Noir City New York: My Love Affair with Film Noir Comes Full Circle

 

I finally made it to the world's premier Film Noir Festival—Noir City New York at the Paris Theater in Manhattan—and it was everything I'd hoped it would be!

 

Noir City New York is hosted by Eddie Muller—the "Czar of Noir" himself and founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation. What started in San Francisco in 2003 has grown into the country's premier film noir festival and is the centerpiece of the Film Noir Foundation's mission to preserve and celebrate these incredible films for future generations.

As soon as I realized I'd be back in New York while Noir City was happening, I said to my sister, "We've got to go!" 

Unfortunately, we caught the festival at the tail end of its run, so we only had the chance to catch one screening. I would've loved to see more because the lineup looked fantastic. Still, I was just happy to be there and finally experience Noir City for myself.

 

 

Now, to explain why this meant so much to me, I have to go back about twenty years ago.

I'd already seen quite a few film noir movies, but I didn't even realize they were called film noir at the time. Then one evening, I attended Film Forum in NYC to see Odd Man Out (1947), starring James Mason. By the time the credits rolled, I was hooked.

That was it. That's when my love affair with film noir really began. Like one of Robert Mitchum's characters, I was lured into the shadows by a femme fatale—and I've happily been trapped there ever since.

From there, I dove headfirst into the genre. I started reading everything I could get my hands on, studying the history of film noir, and watching Noir Alley with Eddie Muller on TCM every chance I got. Before long, I was teaching acting students about film noir—its history, the acting style, the atmosphere, the themes, and recommending essential noir films they needed to watch. I completely immersed myself in this fascinating, shadowy world, and my appreciation for it has only grown over the years.

So getting the chance to finally attend one of Eddie Muller's Noir City festivals felt like everything had come full circle.

 

 

 

My sister and I attended the East Coast premiere of the new 4K restoration of Out of the Past (1947), starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas.

I've seen Out of the Past several times before. I've watched Eddie's introductions on Noir Alley countless times. But seeing the film on the big screen with a theater full of fellow classic film lovers was, and remains, a completely different experience.  I say this all the time: if you love classic films, go see them with other classic film fans whenever you get the chance.

No matter how many times you've seen a movie, seeing it with an audience is a whole new experience. I always notice things I never caught before or feel something different. I saw The Blob on the big screen, and it felt completely different. I saw All About Eve in a theater and found myself tearing up for the first time. 

That's exactly what happened here.

 

Before the feature, Eddie Muller came out and introduced the film. I've seen him on television for years, but seeing him in person was such a treat. 

 

He shared stories about the making of Out of the Past, the on-screen rivalry between Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas, and his friendship with Jane Greer, one of classic film noir's quintessential femme fatales. Between all the stories, he had the audience laughing the whole time.

 

At one point, as he started walking off the stage, someone called out, "Aren't you going to stay and watch the movie?"

Without missing a beat, Eddie smiled and replied, "I've seen it over a hundred times."

Then came another unexpected treat. Many of this year's Noir City screenings were paired with Looney Tunes shorts that matched the feature, and ours was "Bugs and Thugs" from 1954. I'd never seen a Bugs Bunny cartoon in a movie theater before. Watching a room full of adults laughing together at Bugs Bunny was awesome. 

 

One of my favorite parts of the evening wasn't even watching the movie itself.

It was watching everyone else watch it.

Eddie asked how many people had never seen Out of the Past, and I'd say about forty or fifty percent of the audience raised their hands. That made it even more exciting because I knew what was coming. I found myself looking around, waiting for their reactions and especially my sister's, since she'd never seen it before.

There's something special about sharing a classic film with first-time viewers.

And that new 4K restoration? Absolutely gorgeous!

I don't think I've ever seen a film noir look so crisp, rich, and beautiful. Every shadow, every beam of light, every close-up just popped. Noir is already such a visual genre, but seeing it projected the way it was meant to be seen makes you appreciate it even more.

I couldn't stop smiling, and I wish I'd taken more pictures of Eddie while he was speaking, but honestly, I was too busy soaking it all in and being in the moment.

For a couple of hours, the outside world disappeared. It was just a room full of people who love classic movies. People laughing and reacting together. Appreciating a film that's nearly eighty years old as if it had just been released.

That feeling is hard to put into words. It's comforting. It's exciting. And it gives me hope because it reminds me that these films still matter. People still care enough to leave their homes, sit in a dark theater, and experience them together.

I've had similar experiences before. When I saw Grease back in theaters, people were singing along, dancing during the big musical numbers, and cheering at all the moments they knew were coming. It wasn't distracting—it was joyful. There was this shared excitement because everyone knew what was about to happen.

Classic film audiences are like that. They celebrate these movies. They know the dialogue. They anticipate the big moments. And when those moments arrive, there's this wonderful energy in the room that you simply can't recreate at home.

If you love classic cinema, don't deprive yourself of that experience. Go to the festivals. Go to the revival screenings. Support your local theaters.

Watch these films the way they were meant to be seen with other people who love them just as much as you do.

Trust me. It's worth every minute.

 

🛣️Road Trip: When the Silver Screen Spoke Back: Joan Crawford and the Stars of Ferncliff

— A Sunday visit to Ferncliff’s Cathedral of Memories, where Hollywood’s brightest stars—and one unforgettable legend—seemed to whisper through the marble.

 

I had no idea that just a short drive from where I grew up stood one of the most remarkable resting places in New York—Ferncliff Cemetery, home to generations of brilliance from stage and screen to music and activism.

