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Noir City: Hell's Half Acre

USA | 1954 | 90 min. | John H. Auer

February 17, 2025

Noir City

Ready for a hundred-proof dose of “Tiki Noir?” Evelyn Keyes goes undercover as a taxi-dancer in Honolulu’s notorious red-light district searching for her missing GI husband. Toss sultry and statuesque Marie Windsor into the mix and it’s noir Nirvana with a slack-key guitar soundtrack.

Due to unforeseen technical challenges, all scheduled 35mm Noir City screenings will now be presented digitally.

Passes: $158 | $133 SIFF Members
Individual Tickets: Select showtime to purchase.

Note: Reserved seating is not available for Noir City. Members: Make sure to sign in to your SIFF account before selecting showtimes and passes.

Friday evening’s screenings of The Narrow Margin and Hell's Half Acre were cancelled due to technical difficulties with the sound system, and have been rescheduled for Monday. Our Box Office team has emailed ticket purchasers and passholders. Questions? Email boxoffice@siff.net.

Rescheduled showtimes:
Mon 2/17, 12:30pm - The Narrow Margin (35mm)
Mon 2/17, 3:00pm -Hell's Half Acre (35mm)

SIFF year-round passes are not valid for these screenings. Vouchers are being accepted.

Are you ready for a hundred-proof dose of “Tiki Noir?” Evelyn Keyes goes undercover as a taxi dancer in Honolulu’s notorious red-light district searching for her missing GI husband (Wendell Corey)—her only clue the recording of a Hawaiian love ballad with lyrics eerily similar to love letters she received during the war. Little does she know her guy is more than a simple songsmith—he’s now a gangster vying with Philip Ahn for control of the island’s vice rackets. Toss sultry and statuesque Marie Windsor into the mix and it’s noir Nirvana with a slack-key guitar soundtrack ... as fun as B movies get! Note courtesy of Noir City. 35mm collection print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

  • Director: John H. Auer
  • Principal Cast: Wendell Corey, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, Marie Windsor
  • Country: USA
  • Year: 1954
  • Running Time: 90 min.
  • Producer: John H. Auer
  • Screenplay: Steve Fisher
  • Cinematographers: John L. Russell
  • Editors: Fred Allen
  • Music: R. Dale Butts
  • Filmography: Pan-Americana (1945), Moonlight Masquerade (1942)
  • Language: English
  • Format: 35mm
  • US Distributor: Paramount Pictures