The FILM NOIR series at Coos Bay Public Library continues on Sunday, February 17th at 4:00. The 1951 noir thriller “On Dangerous Ground” is this month’s feature. Robert Ryan plays Jim Wilson, a tough police detective embittered by years of dealing with low-life urban scum, in Nicholas Ray’s moving film noir. After severely beating several suspects, Jim is assigned to a case far from the city to find the killer of a young girl. Joining the manhunt, in snow-covered terrain, Wilson finds himself paired with the victim’s father, Walter Brent (Ward Bond), who plans to shoot the killer himself. When the two men come upon a cabin occupied by Mary Malden (Ida Lupino), a blind woman who is also the killer’s sister, Wilson’s life is changed forever. Mary, a generous and loving person who has cared for her mentally ill brother Danny (Sumner Williams) since the death of their parents, convinces Wilson to protect Danny from Brent. Wilson also promises to get help for Danny if he surrenders to him. Inspired by Mary’s courage and recognizing Brent’s rage as the mirror image of his own, Wilson gains the insight to free himself from his own blindness. The Film Noir series is held on the third Sunday of the month. Everyone is welcome at this free program sponsored by The Friends of Coos Bay Public Library. The Library is located at 525 Anderson Avenue. Please call 269-1101 or visit coosbaylibrary.org for further information about this program.
