he 2017 Sun Valley Film Noir Series will screen two films for this year’s film noir lovers. As an abbreviated series, which will end the Magic Lantern Cinemas Fall Film Festival, the Sun Valley Film Noir Series will feature “The Maltese Falcon” on Thursday, Oct. 5, and “Chinatown” on Thursday, Oct. 12. The film presentations will begin at 7 p.m. with Charlie Brandt, Vernon Scott and Rick Kessler offering remarks. In addition, Brandt will give an update on the Scorsese/DeNiro film, “The Irishman” based on his book “I Heard You Paint Houses.”
“In my opinion, ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and ‘Chinatown’ are two films that immediately always come to mind when thinking of this genre, especially ‘Chinatown,’” said Sun Valley Film Noir Series Founder and Director Jeannine Gregoire.
“The Maltese Falcon” premiered in 1941 and is considered the first film noir movie, written and directed by John Huston. The film was his directorial debut. Based on Dashiell Hammett’s 1929 novel of the same name, the film stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade and Mary Astor as his femme fatale client. The film also includes Gladys George, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet as co-star, with Greenstreet appearing in his film debut.
“The Maltese Falcon” follows a San Francisco private detective and his dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers, all of who are competing to obtain a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette. The film premiered on October 3, 1941, in New York City, and was nominated for three Academy Awards.
“Chinatown” is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film, directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. The film was inspired by the California Water Wars, a series of disputes over southern California water at the beginning of the 20th century, by which Los Angeles interests secured water rights in the Owens Valley. The Robert Evans production, a Paramount Pictures release, was the director’s last film in the U.S. At the 47th Academy Awards, it was nominated for 11 Oscars, with Towne winning Best Original Screenplay.
For more information on the Sun Valley Film Noir Series, e-mail Jeannine Gregoire at jeanninegregoire@gmail.com. For media inquiries, e-mail Sabina Dana Plasse at sdanap@gmail.com.