Film noir comes to the Humboldt County Library in July as part of the Eureka Main Branch’s “Based on the Book” movie series.

“Based on the Book,” a quarterly classic film series, offers Tuesday evening screenings of movies based on great, near-great and not-so-great books, plays and short stories. Beginning July 15th, for four consecutive Tuesday nights, film noir movies will be the primary focus.

July’s movies will be hosted by Wynston Jones, former film instructor, actor and screenwriter; Philip Wright, film instructor and Creative Services Director for KIEM-TV; Bob Doran, Arts & Entertainment Editor for the North Coast Journal; and Charlie Myers, former HSU film instructor and current film critic for the North Coast Journal.

The July schedule of Tuesday night film screenings is as follows:

· July 15: The Asphalt Jungle (1950)—Jones

· July 22: Touch of Evil (1958)—Wright

· July 29: The Sweet Smell of Success (1957)—Doran

· Aug. 5: The Big Heat (1953)—Myers

“Film noir movies shine a light on the dark side of human endeavor,” said Michael Logan, Humboldt County Library employee and series co-organizer. “From seedy alleyways to glittering penthouses, these films show us what happens when tough men—and even tougher women—fall victim to their own greed, lust, or just the vagaries of Fate. It’s a world where good men go bad, bad women do good, and power corrupts absolutely. If you enjoy strong, interesting characters, snappy dialogue and truly beautiful cinematography, then this series is for you.”

· The Asphalt Jungle, based on the W. R. Burnett novel, is directed by John Huston and stars Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, and a young Marilyn Monroe in a small but memorable role. It is considered by many to be the epitome of the “heist” movie.

· Touch of Evil, directed by and starring Orson Welles, with Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, is widely considered to be Welles’ last great film. Based on Whit Masterson’s novel Badge of Evil, this film is considered “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and has been selected for preservation by the U.S. National Film Registry.

· The Sweet Smell of Success has also been recognized by the Library of Congress as culturally significant, and contains some of the wittiest and most acerbic dialogue in Hollywood history, courtesy of Clifford Odets’ adaptation of Ernest Lehman’s novella, as delivered by stars Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.

· The Big Heat is true hard-boiled noir, based on the novel by William P. McGivern. Though less well known than the other films in the series, The Big Heat delivers a high concentration of noir-per-minute, starring Glenn Ford, noir icon Gloria Grahame, and a young Lee Marvin in a blistering performance.

“Based on the Book” film screenings begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Eureka Main Library meeting room, beginning with a 20-30 minute introduction and followed by a screening of the film. For those who are interested, a brief discussion will follow each film. Each screening is open to the public and is free of charge.