Hello!

Good friend Malcolm Alcala sends along a nifty little link to nine minutes of fine B&W cinematography.

12 years ago the Los Angeles County Museum of Art put on an exhibition called Under the Mexican Sky: Gabriel Figueroa — Art and Film. The most celebrated Mexican cinematographer shot scores of top Mexican classics and some of the best films by Luis Buñuel, not to mention a number of classy Hollywood pictures.

This is the exhibition’s video sampler of fine Figueroa movie images. Several appear to be from John Ford’s  The Fugitive. We’re big fans, so it certainly works for us. And nobody photographed classic ‘Spanish Eyes’ with quite the same finesse.

Noir City 2026 is coming back to Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater for two weekends in April. The exhibition has become practically a vacation destination over the years, what with the fine show put on by The American Cinematheque and the Film Noir Foundation, and hosted in-person by Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode.

The lineup this time guarantees extra entertainment — the theme is Face the Music!,  in twenty films that carry musical performances. Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan sing in  The Man I Love  and  Nora Prentiss, while Jazz performers and compositions feature big in  Anatomy of a Murder  (Duke Ellington),  All Night Long  (Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth, Tubby Hayes & Charlie Mingus),  The Sweet Smell of Success  (The Chico Hamilton Quartet),  Odds Against Tomorrow  (John Lewis), and  Pete Kelly’s Blues  (Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee).

Some of these pictures really take off on the big screen — the talent roster has some of the best directing work of Otto Preminger, Raoul Walsh and even Jack Webb.

Noir City screenings are always ideal, like an old-time communal theater experience. They will be having live music at every show, often with vocal accompaniment — 20 movies in two weekends!  I might try to attend this year!  Full information is through the American Cinematheque link:

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson