
Past Event
Eddie Muller: Cocktails with TCM’s “Czar of Noir”
San Francisco is one of the great film noir cities, serving as the setting for classics like Dark Passage and The Lady from Shanghai. So it is only fitting that S.F.’s own Eddie Muller, host of “Noir Alley” on Turner Classic Movies, has emerged as one of the genre’s leading experts and champions. Muller created the successful Noir City film festival series and founded the Film Noir Foundation to save and restore endangered classics. He’s also a cocktail connoisseur (and former S.F. bartender) whose new book Noir Bar contains drinks drawn from and inspired by legendary noir films.
Muller, aka the “Czar of Noir,” joins us to discuss the book, the enduring appeal of film noir, and his work in film restoration. He’ll also share his views on storytelling and cultural preservation in the digital age, and who gets to decide what aspects of our culture are preserved. . . and why.
Join us for a “spirited” conversation with Eddie Muller, over cocktails from the “Noir Bar” (ticket includes one free cocktail).
This program has 2 types of tickets available: In-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.
Safety Protocols for in-person attendance:
- We follow best practices laid out by the CDC and state and local guidelines.
- We strongly recommend vaccination for guests, staff, and volunteers.
- Masks are strongly encouraged while indoors (if you do not have one and would like one, inquire at our front desk for a complimentary mask).
- We reserve the right to require different rules for specific events as necessary.
Our LEED Gold-certified building is designed to cool with outside air, using digitally controlled moveable windows and large ceiling fans. We are deploying additional HEPA filters inside to scrub the air. This is all in addition to increased cleaning of surfaces throughout the building.
We welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programs.
Photo courtesy the speaker.
French photo by Bev Brosius.
The Commonwealth Club of California
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

Eddie Muller
Host, Turner Classic Movies’ "Noir Alley"; Programmer and Hosts, Noir City Film Festival; Founder, Film Noir Foundation

Christine Madrid French
Director of Advocacy & Programs, San Francisco Heritage; Author, The Architecture of Suspense: The Built World in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock—Moderator
5–6 p.m. doors open, check-in & cocktails
6–7 p.m. program
7–7:45 p.m. book signing
(all times PDT)
COST
In-person:
$15 members
$25 nonmembers
$41 members with a book
$51 nonmembers with a book
ALL IN-PERSON TICKETS INCLUDE ONE COCKTAIL)
Online:
Free for members
$10 nonmembers
$26 members with a book
$36 nonmembers with a book