THE PROWLER (1951) in 35mm

Special Features: Intro by film historian Foster Hirsch on Oct. 11

Patrolman Webb Garwood is more interested in achieving the American Dream than he is in protecting it for others. After answering a woman’s distress call about a Peeping Tom, Garwood hatches a nefarious plot to worm his way into her affluent but lonely life — and into her husband’s life insurance policy. Van Heflin and Evelyn Keyes give stellar performances in this disturbing spider-and-fly romance, written covertly by legendary blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and directed by the soon-to-be-blacklisted Joseph Losey. Largely dismissed by critics upon its release, it is now regarded as one of Losey’s best American films, one that offers a compelling warning about small-minded people’s willingness to abuse power for selfish gain. THE PROWLER was restored in 2007 by the Film Noir Foundation and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the first triumph in a long-running partnership. (Note courtesy of Noir City.) DIR Joseph Losey; SCR Dalton Trumbo; PROD Sam Spiegel. U.S., 1951, b&w, 92 min. NOT RATED

35mm preservation print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Preservation funded by the Film Noir Foundation.

Run Time: 92 Minutes

Opening Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025

Genre: Film noir

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