Among those interred here are Christopher Reeve, Oscar Hammerstein II, Jim Henson, John Lennon, James Baldwin, Thelonious Monk, Betty Furness, Ed Sullivan, Judy Tyler, Cornell Woolrich, Yul Brynner, Malcolm X, and Moms Mabley—a constellation of creative souls who shaped American art and culture.

But on this quiet Sunday afternoon with my fiancé, my heart was set on visiting one star in particular—Joan Crawford.

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Ferncliff’s oldest mausoleum, the Cathedral of Memories, was built in 1928, and stepping inside truly feels like walking into another time. The marble corridors stretch endlessly, lined with stained glass and the names of icons etched in stone. The air is still, almost sacred—like the hush before a curtain rises.

 

We spent hours wandering those halls, map in hand, chasing after names from Hollywood’s golden age. Even with digital kiosks and maps, the place is enormous, beautiful, but easy to lose yourself in.
And yet, somehow, I found Joan right away.

 

She rests beside her husband, Al Steele, her name carved in simple elegance. A small bench sits before her crypt, inviting you to linger—and I did. I sat quietly for a long while, just gazing at her name. Then I reached out and touched the cool marble, whispering a silent thank-you for her talent, her movies, and her indelible mark on cinema.

That’s when something strange happened.
The moment my fingers brushed her name, I heard a faint knocking—coming from inside the wall. I froze. Then I touched it again. Knock. Knock. I tried the same with other nearby crypts—nothing. Only hers replied.

Was it the building settling, or something more? I’ll never know. But it felt oddly comforting, as if Joan was letting me know she was still very much present.

 

We spent nearly four hours exploring after that—searching, retracing steps, even asking a kind staff member for help deciphering our map. Still, every time I found another name, I’d wander back to Joan to say hello again, like an old friend.

 

Did You Know?
Ferncliff was once the original resting place of Judy Garland before her remains were moved to Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2017.

Each name we found felt like opening a new reel in a never-ending film—one filled with art, music, and history. I didn’t capture any photos of the grounds themselves; at first, I felt a bit uneasy taking pictures there. Some places are meant to be experienced in quiet reverence, not through a lens.
But I did take a few photos of the incredible souls who helped shape the golden age of entertainment—artists whose light still flickers on the screen, even now.

 

Among them was my birthday twin—Sherlock Holmes himself, Basil Rathbone, whose elegant intensity and unmistakable voice defined an era of mystery on screen. 

 

Nearby, I paid my respects to director Preston Sturges, the genius behind some of the sharpest, most sparkling comedies of Hollywood’s golden years.

 

I also found Conrad Veidt, the hauntingly expressive actor who gave us The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Casablanca’s unforgettable Major Strasser—his presence as striking in rest as it was in life. 

 

Close by was Jerome Kern, the legendary composer of Show Boat and countless timeless melodies that still drift through classic cinema.

 

Then there was Lya De Putti, the tragic silent-era beauty whose career burned brightly but briefly. I couldn’t help but linger there a while, thinking about how fleeting fame can be, yet how art always endures.

 

Side by side in eternal partnership rest Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, one of Hollywood’s most powerful and inspiring couples—actors, activists, and symbols of love and purpose.

 

I found one of my favorite silent actors, Richard Barthelmess.
Star of Broken Blossoms and Way Down East, his quiet strength and expressive eyes helped bridge the art of silent film into the age of sound.

Ona Munson — Beloved character actress best known as Belle Watling in Gone With the Wind. A Broadway favorite whose warmth and wit shone brightly on screen.

 

Finally, I stood before Hugh Marlowe, a familiar face from All About Eve and The Day the Earth Stood Still, 

 

 

and Paul Robeson, whose deep voice and unshakable dignity transcended stage, screen, and history itself.

 

Driving away, I felt an unexpected peace. For all its grandeur, Ferncliff isn’t just a cemetery, it’s a living archive, a cathedral of art, memory, and resilience.

And as I left those marble halls behind, I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that somewhere, in her own glamorous way, Miss Crawford was giving me one last close-up!

 

 

🛣️Road Trip: Beyond the Marquee—Accessing the Stunning, Renovated Splendor of the 20th Century Theater

 

Back in September of last year, I stumbled upon a massive Classic Hollywood mural — the kind that instantly stops you in your tracks. We pulled over to take photos, and that’s when I realized it wasn’t just any mural — it was part of the 20th Century Theater, a charming historic landmark in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Designed by Fred W. Stritzel and opened in 1941, this theater was originally an opulent movie house, a true Art Deco masterpiece from Hollywood’s golden age. When I first visited, I was heartbroken that I couldn’t go inside — the doors were closed to the public that day.

Since 2008, the venue has hosted private events, concerts, and even weddings, preserving the spirit of the old cinema. But this past summer, I finally got lucky — I had the chance to take a personal tour inside.

And let me tell you — it was everything.
The Art Deco details are absolutely breathtaking: polished geometric lines, rich colors, opulent lights, and movie posters that transport you straight back to 1941. It felt like stepping into another era — sophisticated, cinematic, and completely timeless.

I left with my heart full, so grateful to see a historical treasure like this still standing tall, beautifully preserved, and radiating the same glamour it did when it first opened its doors.

There are wonderful photos of the theater on its official website, but I just had to share my own snapshots — moments that captured how it felt to walk through those gleaming halls of movie magic.

My first visit in 2024

 

 

What a Mural! 

 

 

And now........Let's go inside!