Dewey1960 a Guest Programmer at the Roxie in May!

[Dewey1960]

Holy cats! Last night's near sell-out crowd surprised even me! I've always known, or at least felt, that Don Siegel's tautly wound film PRIVATE HELL 36 had its fans but I wasn't really prepared for the reception it received. But then when the cast includes IDA LUPINO, HOWARD DUFF and STEVE COCHRANE, you can expect the unexpected! It's a moody treatise on greed and corruption, punctuated with the kind of kinetic violence often associated with director Siegel's work. A really fine film. The supporting co-feature, the 1955 Republic B noir, NO MAN'S WOMAN is really not much more than a showcase for the phenomenal MARIE WINDSOR, who unfortunately exits the film all too early. But the audience really enjoyed it, despite the rather threadbare nature of it. All in all an excellent night at the Roxie! By the way, please make sure to tune in to ChiO's highly entertaining thread about the series here in the Film Noir forum! Having him here in San Francisco has been an absolute delight; if you think he's brilliant and funny on-line here at the Oasis, you ought to meet him in person!

[Dewey1960]

I think it's safe to say that last night's program at the Roxie was one of the most eagerly anticipated double features of the entire series. NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL (1955) is a film that is never broadcast on TV and has never been available on any home video format. Which is fairly shocking given its incredible cast: Broderick Crawford, Richard Conte, and Anne Bancroft. On the surface it's not much more than the typical "expose" film of the period---organized crime running rampant in the Big City---but in reality it winds up being an incisive human drama filled with harshly rendered violence and flamboyantly entertaining performances. The co-feature was the Lawrence Tierney poverty row classic THE HOODLUM (1951), a gripping film of relentless emotional power. We were initially going to be screening a 16mm print of this, but at the last minute we were able to unearth a gorgeous original 35mm print! This is one grim, shocking little film---full of material that would never have passed censorial inspection had it emanated from any one of the major studios. The crowd at the Roxie certainly got their money's worth last night, and how!

[feaito]

This Noir Festival is a dream come true for Noir fans. Maybe its success will entice TCM to air these films. Congratulations Dewey!

[Moraldo Rubini]

I really need to keep up on the Oasis better. I can't believe I'm just finding this thread now. I attended a few of the screenings and had a blast. Dewey, were you the gentleman who introduced the movies? I'm so sorry I didn't tap you on the shoulder and introduce myself.

I'll be in New York City next week, so if Miss Goddess or Judith sees this and knows of any interesting movies in the Big Apple -- please let me know. I've already checked the Film Forum schedule and noted the Nicholas Ray fest. Anything else?

[Dewey1960]

Hey Moraldo - Glad you were able to make it on over to the Roxie for some of these shows (which ones did you see?) And yes, I was the "gentleman" who did the intros on the vast majority of them. You'll be able to tap me on the shoulder at the Roxie this September---they have invited me back to program another film noir series (Sept 11 - 22), this time featuring all 35mm studio vault prints from Columbia Pictures (Sony). Twenty awesome noirs, none currently available on DVD. Details to follow soon!

[Moraldo Rubini]

Hey Moraldo - Glad you were able to make it on over to the Roxie for some of these shows (which ones did you see?) And yes, I was the "gentleman" who did the intros on the vast majority of them. You'll be able to tap me on the shoulder at the Roxie this September---they have invited me back to program another film noir series (Sept 11 - 22), this time featuring all 35mm studio vault prints from Columbia Pictures (Sony). Twenty awesome noirs, none currently available on DVD. Details to follow soon!

That's great news! See you in September.

I saw Suspense, The Pretender, Private Hell 36, No Man's Woman. Suspense had none, I'm afraid; but I couldn't stop talking about The Pretender for the following few days!

By the way, I was fortunate to be able to attend a bit of NY's Film Forum Nicholas Ray Festival last week. Saw In a Lonely Place. Anytime Gloria Grahame is on the screen, I'm a happy man...

Here's to September!

[Dewey1960]

Moraldo said: I couldn't stop talking about The Pretender for the following few days!
THE PRETENDER was definitely one of the highlights of this series. Extremely clever construction combined with Albert Dekker's incomparable presence and John Alton's mesmerizing cinematography made this bizarre curio completely unforgettable!

He went on to say: By the way, I was fortunate to be able to attend a bit of NY's Film Forum Nicholas Ray Festival last week. Saw In a Lonely Place. Anytime Gloria Grahame is on the screen, I'm a happy man...
Both Nicholas Ray and Gloria Grahame will be represented in my new program in September...but not in the same film! Details to follow!