Événement

NOIR CITY 17: 1952: THE TURNING POINT / ANGEL FACE

Saturday, January 26: 1952

7:30
THE TURNING POINT
(1952, Paramount. 85 min.)

Scr. Warren Duff, from a story by Horace McCoy. Dir. William Dieterle

In the early 1950s, America's obsession with organized crime was whetted by televised Congressional hearings, and Hollywood cashed in with a slew of "expose" films. Paramount took the high road with this star-studded thriller about crusading attorney John Conroy (Edmond O'Brien), who returns to his hometown to root out corruption. Will his childhood pal Jerry McKibbon (William Holden), now a cynical reporter, be an ally or an adversary? And why does Conroy's father (Ed Begley), a veteran cop, not want to spearhead a criminal investigation? A rarity returned to circulation that, sadly, is timely once again. With a knockout finish that takes audiences completely by surprise. Presented in DCP courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Cast: William Holden (Jerry McKibbon), Edmond O'Brien (John Conroy), Alexis Smith (Amanda Waycross), Ed Begley (Neil Eichelberger), Tom Tully (Matt Conroy)

9:15
ANGEL FACE
(1953, RKO Radio Pictures [WB]. 91 min.)

Scr. Frank Nugent and Oscar Millard, from a story by Chester Erskine. Dir. Otto Preminger

Ambulance driver Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) responds to an emergency at a hilltop mansion and meets heiress princess Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons)--who has an Electra-fying secret. Frank and Diane's affair takes a dark turn once her parents unexpectedly drop out of the picture. The simple, doom-laden plot is directed with panache by Preminger, who gets wonderful performances from Simmons and Mitchum, both of whom hated his guts. A nasty, vengeful production by RKO boss Howard Hughes, but so elegant and artful it transcends its pulpy, derivative roots. With a haunting score by the great Dimitri Tiomkin, Angel Face features one of noir's most stunning finales. Presented in 35mm courtesy of Warner Bros.
Cast: Robert Mitchum (Frank Jessup), Jean Simmons (Diane Tremayne), Mona Freeman (Mary Wilton), Herbert Marshall (Charles Tremayne), Leon Ames (Fred Barrett), Barbara O'Neil (Catherine Tremayne), Kenneth Tobey (Bill Crompton), Jim Backus (DA Judson)