Film Forum

Programmed by Bruce Goldstein

David Thomson, author of Warner Bros: The Making of an American Studio, will introduce the following screenings:

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (September 22, 7:40) book signing following film

White Heat (September 23, 4:45)

Heroes for Sale (September 24, 12:30)

To Have and Have Not (September 24, 4:35) book signing following film

Reviews

“Sure, Warner Bros. broke the sound barrier with The Jazz Singer, but in the early years of talkies it carved out its true turf as the home of gangster films.”
– Daniel M. Gold, The New York Times

“This expansive Film Forum retrospective is plenty meaty.”
– amNewYork

“It didn’t have the pricey glamour of MGM, the velvety polish of Paramount or the cheery slickness of Twentieth Century Fox, but Warner Bros. had gritty energy—and the studio played it for all it was worth… The best of Warner's heyday remain vivid, heady experiences thanks to a mix of black-and-white chiaroscuro imagery, fast narrative pacing, forceful ensemble performances and an often progressive political edge not commonly shared by other Hollywood movies of the time. Film Forum’s lineup provides a collection of vibrant, provocative samplings of what Warner Bros. did best with whatever material, talent and resources it had.”
– Eric Monder, Film Journal

Films in this Series