TV NOIR at the ROXIE!! July 18-20

[Dewey1960]

Next month my good friend Johnny Legend and I will be presenting TV NOIR at the Roxie in San Francisco—a three-night fest of dark and forgotten nuggets of noir! Fourteen amazing individual programs—originally produced for the small screen—now presented for the first time on the BIG SCREEN!

Monday, July 18:
Program 1:
An amazing group of TV NOIR rarities: From 1950, DeForrest Kelly stars in “Suicide Theater,” an all-but-forgotten 5-minute gem of noir brilliance. These quickies were common in the early days of TV and very few survive! Then it’s Dennis Hopper (in his 2nd screen appearance), accused of killing the “Mama’s Boy” on this great 1955 episode from the series PUBLIC DEFENDER with Reed Hadley. From 1957, the premiere episode of the ground-breaking police woman series DECOY starring Beverly Garland! Then we have Boris Karloff in “Summer Heat,” a 1959 half-hour take on Rear Window, as a man who sees a murder that may not have taken place yet! From the unsold TV anthology series THE VEIL. Total running time: 85 mins.
Program 2:
A second sizzling trio of half-hour TV Noirs: From November 1950, “The Brush-off” from the live series SUSPENSE. Leslie Nielsen (!) and George (“Superman”) Reeves star in a cat-and-mouse story of an actor and his possibly deadly super-agent. Directed by Robert Stevens. From January 8, 1955 we have “Dark Stranger” which was the premiere episode of the series THE STAR AND THE STORY. Edmond O’Brien and JoAnne Woodward star in the eerie tale of a mystery writer whose characters somehow materialize in real life! Directed by the enigmatic Arthur Ripley. Also from 1955: Charles Bronson stars in this episode of TREASURY MEN IN ACTION as a macho mega-criminal running drugs, killing cops, and torturing his hapless ex-wife! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!

Tuesday, July 19:
Program 1:
From the hour-long dramatic anthology series, Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION, “Voice in the Night,” directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Coburn, Patrick Macnee, and Barbara Rush. Disturbing tale of terror about shipwreck survivors struggling to escape a deadly fungus! Original airdate: March 21, 1958. PLUS! From the weekly half-hour dramatic series THE DUPONT SHOW comes “Silent Panic,” starring the legendary Harpo Marx in a rare dramatic role (it was also his last screen appearance) as a deaf mute who witnesses the aftermath of a murder! Original airdate: December 22, 1960.

Program 2:
Another staggering SUSPICION episode: Dan Duryea and Charles Bronson co-star in “Doomsday” directed by Bernard Girard. Extremely suspenseful robbery yarn with that undeniable Hitchcock twist at the end! Original airdate: December 16, 1957. PLUS! From the great 1950s series,MEDIC: the premiere episode, “White Is The Color,” also directed by Bernard Girard. The cast: series star Richard Boone and guest stars Beverly Garland and Lee Marvin! Original airdate: September 13, 1954. Total Running Time: Approx. 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!


Wednesday, July 20:
Program 1:
Leading off is “The Squeeze,” from FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE, directed by Robert Aldrich and written by Blake Edwards. Dick Powell, Richard Jaeckel, and Regis Toomey star in this genuinely noir tale of the roguish gambler Dante. Original airdate: October 1, 1953. Richard Lester directs “The Hostage,” an exciting 1957 episode from the series THE VICE. Then it’s “Close-up on Violence,” a 1959 episode of MAN WITH A CAMERA starring Charles Bronson with guest star Angie Dickenson! This great episode was directed by the legendary William Castle! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 2:
From 1951, Sidney Lumet directs “Lady on the Rock,” a hot be-bop noir set in a beatnik joint (with live music) starring Olive Deering, from the series DANGER. Kinescope from live broadcast complete with original commercials! Incredible! Next, from 1953 is “The Kiss-off,” directed by Robert Mulligan from the series SUSPENSE and stars Jack Palance in a taut crime tale. Then, director Blake Edwards serves up “Mike Hammer,” an unsold 1954 pilot starring Brian Keith! Taken from an original 35mm print! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!

The SUSPICION episodes will come in the form of 16mm prints; all other episodes shown on the highest quality digital material available. Hope to see some Bay Area Oasis dwellers at the Roxie next month! You know who you are!

[Lzcutter]

Elliot,

I'll round up Marco and we will be there! We'll try to bring the Countess with us as well!

[ChiO]

Man, oh, man, oh, man. What a line-up!

TV sure had some dark segments back then in and around the sitcoms, game shows and variety hours. Wish we could be there to wallow in the black & white.

[knitwit45]

dang! Is this going to be a recurring event? I would so like to be there! As ChiO says, what a line-up!!!! Or rather MAN O MAN O MAN what a line-up!

[moira finnie]

So, is there any chance that this could become the Rolling Thunder TV NOIR at the ROXIE Show? A stop in Chicago and NYC would be most welcome to some of us. Congrats, Elliot. You are on a roll (even if you don't travel).

[Dewey1960]

Moira, you've put an interesting idea into my dark little brain. If this thing takes off it'll be all your fault!

[MikeBSG]

it does sound like a good line-up. "Voice in the Night" is based on my favorite William Hope Hodgson short story. (He was a British author, killed in WWI, who was an influence on H. P. Lovecraft.) "Summer Heat" sounds like "August Heat," which is by W. F. Hervey, who wrote "The Beast With Five Fingers."

[Dewey1960]

Mike, I discovered Hodgson's weird stories when I was in high school and read quite a few of them. "Voice in the Night" was definitely one of my favorites. I didn't see this Suspicion episode when it first aired, probably not until the 80s maybe--and I was impressed by how atmospheric it was, really absorbing. I think the crowd will be happy with it!
Nancy, I'm hoping this type of programming can become a staple here at the Roxie. The good news is I have quite a lot to pick through, so tons of terrific and rare gems are in the offing. I'm now planning to do a full, solid week of TV NOIR in late September! Time to book a flight, Moe!

[knitwit45]

[Dewey1960]

[youtube][/youtube]

[RedRiver]

Amazing stuff, Dewey! I was vaguely aware of DECOY as a child. But I wouldn't remember 1957. Maybe it was in syndication a little later.

[Dewey1960]

Hi Red. DECOY truly was a ground-breaking show, packed with gritty realism. Plus it had Beverly Garland starring in it, a totally overlooked and undervalued actress. DECOY became a staple in the world of syndicated reruns throughout the 60s under the revamped title of GIRL DECOY.
Check it out right here:
[youtube][/youtube]

[Lzcutter]

Dewey,

When's the next festival!!!!!!

Marco is laid up with a terrible flu bug but hopefully by the time you return to the Roxie, he will be all recovered!

[Dewey1960]

Hey Lynn - Thanks for checking in! Next fest of any significance runs for a week beginning Friday, Sept 30 -- a big, full week of more TV NOIR!! Guaranteed to top anything that's ever been done before! I really believe that TV NOIR is the new wave of film noir programming and we've got a ton of great stuff lined up -- including (by popular demand) a reprise of the MIKE HAMMER pilot! I'll also be unveiling great TV episodes starring Lee Marvin, Ralph Meeker, Charles Bronson, Vincent Price...the list goes on and on! Very exciting! Stay tuned!

[Lzcutter]

Dewey,

That sounds great! You know how much I love Lee!

I am hoping one of these days you can get a print of The Outsider starring Darrin McGavin. It's a TV movie from 1967 that was shot on location in my City of Angels and I would love to see it on the big screen.