After two long years, it was so nice to have Noir City back in Chicago for another thrilling lineup! While I could only attend one evening of films this time around, it was an evening well worth celebrating.

The pandemic affected lives all over the world and the possibility of gathering. The moviegoing experience was not unscathed–many a film festival and screening were postponed, streamed, or canceled altogether. After a long and bizarre two years, it was delightful to see the Music Box Theatre‘s marquee all aglow for Noir City once again.

I was so grateful to reconnect with friends and to meet new ones in-person. Fans of film noir–“noiristas,” as we call ourselves–traveled from near and far to indulge in this wonderful festival.

When I attended on a Saturday night, TCM Host and Czar of Noir Eddie Muller was at the helm. A more intimate festival than other large-scale festivals, Noir City Chicago offers film fans numerous opportunities to mingle with one another as well as with the hosts. In between shows, Chicago organist Dennis Scott entertained audiences with his talents.

I was lucky to enjoy a lovely dinner at Coalfire (a local pizza restaurant) with my boyfriend, Don, and my dear friend (and Heartland International Film Festival Programmer), Julia. We had so much fun spending time together at dinner and meeting up with many more familiar faces at the Music Box! There, I was able to catch up with my fellow friends in classic film–and Windy City Film Fanatics–Chuck and Gerry, among many more kindred spirits.

That evening, I attended screenings of So Dark The Night (1946) and The Argyle Secrets (1948). Playgirl was presented in 35mm courtesy of Sony Pictures. The Argyle Secrets was presented in 35mm, courtesy of the Film Noir Foundation and UCLA Film & Television Archive. This was the Film Noir Foundation’s (FNF) most recent restoration. The restoration was completed in 2021 by the FNF’s preservation partner, UCLA Film & Television Archive, with support provided through a grant from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Charitable Trust.

All in all, it was fabulous to be back in the movie theatre and enjoying films the way they were meant to be seen–on film, in a movie theater, and with an enthusiastic audience!