NOIR ESSENTIALS Returns to Williamsville, NY
Alex Weinsten will host the monthly retrospective Noir Essentials: Schemers & Loners at Dipson Theatres' Eastern Hills Cinema, March 14- July 18. Five classic noirs comprise the series that focuses on the machinations of an array of unlucky characters trying to outmaneuver fate with varying success. March 14th, 7:30PM
Gilda (Charles Vidor • 1946 • 110 minutes)
A gambler (Glenn Ford) discovers an old flame (Rita Hayworth) in South America, but she's married to his new boss (George Macready), and… um… friend—homoerotic noir at its best. If that weren’t enough, there’s Hayworth’s incredibly steamy rendition of “Put the Blame on Mame” Whoof!
April 18th, 7:30PM
Sweet Smell of Success
(Alexander Mackendrick • 1957 • 96 minutes) A desperate press agent (Tony Curtis) stoops to new depths to help an egotistical columnist (Burt Lancaster) in an emotionally repugnant, but brilliant, performance, break up his sister's romance. Suitably noirish cinematography by James Wong Howe and an acidic script by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman combine with an excellent cast to deliver a remarkable film. Dir. Alexander Mackendrick
May 16th, 7:30PM
Scarlet Street
(Fritz Lang • 1945 • 102 minutes) A henpecked cashier and weekend painter, Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson), falls for heartless tramp Kitty (Joan Bennett) whom he meets by chance. She and her pimp/boyfriend Johnny (Dan Duryea) play the sucker for everything he has. Then Chris starts to embezzle to keep his lady love happy and things go from bad to worse.
June 20th, 7:30PM
The Killing (Stanley Kubrick • 1956 • 84 minutes)
You'll think you've died and gone to hardboiled heaven. Or is it hell? Kubrick was only 28 when he unleashed this twisty and twisted masterpiece, studded with diamond-hard dialogue courtesy of pulp master Jim Thompson. Sterling Hayden arranges a clockwork racetrack robbery only to learn the hard way what happens to the best-laid plans. Kubrick proved his noir bona fides by casting genre stalwarts Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor, Coleen Gray, Ted de Corsia, Jay C. Flippen -- and unforgettable wild man Timothy Carey
July 18th, 7:30PM
Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder • 1951 • 111 minutes)
A small-town reporter (Kirk Douglas at his hammy best) milks a local disaster to get back into the big time, destroying everyone, including himself, along the way. Jan Sterling gives a tremendous performance as the trapped man’s opportunistic wife.
