NOIR CITY 23

The joint will be jumping when the venerable NOIR CITY film festival kicks out the jams at the Grand Lake Theatre, January 16–25, 2026, with an exciting 10-day program of crime and mystery films featuring . . . musicians! From early examples of Hollywood noir like Blues in the Night (1941) to jazz-fueled sixties’ gems like All Night Long (1962) and A Man Called Adam (1966), the movies feature genuine musical legends performing alongside film noir favorites including Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Garfield, Ida Lupino, Kirk Douglas, Ann Sheridan, and Robert Mitchum.

Among the real-life musicians appearing onscreen at NOIR CITY 23: Elvis Presley, Doris Day, Louis Armstrong, Keely Smith, Dexter Gordon, Ella Fitzgerald, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peggy Lee, Oscar Levant, Dave Brubeck, Charlie Mingus, and many more.

“Back in the 1940s, nightclubs and jazz played a significant role in creating the noir vibe,” explains festival founder and host Eddie Muller. “So, it was fun to craft a program in which music plays a role in every story, either through the setting or because the characters are musicians.” As he usually does, Muller balances the roster between established classics (To Have and Have Not (1944), Gilda (1946), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), and seldom-screened titles like The Strip (1951), The Crimson Canary (1945), and Face the Music (aka The Black Glove), a 1954 British rarity that provided the “kicker” for this year’s festival.

Many of the films on the schedule are fictions in which music plays a major part; others are based on actual performers, like the 1955 Doris Day vehicle Love Me or Leave Me in which Day gives a scintillating performance as 1920s singing and dancing sensation Ruth Etting. Kirk Douglas’ Young Man with a Horn from 1950 (also starring Day) is based on the life of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke (with Harry James providing the actual horn work). Similarly, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dexter Gordon give memorable portrayals in, respectively, A Man Called Adam and Round Midnight (1986), playing composites of real-life jazz artists. “Jazz may dominate the program,” Muller notes, “but we’ve also got samplings of classical (1946’s Humoresque), country (1958’s Thunder Road), and rock ‘n’ roll (1958’s King Creole) — I finally hit on a theme that accommodates my favorite Elvis movie.”

NOIR CITY 23 PASSPORT

FACE THE MUSIC! Join Film Noir Foundation founder and TCM host Eddie Muller at NOIR CITY 23 for a unique program revolving around musicians! The darker side of the musical life is explored in films that range from star-studded classics to lesser-known B films. In addition to great tales of mystery and suspense, the films feature exceptional soundtracks providing a fabulous sampling of mid-twentieth-century classical, pop, and jazz scores.

OUR ORIGINAL PASSPORTS ARE SOLD OUT — BUT WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED!

You can still secure your spot for the festival, EXCLUDING OPENING NIGHT, with our limited edition "Sellout" Passport. For $200 (plus service fee), this special pass grants the bearer entry to all films for nine days, beginning Saturday, January 17 — that's 13 double features at a savings of $20 over individually purchased tickets. Plus you'll have access to a separate passport holders' queue for early admittance to the theater for all shows.

 PURCHASE PASSPORT

You can buy the Sellout Passport right now, and it will be available for pick up at the Will Call table at the Grand Lake Theater starting 90 minutes before showtime Saturday morning.

NOTE Please note that all patrons, including Passport holders, must arrive at least 30 minutes before the listed showtime to be guaranteed a seat. NOIR CITY Passports are non-transferable. All sales are final.

Proceeds from the NOIR CITY festival help fund the Film Noir Foundation's restoration and preservation efforts year-round.

NOIR CITY ACCOMMODATIONS

Oakland Marriott City Center

If you're an out-of-towner looking for lodging in Oakland, the Film Noir Foundation recommends the Oakland Marriott City Center for NOIR CITY 23 festival guests. Located at 1001 Broadway in downtown Oakland, the hotel is 2.1 miles from the Grand Lake Theatre.

For additional information, you may contact the hotel at 510/451-4000.

☇ DIRECTIONS TO THE GRAND LAKE THEATRE

All you need to know about the NOIR CITY Film Festival ↓

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