Noir City DC 2026 - Week 2

Noir City DC 2026

Week 2

The theme of this year's edition of Noir City DC was Face the Music! musicians and noir. Twelve films were shown during the second week. I made it to 11 of them. The only one I skipped was Thunder Road (1958) which I saw in 2008. The first five movies I saw were introduced by Foster Hirsch. The rest were without introduction.

Friday

• Young Man with a Horn (1950)
• King Creole (1958)

Saturday

• Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
• The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

Sunday

• Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)

Monday

• Yellow Canary (1963)
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Tuesday

• Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

Wednesday

• Round Midnight (1986)
• The Long Goodbye (1973)

Thursday

• Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

I'm not sure about the theme this year. There was some great music in these movies but I think I would prefer that they stick to film noir for the most part at Noir City DC. There were just too many movies that didn't really fit into the noir category even though some (but not all) of them were really good films.

By my count there were just three films in the second week of this year's edition of Noir City that I classify as film noir: King Creole (1958), The Long Goodbye (1973), and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).

My favorites from the second week are Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and Round Midnight (1986).

I bought a festival pass this year and saw 19 of the 23 movies shown in the theater. I would like to do something similar next year but I will have to wait and see what the lineup is in 2027 before deciding one way or another. 

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)

starring Robert Ryan, Harry Belafonte, Ed Begley

written by Nelson Gidding, Abraham Polonsky

directed by Robert Wise

96 minutes

Former police officer David Birke (Ed Begley) hires Earl Slater (Robert Ryan) and Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte). to help him rob a bank in a small town. It takes some work to get the two men to sign on to do the job. Earl and Johnny do not get along with one another. Earl's racist attitude and manner of speaking has a lot to do with that. The heist happens but it does not go off without a hitch.  

A Man on the Inside 2.04

Spirit Week

Charles and Julie continue their investigation. Charles gets glitter-bombed several times during spirit week for not knowing the answer to the riddle. He eventually figures it out. He starts to wonder if Claire Chung, his research assistant, might be the culprit. Julie questions several professors trying to determine if they are the culprit or know who it is.

Thoughts

I checked IMDb and this is the second of two episodes of this show in which Claire appeared.

Emily appeared briefly in this episode but the rest of her family did not.

This was another fun episode. I'm halfway through the season now.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

The Long Goodbye (1973)

starring Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden

written by Leigh Brackett

directed by Robert Altman

112 minutes

Private investigator Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) works more than one investigation as he struggles to avoid bodily injury, figure out what happened to his friend Terry Lennox, and find out what the different cases have to do with one another.

Thoughts

I saw this movie as part of the 2026 Noir City DC film festival at the AFI Silver Theater. I had not seen it before. It is very much noir. 

Round Midnight (1986)

Round Midnight (1986)

starring Dexter Gordon, François Cluzet

written by David Rayfiel, Bertrand Tavernier

directed by Bertrand Tavernier

131 minutes

Jazz saxophonist Dale Turner (Dexter Gordon) moves Paris in 1959 and spends some time playing there with other American jazz musicians in a club called the Blue Note. He is befriended by Francis Borler (François Cluzet), a fan of jazz music who is raising his daughter by himself since his wife up and left.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1.32

The Baby Sitter

starring Thema Ritter

written by Sarett Tobias

directed by Robert Stevens

Everyone wants to talk to baby sitter Lottie Slocum (Thelma Ritter). Lottie babysat for Mr. and Mrs. Nash the night before Clara Nash was murdered. Everyone wants to know what Lottie knows but she can't seem to put the pieces together from the night before.

She talks to a police detective, her daughter Janie, her neighbor Blanche, and Clara's boyfriend (Mr. DeMario) but can't seem to remember anything that seems like a clue. She writes Mr. Nash a letter (explaining what she remembers) hoping that it will help. Mr. Nash comes over to see Lottie but it isn't to talk about the murder.

Love Me or Leave me (1955)

Love Me or Leave me (1955)

starring Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell

written by Daniel Fuchs, Isobel Lennart

directed by Charles Vidor

122 minutes

Laundry magnate Martin Snyder (James Cagney) takes an instant shine to singer and dancer Ruth Etting (Doris Day) when he meets her one night. He is interested in her romantically but he does not appeal to her. She is more interested in piano player and composer Johnny Alderman (Cameron Mitchell) but she chooses instead to stay with Martin as he helps to become a professional singer.