2nd Annual Wheeling Film Noir Fest

Film noir is revolutionary. The cinematic style permeated the American psyche, leaving a permanent imprint on all genres produced today. The gritty characters in these films often inhabit a surrealistic world, and as they navigate danger and double crossers we escape into their realm and imagine how we might also evade similar perils.

Join us at the historic former Kaufman's Department Store building on May 23rd & 24th for two days of electrifying Film Noir programming.

Each of the films screened throughout the fest will be accompanied by its own guest presenter who will discuss a variety of subjects related to each film.

We'll offer a full concession stand serving a wide array of treats and drinks, available sun-up to sundown.

Each screening is $12

Info: There are few cinematic psychopaths that rival Bruno Antony. His unsettling charm slinks through the film like a well tailored serpent, destroying the lives of those unlucky enough to fall under his spell. Robert Walker’s performance of Antony is so polished, it is hard to imagine him living a lifestyle that isn’t completely deranged. In true Hitchcock fashion where all things refined tend to unravel quickly, Antony maintains his chilled composure during the mayhem he creates, and his sadism magnifies as he dismantles an unwitting group of “good” people for his amusement. WVU THEATER & FILM PROFESSOR JAY MALARCHER will be discussing Hitchcock's evolving career as a Director and elements of Strangers on a Train that seared the unmatched villainy of Bruno Antony into multiple generation's brains. It's always a delight to hear Professor Malarcher's exploration of film, and what a way to start a Saturday morning!

Info: New York City scribe, Don Birnam (Ray Milland), has a thirst for rye whiskey that derails his weekend vacation and ultimately threatens his entire existence. As he grapples his demons with a stark city skyline as his backdrop, Birnam stumbles into an illusionary world chock-full of fear.

Billy Wilder’s examination of an unrestrained alcoholic is one of the grittiest portrayals of addiction ever conjured. An intriguing detour from Wilder’s well established reputation as a comedic director, he drags us through the seedy pawn shops, taverns, and alleyways alongside a tormented soul, but manages to present us a glimmer of hope by the end.

Info: When marksman Bart Tare (John Dall) meets sharpshooter Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins) in a carnival tent, their combined lifelong obsession with guns spawns a cross country robbery spree when their money runs dry. Based on the original story Deadly is the Female by the prolific crime writer, MacKinlay Kantor, this postwar portrayal of boy meets girl devolves into a calvacade of crime.

Info: Wrongfully accused of kidnapping a child in a small town he is traveling through, Joe Wilson (Spencer Tracy) becomes public enemy number one to a rabid mob of townsfolk hellbent on revenge. At the mercy of an ornery sheriff, his lackey deputy, and provincial gossip, Wilson fights to clear his name from a J*il cell with help from his loyal lady, Katherine Grant (Sylvia Sydney), who comes face to face with belligerent locals with torches in hand. WILL ASHTON is a freelance film and entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His byline can be found in a variety of print and online publications, including Slate, Slant Magazine, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Pittsburgh City Paper, The Playlist, Indiewire, Insider, CinemaBlend, and more. He also co-hosts the film review podcast, Thank God for Movies, alongside Jon Negroni. He also frequently works at the Harris Theater in downtown Pittsburgh, and he'll chat about whatever movie strikes your fancy.

Info: Marilyn Monroe’s depiction of a double-crossing temptress on vacation at Niagara Falls with her distraught and reclusive mate, George Loomis (Joseph Cotten), was a major departure from her typecast as a ditzy comedic blonde. Niagara displays the true range Monroe possessed. Her role as Rose Loomis allowed the actress to inhabit a deeply complex character navigating her life as a woman married to a veteran with PTSD. Her character longs for a life free from instability and constraint, and she takes dramatic steps to escape her confinement. WVU COSTUME DESIGN PROFESSOR, MARY MCCLUNG, will share her extensive experience in the world of theater and film costuming to breakdown the artfully intentional wardrobe and costume design in Niagara. As our only Noir in color, the three-strip Technicolor technique used in filming allowed the jaw dropping wardrobe to practically leap off of the screen. This is a marvelous slot for fans of Marilyn, crime, color theory, and waterfalls (quite a mix!)

Info: In the slums of NYC a convergence of generational culture and class is observed through the eyes of the borough’s street kids. This wayward gang spends most of their time at the edge of the river committing crimes and antagonizing the new neighbors, a filthy rich family in a waterfront palace. It isn’t until “Baby Face” Martin revisits his old stomping grounds that long standing rivalries boil over. FILM & MUSIC HISTORIAN KIRBY PRINGLE, PHD will talk about Dead End. By 1937, Humphrey Bogart worked as a star player under contract at Warner Brothers firmly typecast as a gangster or tough guy, but it is the Dead End Kids gang who steal the show in this picture. In another life Kirby was a punk rocker who squatted in the gritty Alphabet City neighborhood in New York in the 1980s, and he will talk about what may be the main subject of the film: gentrification and class tension during the Great Depression. He will also give insight into the representations of Italians in early Hollywood.

Info: Kurosawa’s analysis of a kidnapping ransom in the heart of Midcentury Japan is a flawless portrayal of the intricate nature of a criminal investigation, from the dispatching of detectives to the tailing of the suspect. Prestigious executive Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune) is about to embark on a business deal meant to generate a fortune when he is dragged into a ransom scheme designed by an unrepentant enemy leaving few clues behind. As investigators weave through the city and piece together elements of the crime, an underlying tension is detected as the disparity within the class system becomes more pronounced. High and Low is lesser known example of Akira Kurosawa’s unparalleled filmmaking techniques. From Huntington, WV, the incredible MARSHALL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH & FILM, IAN NOLTE, will deliver a fascinating history on kidnapping and social perceptions in Midcentury Japan, and its influence on the legendary Akira Kurosawa.

Info: Blood Simple is the first feature produced by the Coen Brothers with an indie budget in central Texas. This pulp crime western noir perfectly encapsulates the laborious and foolhardy nature of violent crime. When hot-headed bar owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) gets suspicious of his wife Abby’s (Frances McDormand) daily whereabouts, he enlists the help of seedy private detective (M. Emmet Walsh) to trail her. While Marty understands the strange man he has hired is thoroughly unscrupulous, he underestimates just how dastardly the detective with become to achieve his own ends.

Info: A rare discussion about the correspondence that helped propel the Hollywood movie industry. Without these letters and forms shared between industry professionals, aspiring actors, and film suppliers and manufacturers, projects would not have been produced. Film + Music Historian, Kirby Pringle, shares his personal collection of extraordinary missives and delves into their relatively unknown significance.

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