Scarlet Street (PG) PRESENTED IN 16MM FILM

Scarlet Street at The Revival House Perth

Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is a meek, middle-aged cashier trapped in a loveless marriage to a shrewish wife who constantly reminds him of her late first husband's superiority. His only escape is painting—amateur works he creates in secret. When Chris rescues a young woman named Kitty March (Joan Bennett) from an attacker in Greenwich Village, he's instantly smitten. What Chris doesn't know is that Kitty and her manipulative boyfriend Johnny (Dan Duryea) are con artists who see him as an easy mark. When Johnny discovers Chris paints, he hatches a scheme: let Kitty pose as the artist, sell Chris's paintings for massive profits, and string the lovesick fool along for every penny. As Chris embezzles from his employer to fund Kitty's lifestyle and lies pile upon lies, his infatuation spirals into obsession—leading to murder, a wrongful execution, and a fate worse than prison for the man whose greatest crime was believing someone could love him.

Director Fritz Lang crafts one of film noir's bleakest and most psychologically brutal entries, a 1945 masterpiece that pulls no punches in its portrait of delusion and exploitation. Edward G. Robinson delivers a heartbreaking performance, transforming from pathetic to pitiable to monstrous as his fantasies crumble. Joan Bennett is mesmerizing as the amoral Kitty, neither purely villain nor victim but a product of her circumstances, while Dan Duryea excels as the sneering Johnny. Lang's expressionistic visual style—shadows, mirrors, and staircases that suggest Chris's descent—creates an atmosphere of inescapable doom. The film's ending, which sees Chris survive physically but destroyed spiritually, remains one of classic Hollywood's most devastating conclusions, made possible because the Production Code had just lifted its ban on depicting unpunished murder.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 16mm film.

When: Saturday, March 21st at 2:30PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: PG (Occasional low level violence)

Lang's devastating noir about delusion, exploitation, and a good man's descent into hell—experience this rarely screened masterpiece in authentic 16mm.

Presented by: The Revival House Perth