Introduced by Alan K. Rode

Screening at the Vidiots Eagle Theater, Eagle Rock

 Sunday, October 8th at 4:00 PM

This program was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2020, approximately one week after the onset of closures due to COVID-19 – and subsequently cancelled. AFS is pleased to announce that we can finally present The Night of the Hunter, to be introduced by Alan K. Rode of the Film Noir Foundation, at the recently-opened Vidiots Eagle Theater.

The 1955 film adaptation of the 1953 novel by Davis Grubb has, over the decades, developed a reputation as one of the greatest thrillers of American cinema, a masterpiece of sinister ambience and a portrayal of one of the all-time great movie villains with Robert Mitchum’s turn as the Reverend Harry Powell. It is the 1930s in West Virginia, and Rev. Powell is a traveling preacher who, while in prison, learns of a stash of stolen money and determines to locate it by wooing the wife of the original thief.

Photographed in evocative black-and-white by legendary cinematographer Stanley Cortez (The Magnificent Ambersons), director Charles Laughton manages to conjure both an American idyll with his naturalistic exteriors and a tense, threatening atmosphere with his expressionistic and stylized interiors. Also starring Shelley Winters and silent film queen Lillian Gish, and with a marvelous score by Walter Schumann, The Night of the Hunter is an American classic worthy of the silver screen.

Tickets Now on Sale

Tickets are now available at the Eagle Theater Web site – click on the 4:00 PM showtime. Please keep in mind that with the limited seating capacity, shows at the Eagle do sell out, so don’t wait too long to buy your tickets.

Introduction by Alan K. Rode of the Film Noir Foundation

Classic cinema is imbued in Alan K. Rode’s DNA. His mother was born and raised in Hollywood, was an extra in Our Gang comedy shorts and studied acting at Ben Bard Drama. His grandfather was a silent film violinist who went from bit actor to Universal Studios house composer and founded Corelli-Jacobs Recording Inc. A great-uncle doubled Gary Cooper in The Plainsman (1929) and fought Jack Dempsey with another grandfather who promoted rodeos with cowboy star Hoot Gibson. While growing up, Alan incessantly watched and catalogued movies on television.

He is the author of a pair of notable cinema biographies. CHARLES McGRAW: FILM NOIR TOUGH GUY is a critically acclaimed saga of the rough-hewn character actor’s life and times. MICHAEL CURTIZ: A LIFE IN FILM is the critically acclaimed biography of the director of CASABLANCA, MILDRED PIERCE, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY and WHITE CHRISTMAS, among other classic films. Alan’s latest book chronicles the production of the “Noir Western” BLOOD ON THE MOON, released in 1948, which stars Robert Mitchum.

Alan has been the producer and host of the annual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs, California for over a decade. He has hosted and programmed classic cinema events for a variety of organizations and is a charter director and treasurer of the Film Noir Foundation. With FNF president Eddie Muller, Alan has spearheaded the preservation and restoration of “lost” films and co-programs and co-hosts several of the annual NOIR CITY film festivals held in cities across the country.

Vidiots Eagle Theater

The Vidiots Eagle Theater and video store is located at 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd. at the intersection with Yosemite Drive in the heart of Eagle Rock. The 271-seat house features 4K Christie digital projection, 7.1 surround sound and eventually 35mm and 16mm film capabilities. A well-stocked concession stand is available, as is a bar serving beer and wine.

Street parking is available along Eagle Rock Blvd. and side streets near the theater. Please read posted signs carefully and be respectful when parking in residential neighborhoods. There is also a 29-car public parking lot at 5065 Caspar Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90041, an approximate 6-minute walk north of the theater.