Noir City – Whimsically Classic

It’s been a while since I posted. I apologize for missing the last blogathons–I’ve been so busy this summer. Between being busy, going to the beach with my husband for our anniversary, birthdays, and everything else, it’s been hard. With autumn here, and (hopefully) the rainy Oregon weather coming back, I can be more diligent about posting. Over Halloween weekend, my husband and I will be traveling down to Southern Oregon to stay at the historic Wolf Creek Inn where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stayed back in the late 1930s. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do an article about it after my trip.

Another thing that I did this summer was attend the Film Noir Foundation’s annual Noir City event at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, OR. This is the third year in a row that we’ve attended, and the third year that we’ve had VIP passes. TCM host and Film Noir Foundation president, Eddie Muller, was also in attendance all weekend to talk to the attendees and introduce the films. This year’s theme was “Face the Music,” which meant that every one of the seven films screened featured either a musician or a nightclub. This year, my husband and I attended Noir City with our BFFs and my parents.

Noir City started on Friday night. First my husband, friends and I attended the VIP party at the Bar Hollywood (next door to the theater), and then moved next door to the theater to watch our first film, Black Angel (1946) starring Dan Duryea and Peter Lorre. This was an interesting film, one that I’d seen once before. However, towards the end of the film, I had to go to the bathroom so badly and actually had to leave the theater during the film, because I couldn’t take it anymore. Turns out there is a drawback to free drinks at the VIP party–an insanely and uncomfortably full bladder. I typically do not leave the theater once the film starts. The next film that evening was The Man I Love (1946) with my queen, Ida Lupino, and Robert Alda. This is a film that I’d just seen for the first time a couple years ago. I really enjoy this film which features Ida as a torch singer with the odd name of “Petey.”

Saturday was the second and longest day of the festival. This was also the day when 2/3 films featured were new to me titles. The day opened with a “Conversation with Eddie Muller” event with the Hollywood Theatre Director of Education & Special Projects, Ted Hurliman, who was previously acquainted with Eddie Muller prior to the revival of Noir City Portland in 2024. They had tried to do Noir City previously back in 2008, and it bombed. In 2024 they tried Noir City Portland again and it’s sold out three years in a row–yay! After the conversation, there was a book signing. I have all of Eddie’s books, so instead of the book signing my parents, husband, and I went a few doors down to Sizzle Pie pizza for lunch. My friends opted out of the conversation event and went to OMSI to see the traveling Titanic exhibit. I highly recommend that exhibit to anyone who will be visiting Portland before October 18.

Saturday’s afternoon slate of films started with a new-to-me film, A Man Called Adam (1966) starring Sammy Davis Jr, Cecily Tyson, and Louis Armstrong. In this film, Sammy plays the titular Adam, a musician who is self destructing. As someone who was in band from 5th-12th grade, I want to make it clear that while the film refers to Adam as a trumpet player, he’s actually playing a cornet. After ‘Adam,’ it was time for the film of the day that I had seen before, To Have and Have Not (1944), starring Bogie and Bacall. When I saw this film on the schedule, I thought it was featured maybe for Bacall’s character who sings in the film. During his introduction, Eddie clarified that while this film may not be a noir per se, it had enough elements of noir that it works and that he wanted to show something featuring Hoagy Carmichael. Eddie stated that he considered Carmichael to be one of America’s greatest musicians and songwriters.

Saturday ended with the premiere of the Film Noir Foundation’s recent restoration of The Yellow Canary (1963) a film noir featuring Barbara Eden (!) and Pat Boone. Yes. That Pat Boone. Boone plays a singer whose child is kidnapped and he takes it upon himself to investigate and find his kid. This wasn’t the greatest film, but it was a lot of fun. It felt like a long episode of Get Smart without the gadgets. TCM recently re-aired The Yellow Canary on Noir Alley and I’m so mad my recording didn’t take. I’m hoping that this film will be released on Flicker Alley (who typically distributes The Film Noir Foundation’s new restorations) in the near future.

Sunday was the final day of Noir City and started with The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) starring Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, and Eleanor Parker. This movie features a very atypical Sinatra role and shows that he was a good actor. Kim Novak is also very good and Eleanor Parker is a little over the top but it works for this film. Finally, the day closed out with probably the biggest film of the festival, Sweet Smell of Success (1957) starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. I love journalism movies. This movie also has an amazing score and cinematography. I couldn’t help but notice though that Elmer Bernstein’s score for both ‘Man’ and ‘Sweet’ were VERY similar. That doesn’t matter though because both scores are excellent.

Noir City is such a fun event and reasonably priced, especially if you’re like me and don’t have to rent a car or hotel room to attend. I do have to drive ~45 minutes across town one way three days in a row, but that’s worth not spending hundreds of dollars to stay in a hotel. Eddie Muller is so much fun to talk to and he makes the effort to talk to everyone who approaches him in the lobby and at the VIP party (if you can get in). I highly recommend it.

