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If You Like... Classic Mysteries
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39 Steps
Canadian Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), is visiting in London when he stumbles upon a conspiracy that thrusts him into a hectic chase across the Scottish moors—a chase in which he is both the pursuer and the pursued—as well as into an unexpected romance with the cool Pamela (Madeline Carroll). Adapted from the novel by John Buchan, this is another heart-racing spy story directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
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Anatomy of a Murder
This courtroom drama pits a small-town lawyer against a big-city one in the defense of a jealous army lieutenant for the murder of his wife's rapist. Based on the book by Robert Traver, defense attorney Paul Biegler represents Frederick Manion, a young Army lieutenant who claims that the man he shot had raped his wife, only to discover that the case may be far more complex than he had ever imagined.
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The Big Sleep
A hard boiled detective story featuring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, this is the first film version of Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel of the same name. When a case of blackmail involving the daughter of a California millionaire leads to murder, the inimitable private eye Philip Marlowe is stirred into action as he becomes embroiled in a troublesome case of extortion complicated by kidnapping, pornography, seduction, and murder.
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The Birds
This 1963 film is a modern Hitchcock thriller/masterpiece, and his first with Universal Studios. It is the apocalyptic story of a northern California coastal town in which the residents are inexplicably attacked by hundreds of ordinary birds of all shapes and sizes. Based loosely on a short story found in Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre
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Citizen Kane
The story of an immensely wealthy newspaper publisher, as he is remembered by his friends and former wife after his death. Loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. This 1941 American mystery drama directed by Orson Welles is frequently called the greatest film of all time. It is based on a original screenplay, but aficionados might enjoy reading Citizen Kane: A Filmmaker's Journey.
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Diabolique
A sadistic school headmaster is murdered by his wife and mistress, but when his body cannot be found, they are terrorized by his seeming presence everywhere. A classic French suspense film, it was released in the United States in 1955 and is available in French with optional English subtitles.
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Dial M for Murder
Jealous of his wife's affair, a man plots to frame his wife for a murder when his attempt to kill her goes awry in this 1954 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The original screenplay - and the successful stage play on which it was based - were written by English playwright, Frederick Knott.
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The Lady Vanishes
In this 1938 thriller, a British woman vanishes from a train in Switzerland. Two of her fellow passengers, also British, investigate and come upon a situation that is more than they expected. Based on a 1936 novel, The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White
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Laura
Investigating the murder of a beautiful woman, a police detective finds himself falling in love with her in one of the most celebrated 1940s film noirs. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, the screenplay is based on the 1943 detective novel by Vera Caspary.
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Maltese Falcon
Humphrey Bogart plays anti-hero Sam Spade, the detective in search of the man who killed his partner. Many film historians consider this the first in the dark film noir genre in Hollywood. The low-budget film reflects the remarkable directorial debut of John Huston who also wrote the screenplay, adapted from the book by Dashiell Hammett.
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Midnight Lace
Set in London, the sanity of a newlywed heiress comes into question when, after a number of unwitnessed near-fatal accidents and life-threatening phone calls, she claims to be the target of a stalker. As time passes and her reports of more calls and a visit from a mysterious stranger nobody else sees are met with skepticism by everybody, the woman begins to unravel and becomes increasingly paranoid, suspecting everyone around her, including her debonair new husband (Rex Harrison). This 1960 film is based on the play Matilda Shouted Fire by Janet Green.
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North by Northwest
Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is a lighthearted ad executive whose life is turned upside down when he is mistaken for a government agent. Hunted across the country by a ruthless spy (James Mason) this gripping Hitchcock classic laid the groundwork for countless action thrillers to follow.
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Notorious
The innocent daughter of a war criminal is persuaded to help a U.S. agent trap a Nazi mastermind now living in Brazil
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La Poison
In this dark comedy, when a husband and wife plot to kill each other and the husband succeeds, he is acquitted by the courts and welcomed back home as a hero, even though he cheerfully admits to his guilt
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Police Story = Ging Chaat Goo Si
A Hong Kong cop is framed for murdering a fellow officer after busting a big time mob boss; a mob boss seeks revenge on the Hong Kong cop who sent him to prison
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St Charles Public Library Temporary Address: 305 S. 9th Street. St Charles, Illinois 60174 630-584-0076http://www.scpld.org/ |
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