When it was released in 1958, The Lineup wasn’t well-received; audiences may have been confused by the fact that the film was sort of, but not really, inspired by a TV series of the same name. Nowadays, though, The Lineup is popular with film buffs who not only appreciate its gritty noir atmosphere but also see it as a prelude to some more famous works of the 1960s and 1970s. Director Don Siegel went on to be a filmmaking mentor to Clint Eastwood — Siegel helmed Eastwood’s career-defining Dirty Harry. Screenwriter Stirling Silliphant went on to win an Oscar for writing In the Heat of the Night. And star Eli Wallach, who plays a vicious contract killer, went on to become one of Hollywood’s legendary actors. But perhaps the most influential aspect of The Lineup is its climactic car-chase scene on the streets of San Francisco, a nail-biting concept that Siegel would revisit in Dirty Harry. The Lineup screens as part of the library’s Movies @ Main series. DANA KOPP FRANKLIN
Movies @ Main: The Lineup
