Legendary senior editor, vice president of Alfred Knopf, consulting editor, and author of A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 teams up with Foster in a new podcast series where they talk about books and movies — now available on YouTube.
Episode 1 – The Art of the Arts: Victoria and Foster discuss his latest work, Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties and more.
UPDATE: Episode 2 – Busting Out or the Deadly Cul-de-Sac. Released November 20, Victoria and Foster discuss four riveting and pathfinding films: Andrew Stone’s suspense vise-grip, THE STEEL TRAP; William Inge’s explosive PICNIC; John Ford’s masterwork, THE SEARCHERS; and Douglas Sirk’s daring pastoral, ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS.
EVENTS / APPEARANCES
NOVEMBER 11: Discussing HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES at 10.30 at Learning in Retirement at the Temple Beth El, 350 Roxbury Road, Stamford, CT
NOVEMBER 13: Presenting ON THE WATERFRONT followed by discussion of HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES, at the Great Neck Library, presented by the Gold Coast Film Festival of Great Neck 2-5.30
NOVEMBER 20 The Coffee House podcast series Talk of the Town! with Foster Hirsch and Victoria Wilson in conversation with author, art historian, and biographer Nicolas Fox Weber. The Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York, NY
NOVEMBER 24 Interview for documentary, JAMES DEAN IN NEW YORK, in Dean’s New York apartment
DECEMBER 11: The Coffee House podcast series Talk of the Town! with Foster Hirsch and Victoria Wilson in conversation with author Julie Gilbert (Giant Love). The Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York, NY
DECEMBER 13: Presenting ON THE WATERFRONT – opening night at the Marlon Brando centennial – Film Forum, 209 W Houston St, New York, NY
DECEMBER 16: Presenting NIAGARA at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
DECEMBER 26: Presenting REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE – Film Forum, 209 W Houston St, New York, NY
DECEMBER 16: Presenting THE BIG HEAT at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
JANUARY 15: Presenting FROM HERE TO ETERNITY at the British Film Institute, London, UK
JANUARY 21: Discussing HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES at the Hotel Madison, Paris, for Americans in Paris
Highlights from recent events
OCTOBER 6: Interviewing George Stevens, Jr. following the screening of GEORGE STEVENS: A FILMMAKERS JOURNEY at Film Forum, 209 W Houston St., New York, NY
OCTOBER 18-20: Introducing 14 films at NOIR CITY: D.C. at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Springs, MD
OCTOBER 28: Presenting CRY TERROR at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
OCTOBER 30
The Coffee House podcast series Talk of the Town! with Foster Hirsch and Victoria Wilson in conversation with Rose Styron, renowned American poet, journalist, and human rights activist. The Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York, NY
Interview with Whit Stillman following a screening of THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC
SEPTEMBER 25 The Coffee House podcast series Talk of the Town! launches with Foster Hirsch and Victoria Wilson. The first podcast will discuss writing, editing, research and the life of the writer and editor. The Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York, NY
SEPTEMBER 30: Presenting ANGEL FACE at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
AUGUST 3: Presenting SERGEANT RUTLEDGE followed by conversation with Constance Towers and Christopher Hunter, at the Bruggemeyer Memorial Library, Monterey Park, CA, at 1 pm. View the press release (pdf)
AUGUST 10: Appearing at the East Hampton Library’s Authors Night. Tickets available here.
AUGUST 12: Presenting THE WRONG MAN, at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
JULY 10: Book talk and signing – The Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich, 1 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT. The program will also be screened on Zoom. More info (pdf)
JULY 27: Celebrating the centennial of Eva Marie Saint: introducing NORTH BY NORTHWEST at 2:30 pm and 7 pm, Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo, California
JULY 28: Hosting tribute to Don Murray – screening BUS STOP (1956) at 7:00 pm at the American Cinematheque, Los Feliz 3, Los Angeles, California
JUNE 5: Presenting REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) and book signing at the Jacob Burns Film Center, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville, NY
JUNE 10: Reel Talks with Foster Hirsch – book talk and signing, Bryant Park, New York at 12:30 pm
JUNE 14-16: Presenting NOIR CITY: Boston at The Brattle, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA
JUNE 17: Presenting THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950) at 7.00 pm at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
JUNE 21: Presenting REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1950) at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
JUNE 23: Presenting SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) and book signing at the glorious Tampa Theatre, Tampa, FL
MAY 20: Presenting THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) at 7.00 pm at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
APRIL 4: Arts Club of Washington – author discussion and signing at 5:30 – 7 pm, Arts Club of Washington 2017 I (Eye) St, NW Washington DC
APRIL 5: Fabulous Fifties continues at AFI Silver Theatre, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) and BEN-HUR (1959), intros and book signing, Silver Spring, MD
