In the 1930s and ‘40s, novelists Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain wrote masterworks of steamy crime fiction packed with knife-sharp prose, from The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity, to The Big Sleep and Mildred Pierce. But it wasn’t until Hollywood adapted these noir-themed novels into movie classics that Chandler and Cain became global icons. This is the incredible true story of how two writers came to define the Golden Age of noir, on page and onscreen.

Join New York Adventure Club as we travel to sun-drenched California in the 1930s and '40s to explore the sinister origins of Cain and Chandler’s stories, which pitted Hollywood studio chiefs, screenwriters, and censors against one another over how to translate these explosive novels to the screen.

Hosted by documentarian and author Steven C. Smith, our virtual experience covering many of Hollywood’s most thrilling noir dramas will include:

• A deep dive into Cain and Chandler before their works hit the big screen — Cain was a court reporter who turned a spectacular real-life murder case into a scandalous bestseller; Chandler was a hard-drinking former oil executive who created noir’s greatest private eye: Philip Marlowe
• Insights into how filmmakers snuck around strict Hollywood censorship to keep the novels’ most exciting elements intact, and which story points were too steamy for Hollywood
• Cain and Chandler’s involvement in the movies, including Chandler’s stormy collaborations with Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock, and how the films impacted the careers of actors like Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, and Joan Crawford
• How the movies sometimes improved on the books, and where the screen versions pulled their punches

Afterward, we'll have a Q&A with Steven — any and all questions about the stories of Chandler and Cain are welcomed and encouraged!

Can't make it live? Don't worry, you'll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually!

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you're using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Steven

Steven C. Smith is an award-winning biographer and four-time Emmy-nominated producer, whose work includes many documentaries on noir classics. These include A&E Biography profiles of Gene Tierney and Richard Widmark; and films on the making of Road House, Trapped, Too Late for Tears, The Prowler and Inferno. Many noir scores are discussed in his two biographies, Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood’s Most Influential Composer (Oxford) and A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann (UC Press).

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Categories: Arts, Virtual