Podtalk: Eddie Muller of ‘Noir City,’ at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre from Aug. 17-23, 2018

CHICAGO – It’s always darkest before the dawn, and an entire genre of film is available to remind us of that chilling thought. The historic Music Box Theatre presents “Noir City” – August 17th-23rd, 2018 – an annual celebration of “film noir,” the dark category of film drama that usually takes place at night, and features a rogues gallery of dames, gumshoes, coppers and crooks. Hosting for the 10th straight year is Eddie Muller, a recognized world expert on noir and also the host of Turner Classic Movie’s (TCM) “Noir Alley.” For more information, including tickets, click here. [28]

“Noir City” is a week long program of screenings, hosted by Muller from Friday (August 17th) through Sunday, and Film Noir Foundation’s Alan K. Rode the rest of the way. On the kickoff night, Muller will be screening a double feature of neo-noir director Carl Franklin, with “Devil in a Blue Dress” and “One False Move.” Franklin will make an appearance on behalf of the films. Throughout the rest of the festival, Noir City will unspool “A” and “B” movie double features, a noir classic paired with a lesser-known companion from the same film year.

At the Music Box Theatre, Hosted by Eddie Muller (inset)
Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com/Craig Merrill for EddieMuller.com

Eddie Muller is the recognized world expert on film noir, nicknamed the “Czar of Noir” by James McEllroy, author of “L.A. Confidential.” His father, also named Eddie Muller, was a renown sports writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, covering the golden age of the underbelly in the boxing world. Eddie the Second followed in his father’s footsteps, beginning his career as a journalist. While plying that trade, he attended film school in the late 1970s, garnering a finalist nod for a student Academy Award in 1979 for “Bay City Blues,” his homage to literary noir-ist Raymond Chandler.

From there, he delved into the noir world in both film and design, and has written novels and film books like “Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir.” Besides programming the traveling Noir City film screenings for the past ten years, he is host on Turner Classic Movies Noir Alley, every Sunday morning. He also co-wrote the Hollywood biography “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” and was friends with the actor until his passing last month.

In PART ONE of the Podtalk, the Czar of Noir Eddie Muller talks with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com about the upcoming Noir City screenings, the Production Code and the best noir cinematographer.

In PART TWO, Muller remembers Tab Hunter and programs his dream double feature, designed to introduce a new audience to the world of film noir.

[30]	By PATRICK McDONALD [31] Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com [30]