lived up to that billing, and more, during its triumphant sixth edition in San Francisco, January 25 – February 3, 2008. Neither the brutally inclement weather, nor the traffic-stopping logistics of having Gus van Zant and (NC4 special guest) Sean Penn shooting a film right outside the theater could deter record crowds from packing the Castro Theatre during the 10-day festival.

Highlights included: the radiant opening night appearance of Joan Leslie with two of her best films, Repeat Performance and The Hard Way — she delighted the audience with her sharp memory, quick wit, and charming humility; a completely sold-out (1,047 seats) Saturday night program, the most electric evening of the festival, which featured a "re-premiere" of the 1951 classic The Prowler, freshly restored to pristine condition through the joint efforts of the Film Noir Foundation and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The evening was kick-started in ribald fashion by author James Ellroy, and the screening was attended by Christopher Trumbo, son of the legendary Dalton Trumbo, screenwriter of The Prowler and the evening's co-feature, Gun Crazy.

The program also featured the return to the Castro stage – and screen – of actress Marsha Hunt, who was in attendance for the world premiere of Eddie Muller's new film The Grand Inquisitor, in which she stars. The 20-minute "noir fairy tale" drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd, which gave a generous ovation to Muller, Marsha Hunt, and her young costar, Leah Dashe.

Appreciative audiences during the week were treated to a range of films chosen to display a wide range of "noir," including many rarities viewable ONLY on the Castro's big screen, thanks to the auspices of the Film Noir Foundation.20th Century–Fox sponsored an evening program (Hangover Square and Dangerous Crossing) to celebrate the continuation of its popular Film Noir DVD Collection. The festival proudly unveiled brand new prints of several titles that had disappeared from movies screens over the past several decades: Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Woman In Hiding, The Story of Molly X, and Face Behind the Mask. Consult the program guide to see what you missed!

INTERNATIONAL NOIR FESTIVAL
Co-presenting a double bill of films set in San Francisco (D.O.A. and Molly X), San Francisco Film Society executive director Graham Leggat announced that the Film Society (producers of the annual S.F. International Film Festival) will be collaborating with Noir City on a separate festival devoted to "international noir," with representative examples of the form from countries around the globe. Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

Meanwhile, it's full speed ahead for Noir City 7, as our venerable programmer Anita Monga is already compiling the roster of films for next January's festival. It's shaping up as a truly extraordinary series, so check back for exact dates, coming soon.

FILM NOIR FOUNDATION ON MYSPACE
With now more than 600 friends, the Film Noir Foundation has taken up residence in a dark alley of the vast metropolis that is Myspace.com. If you haven't signed up, maybe you should. Maybe you'll meet someone who will betray you and leave you for dead on the internet. At the least, you'll have access to the web's largest repository of noir poster and photos, courtesy the site's maven, Eric Beetner. ›› Click here to visit.