Noir City: Portland 2024

A couple weeks ago, July 19 through 21st, my husband Jimmy and I were fortunate to get to attend the Film Noir Foundation’s Noir City festival in Portland, OR. The festival was held at the gorgeous 1926 Hollywood Theatre in Portland. Film Noir Foundation founder and president, as well as TCM host, Eddie Muller, presented all three days of the festival. Jimmy and I were lucky to score a VIP pass which got us into all six of the films, plus the special conversation with Eddie Muller event, as well as two cocktail parties with Eddie in attendance.

Friday, July 19 started with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the Jade Rabbit restaurant in NE Portland–just a few minutes away from the theatre. The Jade Rabbit was a vegan dim sum restaurant and also home to the festival’s sponsor, Aimsir Distillery. Jimmy and I aren’t vegan, so we weren’t sure what to expect from the food. I’m happy to report that the food (wontons, lumpia, bao, and the siu mai) was amazing! We also had a few cocktails and they were all delicious. The food and drinks were complimentary! Jimmy and I also received copies of Eddie’s Noir Bar cocktail book. We met Eddie and he signed our books. I already have an autographed copy of the book, but I had him write one out to Jimmy and I and the other out to my parents. In addition to the cocktail book, our VIP tickets also came with a choice of one of the two souvenir Noir City Portland posters. Because Jimmy and I were both there, we just opted to get one of each.

The party ended at around 6:30ish and it was off to the Hollywood to see Noir City Portland’s opening film, Gilda (1946), one of my favorites. It was my first time seeing it on the big screen. Also, as part of our VIP experience, we were able to reserve our Gilda seats in advance. Jimmy and I selected two seats in the second to back row of the theatre. This is the best row, as it’s the only row where the seats aren’t in line with the other seats. If someone with a big head sits in front of you, you can still see! It’s a win-win. A suggestion was made after the festival to Jimmy’s and my “friend,” Ted Hurliman, Director of Education & Community Programs, at the Hollywood Theatre who helped bring Noir City to Portland: give the VIP members reserved seats for the entire festival. I wholeheartedly agree with this request.

After the conversation, we were set to watch the three films scheduled for the day: The Window (1949), No Abras Nunca Esa Puerta (Never Open That Door) (1952), and Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948). Eddie Muller stated that Saturday was the Cornell Woolrich portion of the program. My parents stayed for The Window, based on a story by Woolrich. This was a film that I’d never seen before and it was fantastic. I don’t know why I hadn’t watched it. It was even on my DVR. I think it might have been because the story was centered around a child and often child-centric films don’t do anything for me. However, Bobby Driscoll, famous for voicing Disney’s Peter Pan (1953) and appearing in Disney’s Treasure Island (1950) and Song of the South (1946) was fantastic. Sadly, Peter Pan would be the peak of Driscoll’s success. He died a very sad death in 1968 at the age of 31. ::SPOILER:: Villain Paul Stewart’s death in The Window elicited a spontaneous applause from the audience which was a lot of fun.

The Night Has a Thousand Eyes was sold-out, which I figured would happen, since the film stars Edward G. Robinson. This film was screened on nitrate at the Egyptian Theater at this year’s TCM Film Festival; but Jimmy and I didn’t attend because it was screened at the exact time as my #1 favorite film of all time, The Long, Long Trailer. Sorry Eddie G., I love you, but I am not missing my all-time favorite film. I’m happy that ‘Eyes’ was featured at Noir City, because it was a fun film to see on the big screen. No matter the role, Edward G. Robinson is always worth watching. ‘Eyes’ closed out Saturday night.

Sunday opened with The Man Who Cheated Himself. This film was okay, it starred Lee J. Cobb who I’ll admit isn’t a favorite of mine. However, it also had John Dall, who I like a lot more. This was a fine film, it reminded me of Double Indemnity. This film was rescued by the Film Noir Foundation and was released on blu ray by Flicker Alley. I actually received a copy of this film at the conclusion of the festival. However, I already owned it as I bought it some time back as a blind buy. I gave my extra copy to my parents.

The festival closed out with In a Lonely Place. It was obviously sold out, because it stars Bogart. Of course a Bogart film will sell out. I love In a Lonely Place, it was actually my second time seeing it on the big screen. I saw this film last year at Cinema 21 theater in NW Portland. This screening was sold out. Everyone loved Bogart. I also enjoy this movie because my birthday (June 22) is mentioned when the police detective is reading off Bogart’s rap sheet. This is a fact that I mentioned to Eddie at the secret post-VIP cocktail party back at Jade Rabbit that Jimmy and I attended after the festival. Despite having to pay for our food and drinks this time, this party was almost better than the pre-party. Jimmy and I talked to Eddie for a full 30 minutes at least! At one point in the conversation, Eddie mentioned liking An Affair in Trinidad, a 1952 film starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. I told him that ‘Trinidad’ features my birthday written on a letter Glenn sends to his brother (or the other way around). He finally had to excuse himself from talking to us because he “had to go talk to the other guests.” Jimmy and I concluded our party talking to our friend Ted from the Hollywood. We’ve seen him introduce dozens of films, so it was a lot of fun talking to him. I gave him a lot of suggestions of films to schedule. Lol. Ted also recommended Ride the High Country (1962) with Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott, telling us this is one of his favorite films. Jimmy and I watched it. My post on this is coming later as it’s a very late post for last week’s Western blogathon.