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Flicker Alley Announces Two New Film Noir Releases Coming in April

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The fine folks at Flicker Alley have just announced two new Blu-rays coming in April 2016:

Flicker Alley, the Film Noir Foundation, and UCLA Film & Television Archive are proud to present two rediscovered gems of film noir, Too Late for Tears and Woman on the Run, both brilliantly restored in brand-new Blu-ray/DVD dual-format editions.


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Here is a preview of Noir City, included in the supplements.


Here is the press release they’ve sent out:

Flicker Alley, the Film Noir Foundation, and UCLA Film & Television Archive are proud to present two rediscovered gems of film noir, Too Late for Tears and Woman on the Run, both brilliantly restored in brand-new Blu-ray/DVD dual-format editions.

TOO LATE FOR TEARS

Finally! One of the great missing films of the classic noir era-resurrected! Rescued and preserved after a five-year crusade by the Film Noir Foundation, this 1949 classic is at long last available in a clean digital version, transferred from a 35mm print painstakingly restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive.

When a pair of film noir icons like Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea collide, sparks are sure to fly. Jane Palmer (Scott) and her husband Alan (Arthur Kennedy) mysteriously have $60,000 literally dropped in their laps. The circumstances seem mighty suspicious to Alan, who wants to turn the money over to the police. But in a materialistic rapture, Jane won’t let it go. She doesn’t care where it came from, or what danger might ensue-not if it will bring her the luxury she craves. Enter shady Danny Fuller (Duryea, as cocky and menacing as ever), who claims the money belongs to him. Let the games begin! Roy Huggins’ snappy script (adapted from his novel) is a complex, breezy and black-hearted homage to James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler. Rapacious housewife Jane Palmer is one of the juiciest female villains in Hollywood history, and Liz Scott’s best role ever.

Flicker Alley is excited to present this world-premiere Blu-ray/DVD dual-format edition of Too Late For Tears, restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive, and passionately championed by the Film Noir Foundation, with special thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Together with Woman on the Run, this film marks the first collaboration between Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation.

Bonus Materials Include:

  • Audio Commentary Track – By writer, historian, and film programmer Alan K. Rode.
  • “Chance Of A Lifetime: The Making of Too Late For Tears” – Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation and featuring Eddie Muller, Kim Morgan, and Julie Kirgo, this mini-doc offers a behind-the-scenes examination of the film’s original production.
  • “Tiger Hunt: Restoring Too Late For Tears” – Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation, this is a chronicle of the multi-year mission to rescue this “lost” noir classic.
  • “Noir City” – A short documentary directed by Joe Talbot about the annual Noir City Film Festival presented by the Film Noir Foundation at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre.
  • 24-Page Souvenir Booklet – Featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by writer and noir-expert Brian Light.

WOMAN ON THE RUN

A lost gem rediscovered! Thanks to the efforts of the Film Noir Foundation, this terrific 1950 film noir, the only American print of which was burned in a 2008 fire, has been rescued and restored to its original luster. Join the wild chase around San Francisco as a man goes into hiding after witnessing a gangland execution. Police bird-dog his wife Eleanor (Ann Sheridan), certain she’ll lead them to her husband, whose testimony against the killer could bring down a crime kingpin. But Eleanor and her hubbie are Splitsville-she never wants to see him again. When roguish newspaperman Danny Legget (Dennis O’Keefe) charms Eleanor into helping him track down the hidden husband-there are unexpected, stunning, and poignant results. This nervy, shot-on-location thriller is a witty and wise look at the travails of romance and marriage, and perhaps the best cinematic depiction ever of mid-20th century San Francisco.

Flicker Alley is honored to present this world-premiere Blu-ray/DVD dual-format edition of Woman on the Run, completely restored by the Film Noir Foundation in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive, with special thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Charitable Grant Trust and the British Film Institute. Together with Too Late For Tears, this film marks the first collaboration between Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation.

Bonus Materials Include:

  • Audio Commentary Track – By author, historian, and “noirchaelogist” Eddie Muller.
  • “Love is a Rollercoaster: Woman on the Run Revisited” – Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation, this mini-doc offers a look into the making of the film, from script to noir classic.
  • “A Wild Ride: Restoring Woman on the Run” – Produced by Steven Smith and the Film Noir Foundation, this stranger-than-fiction document of the film’s restoration is a thriller in itself.
  • “Noir City” – A short documentary directed by Joe Talbot about the annual Noir City Film Festival presented by by the Film Noir Foundation at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre.
  • 24-Page Souvenir Booklet – Featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by the one and only Eddie Muller.

About the Film Noir Foundation

The Film Noir Foundation is a non-profit public benefit corporation created as an educational resource regarding the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of film noir as an original American cinematic movement. Its mission is to find and preserve films in danger of being lost or irreparably damaged, and to ensure that high quality prints of these classic films remain in circulation for theatrical exhibition to future generations.

As a focal point of the classic film noir revival, the Foundation serves as a conduit between film companies and repertory cinemas still eager to screen these films in 35mm. Revenues generated by ticket sales encourage studio film archives to strike new prints of films that are at risk of disappearing from public view, either through neglect or scarcity. Once these films are unearthed and returned to circulation, the chances exponentially increase that they will be reissued on DVD, available in pristine, affordable form for future generations of film-lovers.
www.filmnoirfoundation.org

About UCLA Film and Television Archive

UCLA Film & Television Archive is internationally renowned for its pioneering efforts to rescue, preserve and showcase moving image media-and is dedicated to ensuring that the collective visual memory of our time is explored and enjoyed for generations to come.

The Archive is celebrated for its moving image restoration efforts and many of its most important projects, such as Stagecoach (1939, John Ford), Double Indemnity (1944, Billy Wilder), The Big Sleep (1946, Howard Hawks), The Night of the Hunter (1955, Charles Laughton) and Killer of Sheep (1977, Charles Burnett) are presented at prestigious events around the globe, as well as screened locally at UCLA’s Billy Wilder Theater.

About Flicker Alley, LLC

Flicker Alley, LLC was founded in 2002 by Jeff Masino. Each Flicker Alley publication is the culmination of hundreds of hours of research, digital restoration, graphic design, music composition and scoring. Collectively, they reflect the creativity, expertise, and shared passion of many talented collaborators. The Flicker Alley brand has grown to enjoy national and international critical acclaim. The company is a four-time recipient of the National Society of Film Critics Film Heritage Award for publishing “rare early U.S. and foreign silent film.”

Ryan Gallagher

Ryan is the Editor-In-Chief / Founder of CriterionCast.com, and the host / co-founder / producer of the various podcasts here on the site. You can find his website at RyanGallagher.org, follow him on Twitter (@RyanGallagher), or send him an email: [email protected].