Extra, Extra!: Noir City

The wait, ladies and gentlemen, is over. The all-new issue of Noir City is out. Completely redesigned by Michael Kronenberg, the house rag of the Film Noir Foundation is now a true magazine – and renamed to boot. (Noir City Sentinel, R.I.P.) To commemorate the new launch, this gorgeous issue is the biggest to date, tipping the scales at over 100 pages.

I’m particularly excited about this edition because yours truly penned the cover story. It’s a survey of songbirds in film noir, those world-weary chanteuses who step up to microphones in swank joints and dive bars alike to provide a few moments of comfort. The article covers dozens of films and includes a sidebar on forgotten thrushes, the singers who provided the vocals for some of noir’s most glamorous dames. The piece was a labor of love, and I hope readers enjoy it.

I also contributed to the exhaustive tribute to Raymond Burr and the Perry Mason stable of players with a salute to Della Street herself, Barbara Hale.

Also in this issue: Jake Hinkson on Orson Welles, Mark Fertig on the sad life of Alan Ladd, reviews of contemporary noir, and so much more. It’s an embarrassment of riches and I’m honored to be a part of it. To get your copy, simply donate a minimum of twenty dollars to the Film Noir Foundation. You’ll be supporting their important work.

While I’m at it, let me also note that the Noir City Sentinel Annual #3, featuring several of my articles including a history of the Whistler films, is now for sale at Amazon. Look at all those glowing reviews! You’d be a fool not to buy it.