The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston

Monday 12th September
7.30pm
St Ives Arts Club, Westcott's Quay
Tickets: £5 (available on the door)

A guy without a conscience! A dame without a heart! Two linked murders in one night, and we find private eye Sam Spade entangled in a complex web of murder and intrigue involving three eccentric criminals and a femme fatale in a hunt for the truth behind a coveted black statue of a bird − ‘The Maltese Falcon’. Held to be one of the greatest films of all time, and considered to be the first film of the genre. The Maltese Falcon sports an all-star cast including Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. This crime thriller will have you glued to your seat.

Did you know ... The film is virtually word for word, scene for scene the same as the original novel by Dashiell Hammett, published in 1930. The William Shakespeare reference that ends the film was suggested by Humphrey Bogart.

Laura (1944) Otto Preminger

Friday 16th September
7.30pm
St Ives Arts Club, Westcott's Quay
Tickets: £5 (available on the door)

Hard-boiled New York detective Mark McPherson is assigned to investigate the brutal killing of beautiful Laura Hunt, a woman who captivated all who knew her. McPherson begins to fit together the puzzle of Laura's life and death, only to find himself falling in love with the dead woman. Then one night a bizarre occurrence makes him reconsider his whole approach to the case. Will he ever find the killer in this stylish murder mystery? Film noir perfection with an intriguing story and intelligent script. Starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews and Vincent Price. A story of love, murder and obsession.

Did you know ... The grand portrait painting of Laura is, in fact, a photograph of the actress Gene Tierney painted on with oils – you would never know!

Double Indemnity (1944) Billy Wilder

Monday 19th September
7.30pm
St Ives Arts Club, Westcott's Quay
Tickets: £5 (available on the door)

Successful insurance salesman Walter Neff meets seductive Phyllis Dietrichson, wife of one of his clients, and the pair turn to murder motivated by lust and money, but Barton Keyes, an insurance investigator, becomes suspicious and suspects all is not as it seems. Will the duo get away with the perfect crime? A classic film of betrayal and greed ... the definitive film noir and 1944 Oscar winner. Starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. From the moment they met it was murder!

Did you know ... The character Walter Neff was originally Walter Ness, but director Billy Wilder found out there was a man named Walter Ness who was actually an insurance salesman. What a coincidence!

A Touch of Evil (1958) Orson Welles

Thursday 22nd September
7.30pm
St Ives Arts Club, Westcott's Quay
Tickets: £5 (available on the door) OR just £2.50 if you have been to the 3 other films! See our '4 film ticket deal' at the top of the page for details!

Mexican narcotics officer Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas has to interrupt his honeymoon when an American building contractor and his girlfriend are murdered in a car bombing. A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnap and police corruption in a Mexican border town. A beautiful, haunting and complex film noir with the best cinematography and lighting of its genre. The film opens with a 3 minutes and 20 seconds tracking shot, widely considered by critics to be one of the greatest long takes in cinematic history. Starring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Wells. The strangest vengeance ever planned!

Did you know ... Janet Leigh broke her arm before filming commenced, but appeared nonetheless. The arm was in a cast hidden from the camera for many scenes. In the most revealing motel scenes the cast was removed for filming and re-applied afterwards.

Thank you to St Ives Arts Club for hosting the Film Noir programme for St Ives September Festival. We are pleased to welcome you to St Ives Arts Club - the oldest art establishment in St Ives. If you would like to become a member, application forms are available and you can find full details of events taking place at the club at: www.stivesartsclub.org.