Oscar Noir Screens Kiss Of Death 8/23

"Kiss of Death" (1947), featuring Richard Widmark's memorable screen debut as Tommy Udo, one of the great villains of film noir, will be screened as the next feature in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' series "Oscar Noir: 1940s Writing Nominees from Hollywood's Dark Side" on Monday, August 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The film will be introduced by Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth. Coleen Gray, who played Nettie in the film, will be the evening's special guest.

The film, starring Victor Mature and Brian Donlevy and directed by Henry Hathaway from a screenplay by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer, received Academy Award® nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role (Widmark) and Writing - Motion Picture Story (Eleazar Lipsky).

At 7 p.m., footage of Walter Mirisch and Charlton Heston during the 1975 dedication of the Academy headquarters building, and the Walt Disney cartoon short "Duck Pimples" (1945), starring Donald Duck, will be screened as part of the evening's pre-feature program.

"Oscar Noir" is a summer-long series featuring 15 film noir classics from the 1940s, all of which were nominated in writing categories. "Kiss of Death" is the second-to-last screening in the series, but there will be a special presentation of "The Maltese Falcon," plus recap highlights from the series, on Monday, September 13. A complete list of films can be found at http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2010/noir.html.

Tickets to individual evenings are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.