Haggai
01-30-2010, 02:13 PM
The evening began with another viewing of the Noir City trailer and The Endless Night (http://www.backalleynoir.com//showthread.php?85-Endless-Night-A-Valentine-to-Film-Noir), followed by a special presentation onstage by Eddie. The FNF decided to expand its mission to include support for creative efforts at presenting classic noir through modern techniques, with the first award going to its new namesake, Serena Bramble, who was in attendance and received a copy of the latest version of the Final Cut Pro editing software. Congrats again to Serena for a great job!
The Widmark double bill started with a rare print of one of his earliest leading roles, SLATTERY'S HURRICANE, Andre de Toth's film about a Navy pilot navigating through a deadly hurricane while trying to outrun his checkered past. Told mostly in flashback, the story details how Widmark's involvement with Veronica Lake is interrupted by the appearance of his old flame, Linda Darnell, who's now married to his Navy pal. Adding to the complications, Widmark's day job outside his military reserve duty is providing private air service to a candy manufacturer with an illicit secret...possibly a side trade in nose candy?
An interesting showcase for the lead actors, the film ably represents several complicated relationships and features convincing effects of patrol flights through hurricanes. The audience enjoyed the ride, despite a compromised ending mandated by the censors.
Next up was Sam Fuller's classic PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET, with Widmark as an ace pickpocket who finds himself enmeshed in an espionage plot involving a top-secret batch of microfilm. Jean Peters, as the unwilling dupe of the fifth columnists, scores big in her startlingly violent love scenes with Widmark, and Oscar-nominated Thelma Ritter stole the show as the sad-eyed stoolie who just wants her own small plot in a high-class cemetery when she goes. The audience applauded her first appearance and lapped up every one of her scenes. There was also a big cheer for Widmark's response to an FBI agent's plea for him to put aside his criminal code in service of chasing the Commmies: "Are you waving the flag at me?"
The Widmark double bill started with a rare print of one of his earliest leading roles, SLATTERY'S HURRICANE, Andre de Toth's film about a Navy pilot navigating through a deadly hurricane while trying to outrun his checkered past. Told mostly in flashback, the story details how Widmark's involvement with Veronica Lake is interrupted by the appearance of his old flame, Linda Darnell, who's now married to his Navy pal. Adding to the complications, Widmark's day job outside his military reserve duty is providing private air service to a candy manufacturer with an illicit secret...possibly a side trade in nose candy?
An interesting showcase for the lead actors, the film ably represents several complicated relationships and features convincing effects of patrol flights through hurricanes. The audience enjoyed the ride, despite a compromised ending mandated by the censors.
Next up was Sam Fuller's classic PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET, with Widmark as an ace pickpocket who finds himself enmeshed in an espionage plot involving a top-secret batch of microfilm. Jean Peters, as the unwilling dupe of the fifth columnists, scores big in her startlingly violent love scenes with Widmark, and Oscar-nominated Thelma Ritter stole the show as the sad-eyed stoolie who just wants her own small plot in a high-class cemetery when she goes. The audience applauded her first appearance and lapped up every one of her scenes. There was also a big cheer for Widmark's response to an FBI agent's plea for him to put aside his criminal code in service of chasing the Commmies: "Are you waving the flag at me?"