Programs

The Cold War and the fear that miscalculation could send it nuclear and the ensuing McCarthyism is the back drop for these Noir films. The peace that was promised at the conclusion of WWII has not fully materialized though nations of the West continue to rebuild from the war’s devastation. To most American lives, there is still a sense of anxiety; nothing has changed.

Series 5 (1949 – 1950)

Fri., July 11- White Heat
In “White Heat,” 1949, James Cagney returns to role he embodied in the 30’s, now in the character of Arthur "Cody" Jarrett a ruthless, psychotic criminal and leader of the Jarrett gang. Although married to Verna (Virginia Mayo), he is overly attached to his equally crooked and determined mother, "Ma" Jarrett ( Margaret Wycherly).The gang robs a mail trail and kills four railroad worker in the process.

Fri., July 25- Where the Sidewalk Ends
The film “Where the Sidewalk Ends” ventures into the local police stations now “lousy with disgruntled detectives, embittered that their decision to patrol the straight and narrow earned them less than a hundred buck a week, paltry benefits, and a calloused heart”. In this rendition, Dana Andrews (Laura, 1944) plays an embitter cop who out of his enmity for a gangster, pins the unjustified death of a suspect on the gangster he beat to death.

Fri., August 8- In a Lonely Place
In “In a Lonely Place”, the hidden effects of war surface in the behavior of Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart), a fix-it script writer. His drinking and explosive temper expose him to suspicion for the murder of a young coat check girl assistant and destroys a promising relationship with an aspiring actress, Laura Gray (Gloria Grahame).

Fri., August 22- Gun Crazy
A Brit, Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummings) a woman with a fixation on firearms, is hired by the carnival to put on sharpshooter act that overshadows Stan Carlisle geek act performance. Bart Tare is mesmerized by Starr, who like himself is “Gun Crazy.” Shooting is a thrill… more so if people are the targets.