TV NOIR at the ROXIE!! July 18-20
Posted: June 21st, 2011, 8:30 pm
Next month my good friend Johnny Legend and I will be presenting TV NOIR at the Roxie in San Francisco—a three-night fest of dark and forgotten nuggets of noir! Fourteen amazing individual programs—originally produced for the small screen—now presented for the first time on the BIG SCREEN!
Monday, July 18:
Program 1:
An amazing group of TV NOIR rarities: From 1950, DeForrest Kelly stars in “Suicide Theater,” an all-but-forgotten 5-minute gem of noir brilliance. These quickies were common in the early days of TV and very few survive! Then it’s Dennis Hopper (in his 2nd screen appearance), accused of killing the “Mama’s Boy” on this great 1955 episode from the series PUBLIC DEFENDER with Reed Hadley. From 1957, the premiere episode of the ground-breaking police woman series DECOY starring Beverly Garland! Then we have Boris Karloff in “Summer Heat,” a 1959 half-hour take on Rear Window, as a man who sees a murder that may not have taken place yet! From the unsold TV anthology series THE VEIL. Total running time: 85 mins.
Program 2:
A second sizzling trio of half-hour TV Noirs: From November 1950, “The Brush-off” from the live series SUSPENSE. Leslie Nielsen (!) and George (“Superman”) Reeves star in a cat-and-mouse story of an actor and his possibly deadly super-agent. Directed by Robert Stevens. From January 8, 1955 we have “Dark Stranger” which was the premiere episode of the series THE STAR AND THE STORY. Edmond O’Brien and JoAnne Woodward star in the eerie tale of a mystery writer whose characters somehow materialize in real life! Directed by the enigmatic Arthur Ripley. Also from 1955: Charles Bronson stars in this episode of TREASURY MEN IN ACTION as a macho mega-criminal running drugs, killing cops, and torturing his hapless ex-wife! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!
Tuesday, July 19:
Program 1:
From the hour-long dramatic anthology series, Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION, “Voice in the Night,” directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Coburn, Patrick Macnee, and Barbara Rush. Disturbing tale of terror about shipwreck survivors struggling to escape a deadly fungus! Original airdate: March 21, 1958. PLUS! From the weekly half-hour dramatic series THE DUPONT SHOW comes “Silent Panic,” starring the legendary Harpo Marx in a rare dramatic role (it was also his last screen appearance) as a deaf mute who witnesses the aftermath of a murder! Original airdate: December 22, 1960.
Program 2:
Another staggering SUSPICION episode: Dan Duryea and Charles Bronson co-star in “Doomsday” directed by Bernard Girard. Extremely suspenseful robbery yarn with that undeniable Hitchcock twist at the end! Original airdate: December 16, 1957. PLUS! From the great 1950s series,MEDIC: the premiere episode, “White Is The Color,” also directed by Bernard Girard. The cast: series star Richard Boone and guest stars Beverly Garland and Lee Marvin! Original airdate: September 13, 1954. Total Running Time: Approx. 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!
Wednesday, July 20:
Program 1:
Leading off is “The Squeeze,” from FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE, directed by Robert Aldrich and written by Blake Edwards. Dick Powell, Richard Jaeckel, and Regis Toomey star in this genuinely noir tale of the roguish gambler Dante. Original airdate: October 1, 1953. Richard Lester directs “The Hostage,” an exciting 1957 episode from the series THE VICE. Then it’s “Close-up on Violence,” a 1959 episode of MAN WITH A CAMERA starring Charles Bronson with guest star Angie Dickenson! This great episode was directed by the legendary William Castle! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 2:
From 1951, Sidney Lumet directs “Lady on the Rock,” a hot be-bop noir set in a beatnik joint (with live music) starring Olive Deering, from the series DANGER. Kinescope from live broadcast complete with original commercials! Incredible! Next, from 1953 is “The Kiss-off,” directed by Robert Mulligan from the series SUSPENSE and stars Jack Palance in a taut crime tale. Then, director Blake Edwards serves up “Mike Hammer,” an unsold 1954 pilot starring Brian Keith! Taken from an original 35mm print! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!
