ASK EDDIE - September 3, 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 pay tribute to recently deceased entertainers and update you on our NOIR CITY festivals. This week's discussion includes bartenders in classic noir, how cinematic music and editing have evolved since the 1940s, which three film noir actors that we would want to have a dinner party with, and more. This week's “Latest Viewing” includes a detailed comparison between "The Wages of Fear" and "Sorcerer". On the cat front, Bruno wants Anne’s attention. Timestamps and questions below: 0:05 Intros, NOIR CITY Portland, upcoming festivals 4:50 "The Vanishing", mob-funding, "Ash Is the Purest White", early Cronenberg 8:30 Remembering Dolly Parton, Mark Rydell, Hayden Panettiere, and Tim Curry 22:02 Q1: Thoughts on the noir-inspired "Batman: Caped Crusader" series? 29:33 Q2: Why did audiences accept noir villains like Raymond Burr and Vince Edwards, as television heroes? 34:29 Q3: A classic noir you wish you could watch again for the first time? 44:13 Q4: How does one obtain the publishing rights for classic film scripts? 50:39 Q5a: Will the FNF restore "Womanhunt" or "The 3rd Voice"? LIGHTNING ROUND 51:31 Q5b: Flicker Alley releases and restoring Mexican noirs 54:21 Q5c: When can audiences see the new Abraham Polonsky documentary? 55:17 Q5d: Will Eddie wear a bow tie on Noir Alley? 56:32 Q5e: Plans for a Noir City festival in San Diego? LIGHTENING ROUND ENDS 57:20 Q6: Corrupt judges in classic film noir? 1:01:09 Q7: Does "The Wizard of Oz" have the essential elements of a film noir? 1:11:09 Q8: Noirs with a bartender as the protagonist? 1:16:45 Q9: Travel woes and hosting screenings at the Rafael Film Center? 1:18:27 Q10: Changes over time in film noir music and editing? 1:22:43 Q11: Three classic noir actors you'd invite to a dinner party? 1:27:12 Latest viewing: "Wages of Fear," "Sorcerer," "Mulholland Drive," "Censor" 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.