APRIL 6: Fabulous Fifties, AFI Silver Theatre, SILVER LODE (1954), BORN YESTERDAY (1950), and THE SEARCHERS (1956) intros and book signing, Silver Spring, MD
APRIL 8: Presenting REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) at 7.00 pm at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
APRIL 13: Old Town Music Hall – presenting THE THING (1951) at 2:30 pm and THEM! (1954) at 7 pm, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo, CA
APRIL 20: Presenting THE PHENIX CITY STORY (1955) at the TCM Classic Film Festival, Hollywood, CA
APRIL 26: RiverRun Film Festival, Winston-Salem, NC – SERGEANT RUTLEDGE (1960) intro and interview the star of the film, Constance Towers
APRIL 27: RiverRun Film Festival, Winston-Salem, NC – presenting JULIE (1956)
MARCH 14: They Don’t Make ‘Em Like This Anymore – presentation and book signing from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Canoe Place Inn, 239 East Montauk Highway. Hampton Bays, NY 11946
MARCH 15: Sag Harbor Cinema, introducing DIAL M FOR MURDER in 3D (1954), book signing, 90 Main St, Sag Harbor, NY
MARCH 21: Savannah Center, introductions at an all-day 50s noir festival including THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950), PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1953), KISS ME DEADLY (1955), and VERTIGO (1958), at 1545 North Buena Vista Blvd, The Villages, FL
MARCH 22: Book signing at Barnes & Noble – The Villages, 1055 Old Camp Road, The Villages, FL at noon
FEBRUARY 2: Fabulous Fifties series at AFI Silver Theatre, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) and THEM! (1954), intros and book signing
FEBRUARY 3: Fabulous Fifties series at AFI Silver Theatre, MY SON JOHN (1952) and A SUMMER PLACE (1959), and BONJOUR TRISTESSE (1958), intros and book signing
FEBRUARY 4: Fabulous Fifties series at AFI Silver Theatre, IMITATION OF LIFE (1959) and CARMEN JONES (1954), and DIAL M FOR MURDER in 3D (1954), intros and book signing
FEBRUARY 8: Gold Coast Arts at Port Washington Library at 7 pm, interview and book signing, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington, NY
FEBRUARY 14: Westport Public Library with Melissa Newman at 7 pm, 20 Jesup Road Westport, CN
FEBRUARY 24: Movie Madness University at the Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR, introducing IMITATION OF LIFE (1959) and THE STEEL TRAP (1952)
FEBRUARY 25: Introducing NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955), Hollywood Theatre in Portland, OR, book signing
FEBRUARY 29: Cosmopolitan Club, New York, interview and book signing
JANUARY 8: Presenting BIGGER THAN LIFE (1956) at 7.30 pm, Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY
JANUARY 17: Introducing TRAPPED (1949) at Kennington Noir, The Cinema Museum, 2 Dugard Way, Renfrew Rd, London SE11 4TH
JANUARY 24: Presenting THE BIGAMIST (1953) at the British Film Institute at 6:10 PM, followed at 8:00 PM with a talk about HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES, book sales and signing, American edition at the Rueben Library.
DECEMBER 1: Author appearance and book signing at Barbara’s Bookstore downtown store at noon, 111 N. State Street, Chicago, IL
DECEMBER 9: The Friends of Oakridge at 11 am — book signing and discussion, and presenting JEOPARDY (1953), Oakridge Estate, 18650 Devonshire St., Northridge, CA
DECEMBER 9: Foster & Friends at Larry Edmunds Bookstore at 4 pm — book signing and discussion with special guests Diane Baker, Millie Perkins, and France Nuyen, 6644 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
DECEMBER 10: The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theater, book signing and presenting IMITATION OF LIFE (1959) at 3:00 pm, followed by interview with Susan Kohner, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
DECEMBER 12: Presenting double bill of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) and INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN at the Roadium Drive-in, 7 pm, free admission, book sales and signing
DECEMBER 19: Presenting CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) in 3D, 7.30 pm at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
NOVEMBER 27: Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY: presenting ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) at 7.30, in a continuing series of films from the 50s
NOVEMBER 28: Interview, the National Arts Club, in conversation with Victoria Wilson, editor of the book, 15 Gramercy Park, NYC
NOVEMBER 30: Music Box Theatre, presenting THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) and BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955), 3733 N. Southport Ave, Chicago
Foster Hirsch on AFI’s Fabulous ’50s series
AFI Silver’s Director, Todd Hitchcock, spoke to the noted author and film historian about his latest book, Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties, which inspired AFI’s Fabulous ’50s series, that ran from February 2 through May 2. The complete interview is available here.
“One of my principal goals in taking on the ’50s was to ‘protect’ the decade from its stereotyped image as an age of dull conformity, consumerism and apathy. It was, in fact, a time of high anxiety, deep political schisms — as sharply polarized as the politics of the moment — and cultural ferment…. I am convinced that not only were the movies of the period, on the whole, better than the movies of today, but going to the movies was an incomparably richer, more inviting and memorable experience.”
—Foster Hirsch