Yes,
ladies and gentleman, the time has come for another one of San
Francisco’s famous film festivals. It is being
held at one of the most historic movie theaters on San Francisco, which is the oldest
continuously operating movie theater in San Francisco, the Roxie opened
its doors as the C. H. Brown Theater in 1909, and was owned and
operated as the Poppy Theater from 1912 to 1916 by Philip H. Doll, a
local jeweler and watchmaker.
Now that I have sold you on the venue let me tell you abut the festival.
THE
BEST OF COLUMBIA NOIR: Twenty-two Gems from the Vaults of Columbia
Pictures. All shows in beautiful 35mm archival prints. Each double
feature is just $11 for hours of Death, Drinking, and Dames.
The festival runs from Thursday September 17th to Wednesday September 30th.
There are a few highlights:
On Saturday September 19th
KNOCK ON ANY DOOR Within
a few short years of making this, his second feature, Nicholas Ray would establish himself as a cinematic master with films like “On
Dangerous Ground,” and “Rebel without a Cause.” This one lands
him squarely in noir territory: Humphrey Bogart plays a cynical
criminal lawyer hired to defend a young punk in a cop killing. As the
punk, young John Derek gave birth to the line "Live fast, die young and
leave a good looking corpse." Also in the cast are George Macready and
Allene Roberts. Directed by Nicholas Ray. 100 mins. B&W. 35mm
studio archive print. 1949. Shows at 4:10 and 8:00
Paired with CONVICTED in
which Glenn Ford stars as a man wrongfully accused of manslaughter
after a barroom brawl leaves another man dead. The sympathetic DA who
helped send him to prison does all he can to lighten the sentence but
to no avail. Life behind bars embitters the young con and when the
opportunity to join a violent, bloody break presents itself, he seizes
the moment! An exciting noir drama, ripe for rediscovery! Also starring
Broderick Crawford, Millard Mitchell, Dorothy Malone. Photographed by
Burnett Guffey. Directed by Henry Levin. 91 mins. B&W. 35mm studio
archive print. 1950. Shows at 2:20, 6:15 and 9:55.
The final days Tuesday and Wednesday the 29th & 30th there is double Vince Edwards action in.
MURDER BY CONTRACT in which Vince
Edwards is chillingly real as a pitiless hired assassin who has second
thoughts when his latest assignment is revealed to be a woman. An
idiosyncratic study of a man without a soul—rendered in a baffling, near-abstract beat style. The director only made two features (see
below) before drifting into television and finally relative obscurity.
Also featuring Herschel Bernardi, Caprice Toriel and Philip Pine.
Directed by Irving Lerner. 81 mins. 35mm studio archive print. 1958.
Shows at 6:20 and 9:40
And CITY OF FEAR Back
again is this amazing nuclear noir also starring Vince 
Edwards—this
time as a desperate escaped con with a parcel of stolen “radioactive
material” thinking it's actually heroin! How many junkies will be
infected by this bum stash before he’s taken down?! A wild and uninhibited noir curio from the tail end of the cycle. Also starring
John Archer, Lyle Talbot and Steven Ritch. Directed by Irving Lerner.
81 mins. B&W. 35mm studio archive print. 1959. Shows at 8:00 ONLY!
Be
sure to check out these and all of the films at this fantastic
festival. For more information check out the website:
http://www.roxie.com/events/
Or head over to the Roxy Theatre @ 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA.
