Welcome! The lobby of the Deranged L.A. Crimes theater is open. Grab a bucket of popcorn, some Milk Duds and a Coke and find a seat. Tonight’s feature is THE BIG KNIFE starring Ida Lupino, Jack Palance, Wendell Corey, Jean Hagen, Rod Steiger and Shelley Winters.

Enjoy the movie!

From a TCM article by Jeff Stafford:

The tone of the entire film is set in the opening shot of The Big Knife accompanied by a portentous voiceover by Richard Boone stating, “This is Bel Air. Lush, luxurious retreat of the wealthy and powerful. If you work in the motion picture industry and are successful, this is where you will probably make your home. Failure is not permitted here.” Regarding his true intentions, director Robert Aldrich stated (in The Films and Career of Robert Aldrich by Edward T. Arnold and Eugene L. Miller) that he did not feel The Big Knife was “exactly anti-Hollywood, for that would make it too sectional. To me it can apply to any sphere of business, or the arts, where man’s natural liberty or expression is squelched by unworthy, incompetent, tyrannical leaders or bosses, many of whom are not deserving of their powers.”