Podtalk: Eddie Muller for ‘Noir City Chicago,’ Sept. 6-12, 2024

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CHICAGO – The Czar of Noir is coming to town, bringing his “Noir City Chicago” back to the Music Box Theatre, September 6-12, 2024. Eddie Muller, the host of Turner Classic Movies “Noir Alley,” will host the first weekend of the series, entitled “Darkness Has No Borders.” For more information, full schedule and tickets, click NOIR CITY.

“Noir City: Chicago” is a week-long 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 … and will be hosted by Muller from Friday to Sunday, and Film Noir Foundation’s Alan K. Rode the rest of the way. In “Darkness Has No Borders” an international noir film will be paired with its more familiar American and British counterparts, for a unique perspective on the larceny of the soul … in any language.

For the kickoff night on September 6th, Muller will begin with the classic “The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) in a 35mm print, followed by the first film version of that iconic story made in Italy by director Luchino Visconti, “Obsessione.” (1943). As a bonus, the Music Box Theatre will premier its new and modern seating in the main theater, complete with … wait for it … cup holders. The rest of the films and schedule can be accessed by clicking the link above.

Hosted by Eddie Muller (inset), September 6-8, 2024
Photo credit: MusicBoxTheatre.com

Eddie Muller is the recognized world expert on film noir, famously nicknamed the “Czar of Noir” by James Ellroy, author of “L.A. Confidential.” His father, also named Eddie Muller, was a renown sports writer for the San Francisco Examiner, covering the golden age and the underbelly in the boxing world. Eddie the Second followed in his father’s footsteps, beginning his career as a journalist, and eventually writing a novel about boxing and San Francisco. 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 film books like “Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir.” Besides programming the traveling Noir City film screenings for the past several years, he is host on Turner Classic Movies Noir Alley, every Saturday at Midnight and repeated Sunday morning. He is also the founder of the Film Noir Foundation, dedicated to education and restoration of the genre. His latest theme-based book is “Noir Bar,” which recommends classic cocktail pairings and recipes with 50 Noir film legends.

In Part One of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, TCM Host Eddie Muller of “Noir City: Chicago” gives a preview of the event …

In Part Two, the Film Noir Foundation and which classic American movie studio embraced Noir …

Part Three, the state of Turner Classic Movies and Eddie’s beloved San Francisco …

In the video clip, Pat and Eddie’s rhapsody to TCM …

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Critic/Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com