Eddie Muller

Last updated

Eddie Muller
Eddie Muller 1.jpg
Muller in 2006
Born (1958-10-15) October 15, 1958 (age 66) [1]
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation
Education San Francisco Art Institute
SpouseKathleen Maria Milne [2]

Eddie Muller (born October 15, 1958) is an American author and the founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation. He is known for his books about the film noir genre, and is the host of Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies. [3] He is known by his moniker: the "Czar of Noir". [4]

Contents

Born in San Francisco, Muller studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and worked as a bartender. He next worked as a newspaper journalist for nearly two decades. In 1996, Muller wrote his debut non-fiction book Grindhouse, with Daniel Faris. Two years later, he wrote Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, which explored the "classic period" of American film noir. He wrote a follow-up book Dark City Dames, detailing six biographies of American film actresses who portrayed notable femme fatales . Based on the former book, Muller collaborated with the American Cinematheque to program a film festival screening dedicated to film noir. This resulted in Muller launching the "Noir City" film festival, which currently screens films across major cities throughout the United States.

In 2005, Muller founded the Film Noir Foundation, dedicated to preserving and restoring film noirs. During the 2010s, he appeared as a host for the TCM Classic Film Festival and Classic Cruise, and in 2013, he appeared with Robert Osborne to present a primetime lineup of film noirs. In 2014, Muller was hired as a host for TCM, whereby he currently hosts the Noir Alley programming block that airs on weekends.

Early life

Muller was born in San Francisco, California to Edward John Vojkovich [5] (renamed Edward Muller, 1907–1982), a boxing sports writer, and Rose Muller (1915–2017). [6] He has three siblings: Bruce, Dean and Deborah. The elder Muller began working for San Francisco Examiner in 1924, as a copy boy. In 1930, he became a sports writer covering West Coast boxing fights in his column "Shadow Boxing". He earned the moniker "Mr. Boxer". He retired from the Examiner in 1976, and died of a heart attack on December 3, 1982. [7] [8]

During the late 1970s, Muller studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. There, he took a "narrative filmmaking" class taught by filmmaker George Kuchar, and filmed a 16 mm student film titled Bay City Blues, homaging the work of Raymond Chandler. It became one of five finalists for the 1979 Student Academy Award. Muller also starred in Kuchar's film Symphony for a Sinner (1979). [2] [9] Meanwhile, he worked as a professional bartender in his hometown. [10] He later followed in his father's career path, and worked as a print journalist for 16 years. [2]

Career

Author

In 1998, Muller wrote Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, published by St. Martin's Press. [11] It was nominated for the 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work from the Mystery Writers of America. [12] In 2001, Muller published a follow-up book titled Dark City Dames, chronicling six Hollywood actresses—Marie Windsor, Audrey Totter, Jane Greer, Ann Savage, Evelyn Keyes and Coleen Gray—who notably portrayed femme fatales . [13] In 2005, Muller co-authored the memoir Tab Hunter Confidential with the actor, following a two-year collaboration. The project originated after Hunter had read Muller's profile of his friend Evelyn Keyes in Dark City Dames. Amazed at his precision, Hunter called him asking if he would be interested in co-writing his memoir, which Muller agreed. [14] The book inspired a 2015 documentary film of the same name.

In 2002, Muller published his debut fictional novel, The Distance. Inspired by his father's sports writing career, the novel tells of Billy Nichols, who writes a boxing column for the San Francisco Inquirer. One night, Hack Escalante, a rising boxing star, kills his manager in a fit of rage, to which Billy helps to shield Hack from justice. [15] [16] It won the 2003 Shamus Award for the Best First P. I. Novel, from the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA). [17] In 2003, Muller wrote a sequel titled Shadow Boxer, in which Billy is enlisted to help a woman to clear her husband of a murder charge. Meanwhile, Billy investigates the case of a friend who was hurt by a liquor truck. [12]

In 2023, Muller published a cocktail recipe book titled Noir Bar, pairing 50 different noir films with each unique cocktail. [10] That same year, he co-authored his first picture book, Kid Noir: Kitty Feral and the Case of the Marshmallow Monkey, with Jessica Schmidt. The Running Press publishing company had approached Muller to write a children's noir book. He previously had written a children's story about a girl rescuing a stray cat, but it was turned down by publishers due to Muller's background in noir. [18]

