Double Feature: UNION STATION + CAIRO STATION
Special Features: Intro by Eddie Muller, host of TCM's NOIR ALLEY, on October 13
UNION STATION
William Holden and Barry Fitzgerald play a pair of cops racing to foil a kidnapping plot in Chicago's Union Station. This film packs a double-feature's worth of thrills into its brief runtime, including some brutality decades ahead of its time. Ace crime scenarist Sydney Boehm keeps the plot humming like a runaway train and director (and renowned cinematographer) Rudolph Maté makes the ride more vivid through use of actual locations. Co-starring Nancy Olson (SUNSET BLVD.) and a terrifying Lyle Bettger. (Note courtesy of Noir City.) DIR Rudolph Maté; SCR Sydney Boehm; PROD Jules Schermer; U.S., 1950, b&w, 81 min. NOT RATED
Followed by:
CAIRO STATION aka THE IRON GATE [BĀB AL-ḤADĪD] [باب الحديد]
A newspaper hawker (played by director Youssef Chahine) at the film's eponymous train depot develops a frightening obsession with an alluring lemonade vendor. That's the premise for a suspenseful drama that cunningly uses the bustling station to depict clashing strata of Egyptian society. Chahine's combination of gritty authenticity and psychosexual Expressionism created a landmark of Egyptian cinema — despite public boycotts over its unflinching perversity and politics. Co-star Hind Rostom was nicknamed "The Arab Marilyn Monroe." (Note courtesy of Noir City.) DIR Youssef Chahine; SCR Abdel Hay Adib; PROD Gabriel Talhami. Egypt, 1958, b&w, 77 min. In Arabic with English subtitles. NOT RATED
UNION STATION also screens on Thurs, Oct. 17. View details here.
Run Time: 173 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, October 13, 2024
Genre: Film noir
