James Cagney and Virginia Mayo in a scene from WHITE HEAT, 1949.

These are the events make you love NYC even more.  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences started “Monday Nights with Oscar®” series, and next Monday they will celebrate film noir with a screening of “White Heat” (1949).    Academy Writers Branch member Richard LaGravenese (“The Fisher King,” “Water for Elephants”) will introduce the screening.

Directed by Raoul Walsh, “White Heat” marked the return of James Cagney to the gangster genre that made him a star. Cagney portrays Cody Jarrett, a mother-obsessed escaped convict and leader of a ruthless gang of thieves. While plotting the biggest heist of his life, Jarrett unwittingly befriends an undercover cop (Edmond O’Brien) and sets the stage for his own downfall.  Virginia Mayo rounds out the cast as the gangster’s wife.

The screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts features such memorable lines as “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!” and was based on a story by Virginia Kellogg, who garnered an Academy Award® nomination for Motion Picture Story.  The print to be screened is from the Academy Film Archive.

The screening will take place Monday, March 7, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org or by mail (a printable order form is available in the Events & Exhibitions section of the website).  Tickets may also be purchased at the box office prior to the event (subject to availability).

The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues) in New York City.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, you can visit www.oscars.org or call 212.821.9251.

A great way to start of a romantic evening with that special someone.  Follow this with a nice dinner at one of Haute Living’s Top 5 restaurants in NYC.

Read more from Martha at her blog, Lela Luxe.

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