Film noir festival celebrates 25th year in Palm Springs
Even though the cinematic days of black and white mysteries with shady characters may be long gone, the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival continues to keep that legacy alive in Palm Springs. So much so that the festival is returning this week for its 25th year.
Founded in 2000 by the late mystery author and Palm Springs community leader Arthur Lyons, the festival showcases an eclectic mix of black and white
“B” movies from the 1940s and 1950s — some prestigious, some obscure. It also features a few special appearances from modern authors and filmmakers who've been inspired by those classics.
Film noir, which translates literally to black film, is a genre that often featured crime dramas and thrillers, sleazy characters and dim lighting. Some of the most iconic film noirs from the classic era include “Sunset Boulevard,” “Rebecca” and “The Third Man.”
This year's iteration of the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, ran by film historian and writer Alan. K. Rode, has just the right mix of glam and sleaze that classic film fans will be looking for. The festival runs Thursday through Sunday at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
‘A cultural guidepost’
Rode has helmed the festival for 17 years, following Lyons' death in 2008. He credits the passion from the Palm Springs area as the reason why the festival has remained so strong.
“I have a lot of people that come from all over the place, from North Dakota, from Australia, from Canada, certainly a lot from Los Angeles and Southern California, but the core audience has always been from Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley,” Rode said. “I just love seeing the same people year after year that support this festival, and it's really become a cultural guidepost of the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs after all these years. I'm delighted to be able to still do this.”
The addition of the tropical plants was also pivotal to transforming the front of the house, which had previously been the location of a large concrete motor court that Lee said was emblematic of the times, into what he calls an oasis that provided both privacy from the street and a better setting to enjoy the space.
The house is one of several projects Lee and his construction company, TED Construction, have undertaken in the Palm Springs area since coming to the city from San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic (he now goes between the city and Los Angeles). His other projects include planned bars in downtown Palm Springs, south Palm Springs and Coachella, and his firm also does general contract work on other projects.
The house was purchased for $1.35 million in 2021, according to Riverside County property records. It is currently listed for $4.188 million, which the agents say would break the previous record sale price of $3.4 million for a home in the Deepwell Estates neighborhood, located on the northwest side of the intersection of Highway 111 and Sunrise Way.
James Gault, one of the real estate agents for the home, said Lee’s approach to design has been about helping to usher in a new era and energy in the city.
“Old Palm Springs would be embodied by a dirty martini and cigarettes. The new Palm Springs we are looking to usher in is hot yoga and hot spritzes,” Gault said.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.