Film Noir Foundation

Muller at NOIR CITY X, the 2012 film noir festival at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco Mr Noir City Eddie Muller.jpg
Muller at NOIR CITY X, the 2012 film noir festival at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco

In 1998, Muller was asked by the American Cinematheque to program their annual Festival of Film Noir, inspired by his book Dark City. [4] It was initially hosted at the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. In 2002, the festival, which was renamed "Noir City", migrated northward to San Francisco, finding a new location at the Castro Theater. It became financially successful, and launched satellite festivals in Chicago, Austin, Detroit, Boston, Washington D.C., and Seattle. [19] In 2020, Muller remembered, "We were ... well quite honestly, we were making so much money at the festival that I was like, 'I gotta do something with this.' I would ask for certain films [from studios] and be told [they] don't have a print. Films were missing, so that's why I elected to use the proceeds from this festival to start the foundation." [19]

In 2005, Muller founded the Film Noir Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to educate on the "cultural, historical, and artistic significance of film noir as an international cinematic movement." [20] [21] By 2020, the Noir Foundation has restored numerous films, including Too Late for Tears (1949), Woman on the Run (1950), and The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950). [22]

Television host

Muller first met Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne at his annual Classic Film Festival in Athens, Georgia, which was intended to raise financing for the Arts Department at the University of Georgia. [23] Charles Tabesh, vice president of network programming, had noticed the popularity of their noir programming during their live events, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival and the Classic Cruise. Shortly after, Tabesh offered Muller a non-exclusive contract to present film noir programming on the network. [23] In January 2013, Muller co-hosted a four-film marathon block titled "Night in Noir City," with Osborne. The featured films included Cry Danger (1951), 99 River Street (1953), Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951), and The Breaking Point (1950). [24] In June of the same year, he hosted the network's "Friday Night Spotlight," highlighting 16 noir films with adapted stories from Dashiell Hammett, David Goodis, James M. Cain, Jonathan Latimer, Cornell Woolrich, and Raymond Chandler. [25]

In January 2014, Muller stated he had been hired as an on-air host during his annual "Noir City" festival. [26] A year later, from June 5 to July 24, 2015, he hosted a Summer of Darkness festival block, which aired 24 hours of noir films on Fridays. Most notably, it premiered newly-restored editions of Woman on the Run (1950) and Too Late for Tears (1949), with restoration work funded by the Film Noir Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. [27] In conjunction, he also taught a free online course of the same name (with Prof. Richard Edwards of Ball State University). [28]

In March 2017, Muller began hosting a film noir programming block titled Noir Alley, with The Maltese Falcon (1941) as its first broadcast. [29] [30] As of 2024, it broadcasts on Saturday nights and repeats on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Personal life

Muller is married to Kathleen Marie Milne. [12] [2] He lives in Alameda, California. [31]

Books

Nonfiction

Fiction

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<i>Stranger on the Third Floor</i> 1940 film by Boris Ingster

Stranger on the Third Floor is a 1940 American film noir directed by Boris Ingster and starring Peter Lorre, John McGuire, Margaret Tallichet, and Charles Waldron, and featuring Elisha Cook Jr. It was written by Frank Partos. Modern research has shown that Nathanael West wrote the final version of the screenplay, but was uncredited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turner Classic Movies</span> American classic movie-oriented television channel

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atlanta, Georgia.

<i>Dead Reckoning</i> (1947 film) 1947 film by John Cromwell

Dead Reckoning is a 1947 American film noir directed by John Cromwell and starring Humphrey Bogart, Lizabeth Scott, Morris Carnovsky, and William Prince. It was written by Steve Fisher and Oliver H.P. Garrett, based on a story by Gerald Drayson Adams and Sidney Biddell, adapted by Allen Rivkin. Its plot follows a war hero, Warren Murdock (Bogart) who begins investigating the death of his friend and fellow soldier, Johnny Drake (Prince). The investigation leads Murdock to his friend's mistress, a mysterious woman whose husband Drake was accused of murdering.

<i>Repeat Performance</i> 1947 film by Alfred L. Werker

Repeat Performance is a 1947 American film noir starring Louis Hayward and Joan Leslie. The film was released by Eagle-Lion Films, directed by Alfred L. Werker, and produced by Aubrey Schenck.

