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DEADLINE AT DAWN by Harold Clurman Opened the Film Noir Program at the 23rd FICM

Sofía Alvarado

At the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), Eddie Muller, founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation, presented the film Deadline at Dawn (1946), directed by Harold Clurman, as part of Noir City, a program dedicated to film noir classics.

Deadline at Dawn is a classic thriller based on the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich, also known as William Irish, and adapted by playwright Clifford Odets. Set in Manhattan, the story follows a sailor named Alex Winkley, a nightclub dancer named June Goffe, and a philosophical cab driver. Together, they start an investigation to solve Edna Bartelli’s murder, who was found dead in her apartment. However, a series of events lead Alex to suspect he’s the prime culprit after having a drunk blackout the previous night. The investigation becomes convoluted as the characters make their own choices, leading to a surreal ending.

The film's scenes, captured by cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca, unfold between dusk and dawn, creating one of the most accomplished adaptations of Woolrich's novel.

As he presented the film, Eddie Muller explained how film noir emerged in the 1940s, following both World War I and World War II. Having grown up watching these films on television, he shared a personal reflection: “I like to think film noir matured during this era.”