVD.

As a postscript, the TCM Classic Film Festival will be opening on April 6th, just a few days after the completion of the Noir City festival. I'm happy to announce that I will again be covering TCMFF as credentialed media. Some key new announcements about that festival were made yesterday, with the complete schedule anticipated to be released in the next few days. I'll have much more information on that festival soon after the schedule is published!

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).

Update: A Visit to the 19th Annual Noir City Film Festival.