"Except that brass instruments were hardly used at all in 1940s scores, Muller explains in a recent interview. "In the 1940s, Hollywood had their studio orchestras, and were still beholden to that classic European orchestral score approach," he says. "But in the '50s, that really changed, and The Man With the Golden Arm had a lot to do with that.""
"Speaking of jazz performances, Muller's lined up a schedule of them to precede each screening, with pianists, guitarists, tap dancers and singer Elizabeth Bougerol (she's the one on the festival poster this year, spattered in blood). And he's more than ready to get on stage and make converts of any noir-naysayers, like the woman behind me at the December festival preview at the Grand Lake, who saw the Elvis Presley film King Creole flash on screen and remarked "Elvis?! Really?""
"Muller's response to that is straightforward: "Watch the movie! It's gangsters, it's everything. It's a typical noir story except the guy is a rock singer." While other Elvis movies were certified fluff for teenagers, he says, "this one has a serious crime element, it's in black and white ... Like, that's the Elvis noir movie.""
Noir City in Oakland pairs classic and unexpected film noir selections with live jazz performances to evoke the genre's sound and atmosphere. Programming emphasizes films that blend crime elements with musical settings, exemplified by the inclusion of Elvis Presley's King Creole as a noir entry. The festival curator arranged pianists, guitarists, tap dancers and singer Elizabeth Bougerol to perform before screenings. The festival moved screenings to the Grand Lake after departing the Castro Theatre, which is reopening with a changed focus and renovated auditorium seating.
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