DETOUR / MY TRUE STORY

ABOUT THE EVENT:

7:00pm | Introduction

7:10pm | DETOUR

8:20pm | Intermission

8:30pm | MY TRUE STORY

Start times are approximate.

ABOUT THE FILMS:

DETOUR, Dir. Edgar G. Ulmer, 66 Min, Janus Films, USA

Originally released November 14, 1945

Ann Savage’s ferocious performance as an avaricious drifter known only as “Vera” is at the black heart of this ramshackle affair, often cited as the ultimate tale of noir fatalism, as well as one of the most creative—if impoverished—movies ever made in Hollywood. Tom Neal plays Al Roberts, a hard-luck nightclub piano player who decides to hitchhike cross-country to reunite with his estranged girlfriend. Things steadily go from bad to worse, especially once vixenish vagabond Vera gets her hooks into him. Shot in only a few days on the most miniscule budget, Ulmer’s most famous film is a delirious fever dream of paranoia and dread. Don’t miss a chance to see this legendary noir on the big screen!

FORMAT: DCP

MY TRUE STORY, Dir. Mickey Rooney, 67 Min, Sony, USA

Originally released March 8, 1951

In the midst of his halcyon days as one of the busiest talents in show business, Mickey Rooney directed this unusual drama produced in association with True Story magazine. Helen Walker (NIGHTMARE ALLEY) gives a fantastic performance as a paroled ex-con who gets railroaded into working with a gang of thieves who are after an unusual payoff—a supply of myrrh, the secret ingredient used in “Temptation” perfume. Walker is hired as a companion to Madame Rousseau, the elderly recluse who controls the supply, and she’s coerced into pilfering the stash any way she can. A true rarity, never before screened at NOIR CITY (or any other place we know of), it’s a showcase for Walker, one of the most talented and tragically ill-fated actresses of the era.

FORMAT: 35mm