<i>Too Late for Tears</i> 1949 film by Byron Haskin

Too Late for Tears is a 1949 American film noir starring Lizabeth Scott, Don DeFore, and Dan Duryea. Directed by Byron Haskin, its plot follows a ruthless woman who resorts to multiple murders in an attempt to retain a suitcase containing US$60,000 that does not belong to her. The screenplay was written by Roy Huggins, developed from a serial he wrote for The Saturday Evening Post. Arthur Kennedy, Kristine Miller, and Barry Kelley appear in support.

<i>The Sound of Fury</i> (film) 1950 film by Cy Endfield

The Sound of Fury is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Cy Endfield and starring Frank Lovejoy, Kathleen Ryan, Richard Carlson. The film is based on the 1947 novel The Condemned by Jo Pagano, who also wrote the screenplay.

<i>Trapped</i> (1949 film) 1949 film by Richard Fleischer

Trapped is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Lloyd Bridges, Barbara Payton, and John Hoyt. It was written by George Zuckerman and Earl Felton.

<i>The Crooked Way</i> 1949 film by Robert Florey

The Crooked Way is a 1949 American film noir starring John Payne, Sonny Tufts and Ellen Drew. Directed by Robert Florey and shot by John Alton, the film has a similar plot to another film noir, Somewhere in the Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Osborne</span> American film historian and actor (1932–2017)

Robert Jolin Osborne was an American film historian, author, actor and the primary television host for the premium cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for over twenty years. Prior to hosting at TCM, Osborne had been a host on The Movie Channel and American Movie Classics (AMC). He had also worked as a news columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. Osborne wrote the official history of the Academy Awards, with the first edition published in 1988.

<i>The Woman on Pier 13</i> 1949 film by Robert Stevenson

The Woman on Pier 13 is a 1949 American film noir drama starring Laraine Day, Robert Ryan, and John Agar. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the picture previewed in Los Angeles and San Francisco in 1949 under the title I Married a Communist but, owing to poor polling among preview audiences, this was dropped prior to its 1950 release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Mankiewicz</span> American television host (born 1967)

Benjamin Frederick Mankiewicz is an American television journalist and host for Turner Classic Movies (TCM). He is a progressive political commentator for The Young Turks. He has served as a film critic for the 2008–2009 season for the TV program At the Movies and the web series What the Flick?!

<i>Julie</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Andrew L. Stone

Julie is a 1956 American thriller starring Doris Day, Louis Jourdan, Barry Sullivan, and Frank Lovejoy. Produced by Day's own Arwin Productions, it is one of the earliest recognized stalker films. Both written and directed by Andrew L. Stone, the picture received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Original Screenplay and Best Song.

<i>Experiment in Terror</i> 1962 film by Blake Edwards

Experiment in Terror is a 1962 American neo-noir thriller film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Blake Edwards and written by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon based on their 1961 novel Operation Terror. The film stars Glenn Ford, Lee Remick, Stefanie Powers and Ross Martin. The musical score was composed by Henry Mancini.

<i>Blast of Silence</i> 1961 neo-noir film by Allen Baron

Blast of Silence is a 1961 American neo-noir film written and directed by, and starring Allen Baron, with Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker, and Peter H. Clune in supporting roles. Set during Christmastime, it follows a hitman who returns to his native New York City to commit a murder for hire. It was produced by Merrill Brody, who was also the cinematographer.

<i>The Clay Pigeon</i> 1949 film by Richard Fleischer

The Clay Pigeon is a 1949 American film noir directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Carl Foreman, based on a true story. The drama features Bill Williams and Barbara Hale, a real-life husband and wife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Winters (choreographer)</span> American actor, dancer, and choreographer (1939–2019)

David Winters was an English-born American actor, dancer, choreographer, producer, distributor, director and screenwriter. At a young age, he acted in film and television projects such as Lux Video Theatre,Naked City; Mister Peepers,Rock, Rock, Rock, and Roogie's Bump. He received some attention in Broadway musicals for his roles in West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). In the film adaptation of West Side Story (1961) he was one of the few to be re-cast. It became the highest grossing motion picture of that year, and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

<i>Walk a Crooked Mile</i> 1948 film by Gordon Douglas

Walk a Crooked Mile is a 1948 American anti-communist, Cold War crime film, directed by Gordon Douglas, starring Dennis O'Keefe and Louis Hayward.

