RETRO NOIR FILM SERIESSelect Wednesdays at 7pm in Cinema One | $10 per person.
WEBSITE: https://carolinatheatre.org/series/retronoir-film-series/
January 14, 2026
Tay Garnett’s THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RING TWICE: 80th Anniversary!
(1946, 113 min)
One of the most notorious noirs of the 1940s, this sultry crime drama ignited controversy for its frank eroticism and helped cement Lana Turner’s status as a Hollywood icon. A drifter (John Garfield) and a young wife (Turner) conspire to murder her husband, but passion and crime prove a dangerous mix as fate closes in. Though it received no Oscar nods, the film was a box-office smash, earning more than $5 million worldwide. Turner’s all-white wardrobe became instantly iconic, and the film’s influence reached far, inspiring the acclaimed neo-noir Body Heat decades later.
TRAILER:
March 4, 2026
Stanley Kubrick’s THE KILLING: 70th Anniversary!
(1956, 80 min)
One of the most influential heist films ever made, this taut crime thriller marked Kubrick’s breakthrough after two smaller independent features. Veteran crook Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) assembles a meticulous racetrack robbery, only to see the plan unravel thanks to betrayal and bad luck. Though it received no Oscar recognition and struggled at the box office, its razor-sharp structure and fatalistic tone made it a critics’ favorite. Marie Windsor steals scenes as the scheming Sherry, injecting the story with venomous wit. Long celebrated as a noir essential, it directly inspired later classics, most famously Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.
TRAILER:
March 25, 2026
John Frankenheimer’s 52 PICK UP: 40th Anniversary!
(R, 1986, 111 min)
Roy Scheider’s life is perfect: a thriving L.A. business, a stunning wife, and ambitions for city council. Then a trio of blackmailers drops a tape of him cheating with his mistress (Kelly Preston), and everything unravels. Harry fights back, but every move drags him deeper into a tense game of manipulation, deceit, and looming violence. John Glover’s villain oozes charm and menace, Ann-Margret is dazzling as the wife caught in the chaos, and the ensemble of Vanity, Clarence Williams III, and others make every interaction crackle with unpredictability. Director John Frankenheimer injects style, edge, and suspense, blending sexual tension with real stakes. Think Body Heat meets Out of Sight: sleek, dangerous, morally gray, and intoxicatingly thrilling. A forgotten 80s neo-noir that hits every nerve.
TRAILER:
April 29, 2026
John Huston’s THE MALTESE FALCON
(1941, 100 min)
One of the most influential noirs ever made, this razor-sharp crime thriller follows detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) as he navigates a web of greed, deceit, and murder surrounding a jewel-encrusted falcon. An unforgettable ensemble—including Sydney Greenstreet, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Elisha Cook Jr.—brings Hammett’s morally complex characters to life with sizzling chemistry. Huston’s first feature as a director, it cemented Bogart’s tough-guy persona and established the blueprint for film noir: shadowy visuals, winding plots, and morally ambiguous heroes. A critical and box-office success, it has influenced countless thrillers, most famously inspiring the tone and style of Brian De Palma’s Scarface.
TRAILER:
June 10, 2026
Howard Hawks’ THE BIG SLEEP: 80th Anniversary!
(1946, 114 min)
One of the most labyrinthine and stylish noirs of the 1940s, this crime thriller follows private investigator Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) as he untangles a web of gambling debts, family secrets, and murder in the Sternwood household. Lauren Bacall shines as the enigmatic older daughter, while Martha Vickers and John Ridgely add layers of danger and intrigue. Hawks’ brisk direction and William Faulkner’s uncredited contributions to the screenplay create a dizzying, witty, and shadowy atmosphere. A box-office hit upon release, it solidified Bogart and Bacall as one of Hollywood’s most magnetic screen pairings and influenced countless neo-noirs, most notably Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye.
TRAILER:
Event Venue
The Carolina Theatre of Durham, 309 W Morgan St, Durham, NC 27701-2119, United States
Tickets
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