The SUSPICION episodes will come in the form of 16mm prints; all other episodes shown on the highest quality digital material available. Hope to see some Bay Area Oasis dwellers at the Roxie next month! You know who you are!
Monday, July 18:
Program 1:
An amazing group of TV NOIR rarities: From 1950, DeForrest Kelly stars in “Suicide Theater,” an all-but-forgotten 5-minute gem of noir brilliance. These quickies were common in the early days of TV and very few survive! Then it’s Dennis Hopper (in his 2nd screen appearance), accused of killing the “Mama’s Boy” on this great 1955 episode from the series PUBLIC DEFENDER with Reed Hadley. From 1957, the premiere episode of the ground-breaking police woman series DECOY starring Beverly Garland! Then we have Boris Karloff in “Summer Heat,” a 1959 half-hour take on Rear Window, as a man who sees a murder that may not have taken place yet! From the unsold TV anthology series THE VEIL. Total running time: 85 mins.
Program 2:
A second sizzling trio of half-hour TV Noirs: From November 1950, “The Brush-off” from the live series SUSPENSE. Leslie Nielsen (!) and George (“Superman”) Reeves star in a cat-and-mouse story of an actor and his possibly deadly super-agent. Directed by Robert Stevens. From January 8, 1955 we have “Dark Stranger” which was the premiere episode of the series THE STAR AND THE STORY. Edmond O’Brien and JoAnne Woodward star in the eerie tale of a mystery writer whose characters somehow materialize in real life! Directed by the enigmatic Arthur Ripley. Also from 1955: Charles Bronson stars in this episode of TREASURY MEN IN ACTION as a macho mega-criminal running drugs, killing cops, and torturing his hapless ex-wife! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!
Tuesday, July 19:
Program 1:
From the hour-long dramatic anthology series, Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION, “Voice in the Night,” directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Coburn, Patrick Macnee, and Barbara Rush. Disturbing tale of terror about shipwreck survivors struggling to escape a deadly fungus! Original airdate: March 21, 1958. PLUS! From the weekly half-hour dramatic series THE DUPONT SHOW comes “Silent Panic,” starring the legendary Harpo Marx in a rare dramatic role (it was also his last screen appearance) as a deaf mute who witnesses the aftermath of a murder! Original airdate: December 22, 1960.
Program 2:
Another staggering SUSPICION episode: Dan Duryea and Charles Bronson co-star in “Doomsday” directed by Bernard Girard. Extremely suspenseful robbery yarn with that undeniable Hitchcock twist at the end! Original airdate: December 16, 1957. PLUS! From the great 1950s series,MEDIC: the premiere episode, “White Is The Color,” also directed by Bernard Girard. The cast: series star Richard Boone and guest stars Beverly Garland and Lee Marvin! Original airdate: September 13, 1954. Total Running Time: Approx. 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!
Wednesday, July 20:
Program 1:
Leading off is “The Squeeze,” from FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE, directed by Robert Aldrich and written by Blake Edwards. Dick Powell, Richard Jaeckel, and Regis Toomey star in this genuinely noir tale of the roguish gambler Dante. Original airdate: October 1, 1953. Richard Lester directs “The Hostage,” an exciting 1957 episode from the series THE VICE. Then it’s “Close-up on Violence,” a 1959 episode of MAN WITH A CAMERA starring Charles Bronson with guest star Angie Dickenson! This great episode was directed by the legendary William Castle! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 2:
From 1951, Sidney Lumet directs “Lady on the Rock,” a hot be-bop noir set in a beatnik joint (with live music) starring Olive Deering, from the series DANGER. Kinescope from live broadcast complete with original commercials! Incredible! Next, from 1953 is “The Kiss-off,” directed by Robert Mulligan from the series SUSPENSE and stars Jack Palance in a taut crime tale. Then, director Blake Edwards serves up “Mike Hammer,” an unsold 1954 pilot starring Brian Keith! Taken from an original 35mm print! Total running time: 80 mins.
Program 1 plays at 6:15 and 9:40 pm; Program 2 plays at 8:00 pm ONLY!
The SUSPICION episodes will come in the form of 16mm prints; all other episodes shown on the highest quality digital material available. Hope to see some Bay Area Oasis dwellers at the Roxie next month! You know who you are!