Matthew Kennedy is an American writer, film historian, and anthropologist.

<i>Hunt the Man Down</i> 1950 film by George Archainbaud

Hunt the Man Down is a 1951 American crime film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Gig Young.

Alan K. Rode is an American film scholar and preservationist, cinema host and producer. He is best known for his books, Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film, Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy and Blood on the Moon.

References

  1. ↑ Turner Classic Movies (October 15, 2020). "Join us in wishing the Czar of Noir, our very own host Eddie Muller a very happy birthday today!". Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024– via Facebook.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Backstory". EddieMuller.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Eddie Muller". Turner Classic Movies. Warner Bros. Discovery. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Davis, J. Madison (Summer 2019). "A Chat with Eddie Muller, TCM's "Czar of Noir"". World Literature Today . Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  5. ↑ Herron, Don (December 9, 2002). "Crime on the Ropes". Publishers Weekly. EddieMuller.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Rose Muller (1915–2017)". San Francisco Chronicle. Legacy.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  7. ↑ Reznek, Dave (December 4, 1982). "Ex-Examiner writer Eddie Muller dies at 75". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ Miller, Johnny (December 2, 2007). "Boxing writer Muller dies". San Francisco Examiner. p. 27. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  9. ↑ "1978 Eddie Muller, George Kuchar, Czar of Noir". SF Artists Alumni Inc. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Lenker, Maureen Lee (May 16, 2023). "Eddie Muller's Noir Bar reveals best drinks for classic films". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  11. ↑ Nicholson, David (June 16, 1998). "Through a Lens Darkly". The Washington Post (Book review). Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 "Eddie Muller". Encyclopedia.com . Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  13. ↑ Miller, Roger K. (July 5, 2001). "Out of the shadows: Tales of film noir's actresses". The Philadelphia Inquirer (Book review). p. C2. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  14. ↑ "Tab Hunter". EddieMuller.com. 2006. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  15. ↑ Anderson, Jeffrey M. (February 22, 2002). "Thinking outside the boxing ring". San Francisco Examiner. pp. C1, C9. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. ↑ "The Distance". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Shamus Award Winners". Private Eye Writers of America. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  18. ↑ Kantor, Emma (September 7, 2023). "Q & A with Eddie Muller". Publishers Weekly (Interview). Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Arietta, Greg (February 11, 2020). "An Interview with Eddie Muller, The Czar of Noir". Cinema as We Know It. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  20. ↑ Grifiths, John (2020). "Class Acts". Emmy Magazine. No. 3. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Index". Film Noir Foundation. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  22. ↑ Cecera, Rudy (March 28, 2020). "INTERVIEW: Eddie Muller, Czar Of Noir". Screen Comment. Archived from the original on May 3, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  23. 1 2 Sorrento, Matthew (June 26, 2015). "The "Czar of Noir" on TCM's Summer of Darkness". Film International (Interview). Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  24. ↑ Muller, Eddie. "A Night in Noir City". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 10, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  25. ↑ Muller, Eddie. "Eddie Muller on Dashiell Hammett". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  26. ↑ Brody, Meredith (January 26, 2014). "Turner Classic Movies Adds Film Noir Programmer Eddie Muller as On-Air Host (EXCLUSIVE)". IndieWire . Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  27. ↑ "HFPA-Funded Restored Films To Be Shown on TCM's Summer of Darkness". Golden Globes LLC. June 2, 2015. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  28. ↑ Accomando, Beth (June 12, 2015). "Mystery Loves Company, And TCM's Noir Movie Marathon Has Plenty Of Both". National Public Radio . Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  29. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (April 9, 2019). "TCM at 25: Ben Mankiewicz on How to Make the Perfect Introduction". Variety . Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  30. ↑ Bubbeo, Daniel (March 2, 2017). "'Noir Alley' on TCM to feature film noir movies weekly" . Newsday . Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  31. ↑ Hirschfield, C. J. (June 2, 2023). "Eddie Muller's Latest Venture into the Spirit World". Alameda Post. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Volume 13, Issue 1". Participations. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.