ASK EDDIE - August 13, 2026

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this edition, we discuss pre-code proto-noirs, “The Narrow Margin” (1990), “Born to be Bad” (1950), “Repeat Performance” (1947), Ida Lupino’s “The Bigamist” (1953), the art of translation, dream sequences, and more. The lightning round and “Latest Viewing” return. On the cat front, Bruno wants Anne’s attention. Timestamps and questions below. 0:05 Eddie's documentary premiere of Dangerous Citizen 2:37 What are some of the most memorable face slaps in classic crime cinema? 4:54 Do The Long Goodbye and The Third Man share a similar narrative structure? 7:53 Q1: Can pre-Code movies like Baby Face be considered proto-neo-noir? 16:15 Q2: How does the 1990 remake of The Narrow Margin compare to the original? 21:59 Q3: Does Born to Be Bad subvert typical character tropes with its gay characters? 29:33 Q4: Would The Bigamist have been a better movie with a less ambiguous ending? 32:39 Q5: Is The Bigamist a true noir, and what are your favorite noir male leads? 36:45 Eddie's feral cat update Lightning Round Begins 38:20 Q6a: Title of a French/Belgian thriller about a man whose girlfriend disappears? 41:24 Q6b: Is the Ida Lupino movie The Hard Way considered true noir? 44:49 Q6c: Recommended rare crime films from Great Britain? 52:31 Q6d-1: Favorite noir not set in a major US city? 52:51 Q6d-2: Favorite car featured in a noir? 53:01 Q6d-3: Favorite house or apartment featured in the genre? 53:43 Q6d-4: Noir you initially disliked but grew to love? 55:44 Q7: How are translators selected for international restorations like El Vampiro Negro? 1:00:05 Simenon's Maigret novels 1:05:52 Q8: Why does the British movie The League of Gentlemen feature an Alabama license plate? 1:08:01 Q9: Have you seen the Chinese neo-noir The Wild Goose Lake? 1:09:45 Q10: Noir films with the most effective and surreal dream sequences? 1:15:17 Latest Viewing: David Cronenberg's The Brood, The Lowdown 1:20:57 Festival scheduling and upcoming Noir City events A list of all the films discussed in this episode is available on Anne’s Letterboxd account: https://letterboxd.com/AudieDan/lists/ Want your question answered in a future episode? We solicit questions from our email subscribers in our monthly newsletters. Sign up for free at https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/si... Contribute here to support our restoration efforts: https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/co... Everyone who signs up on our email list https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/si... and contributes $20 receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year.