Événement

NOIR CITY 17: 1951: THE WELL / DETECTIVE STORY

Saturday, January 26: 1951

1:30
THE WELL
(1951, United Artists. 86 min.)

Scr. Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene. Dir. Russell Rouse

The disappearance of a young black girl triggers fearful unrest in a small, racially mixed American town. After police arrest a white transient with no alibi, rumors and suspicion threaten to erupt in a full-blown race riot. This provocative film, shot on a minuscule budget in the Northern California towns of Marysville and Yuba City, is a marvel of suspenseful filmmaking, and packs a punch for modern audiences who thought these lessons were learned long ago. Oscar nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Editing, with stunning work in the final reel by cinematographer Ernest Laszlo. A rarity that is still terrifying and timely. Presented digitally
Cast: Gwendolyn Laster (Carolyn Crawford), Richard Rober (Ben Kellog), Maidie Norman (Martha Crawford), Harry Morgan (Claude Packard), Barry Kelley (Sam Packard)

3:15
DETECTIVE STORY
(1951, Paramount. 103 min.)

Scr. Philip Yordan and Robert Wyler, from the play by Sidney Kingsley. Pro. & Dir. William Wyler

The squad room of the 21st Precinct becomes the setting for a passion play centered around hard-nosed, merciless cop Jim McLeod (Kirk Douglas), whose vehement views of right and wrong are tested during a long, relentless shift. Amid the chaos of crimes both petty and profound, dark secrets are revealed that bring McLeod's moral absolutism crashing down around him. Douglas is his usual volatile self, but the Oscar nods went to Eleanor Parker as his wife, Lee Grant in her sensational movie debut as a collared kleptomaniac, Phil Yordan's adapted screenplay, and William Wyler's typically impeccable direction. Presented in DCP courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Cast: Kirk Douglas (Det. Jim McLeod), Eleanor Parker (Mary McLeod), William Bendix (Det. Lou Brody), Cathy O'Donnell (Susan Carmichael), George Macready (Kurt Schneider), Joseph Wiseman (Charlie Gennini), Lee Grant (shoplifter)