Anne Rice, on writing:

If you want to be a writer, write.
Write and write and write.
If you stop, start again.
Save everything that you write.
If you feel blocked, write through it until you feel your creative juices flowing again.
Write.
Writing is what makes a writer, nothing more and nothing less.
- Anne Rice.

Recommended reading - More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts

 

More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts

More than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts
by James Naremore.

First published 1998.
Published by University of California Press.
Paperback.
 
ISBN-10: 0520254023
ISBN-13: 978-0520254022
 
Description:

"Film noir" evokes memories of stylish, cynical, black-and-white movies from the 1940s and '50s―melodramas about private eyes, femmes fatales, criminal gangs, and lovers on the run. James Naremore's prize-winning book discusses these pictures, but also shows that the central term is more complex and paradoxical than we realize. It treats noir as a term in criticism, as an expression of artistic modernism, as a symptom of Hollywood censorship and politics, as a market strategy, as an evolving style, and as an idea that circulates through all the media. This new and expanded edition of More Than Night contains an additional chapter on film noir in the twenty-first century.

Born on this day – Renée Adorée (1898)

Renée Adorée

Actress

September 30, 1898 – October 5, 1933

Credits:

Call of the Flesh (1930); Redemption (1930); The Pagan (1929); Tide of Empire (1929); The Spieler (1928); Show People (1928); The Mating Call (1928); The Michigan Kid (1928); The Cossacks (1928); Forbidden Hours (1928); A Certain Young Man (1928); Back to God's Country (1927); On Ze Boulevard (1927); Mr. Wu (1927); Heaven on Earth (1927); The Show (1927); The Flaming Forest (1926); Blarney (1926); Tin Gods (1926); Exquisite Sinner (1926); La Bohème (1926); The Blackbird (1926); The Big Parade (1925); Exchange of Wives (1925); Parisian Nights (1925); Man and Maid (1925); Excuse Me (1925); The Bandolero (1924); Defying the Law (1924); A Man's Mate (1924); Women Who Give (1924); The Eternal Struggle (1923); The Six-Fifty (1923); Day Dreams (1922); Mixed Faces (1922); Monte Cristo (1922); Honor First (1922); West of Chicago (1922); A Self-Made Man (1922); Made in Heaven (1921); The Strongest (1920); 500 Pounds Reward (1918).

Born on this day – Michael Powell:

Michael Powell

Director

September 30, 1905 – February 19, 1990

Born on this day – Deborah Kerr:

Deborah Kerr

Actress

September 30, 1921 – October 16, 2007

Credits:

100 Years at the Movies (1994); 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2008); 20 heures le journal (2007); 20 to 1 (2007); A Woman of Substance (1985); A.J. Cronin's Hatter's Castle (1942); AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories (2002); All Eyes on Sharon Tate (1966); America at the Movies (1976); American Masters (2004); An Affair to Remember (1957); And the Oscar Goes to... (2014); Ann and Debbie (1986); Arena (1981); Backstory (2001); BBC2 Playhouse (1982); Being Mary Tyler Moore (2023); Beloved Infidel (1959); Best of British (1987); Bicentennial Minutes (1975); Biography (2000); Birthday (1954); Black Narcissus (1947); Blackout (1940); Bonjour Tristesse (1958); Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010); Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man (1988); Casino Royale (1967); CBS Early Morning News (1982); Cinema mil (2005); Cinépanorama (1957); Compression (2024); Costa del Sol malaguena (1972); Count Your Blessings (1959); Courageous Mr. Penn (1942); Deborah Kerr, not just an English Rose (1986); Dinah! (1975–1977); Dream Wife (1953); Edward, My Son (1949); Empire of the Censors (1995); Entertainment Tonight (1987); Everything Is Copy (2015); Eye of the Devil (1966); Film '85 (1985); Film Preview (1966); Fred Astaire Salutes the Fox Musicals (1974); From Here to Eternity (1953); Getaway (2005); Good Morning America (1978); Greatest Movie Love Scenes (2006); Grosse Fische, kleine Fische (1973); Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957); Hold the Dream (1987); Hollywood and the Stars (1964); Hollywood Greats (1985); Hollywood Remembers (2000); Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure (2008); I See a Dark Stranger (1946); If Winter Comes (1947); ITV Play of the Week (1963); Jimmy Fund, Deborah Kerr (1956); John Huston, une âme libre (2021); John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick (1988); Julius Caesar (1953); Jungle Safari (1950); King Solomon's Mines (1950); L.A. Confidential (1997); Le Louvre, le plus grand musée du monde (1985–1988); Les échos du cinéma (1962); Les mille et une vies de Yul Brynner (2020); Love on the Dole (1941); Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024); Major Barbara (1941); Marriage on the Rocks (1965); Monty and the Movies (2024); My Name Is Lopez (2021); Nearest to Heaven (2002); Night of 100 Stars (1982); Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's (1997); On Location with 'The Sundowners' (1960); On the Trail of the Iguana (1964); Out of My Dreams: Oscar Hammerstein II (2012); Pam & Tommy (2022); Parkinson (1972); Person to Person (1954); Picture Parade (1956); Pierrot le fou (1965) / Cannes Film Festival (1984); Please Believe Me (1950); Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991); Prudence and the Pill (1968); Quo Vadis (1951); Reflets de Cannes (1962); Reunion at Fairborough (1985); Robert Mitchum, le mauvais garçon d'Hollywood (2018); Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star (1991); Rome, the Eternal City (1951); Scope (2017); Screen Goddesses (2005); Secret Voices of Hollywood (2013); Separate Tables (1958); Sir John Mills' Moving Memories (2000); Small World (1960); Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949); Starman (1984); Talking Pictures (2014–2016); Tea and Sympathy (1956); The 1990 European Film Awards (1990); The 26th Annual Academy Awards (1954); The 26th Annual Tony Awards (1972); The 29th Annual Academy Awards (1957); The 2th Annual American Cinema Awards (1985); The 37th Annual Academy Awards (1965); The 5th Annual People's Choice Awards (1979); The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards (2008); The 66th Annual Academy Awards (1994); The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008); The Arrangement (1969); The Assam Garden (1985); The Avengers (1942); The Best of the Don Lane Show (1994); The Chalk Garden (1964); The David Frost Show (1971–1972); The Dick Cavett Show (1970–1972); The Ed Sullivan Show (1955); The End of the Affair (1955); The Grass Is Greener (1960); The Gypsy Moths (1969); The Hucksters (1947); The Innocents (1961); The Journey (1959); The King and I (1956); The Lady with the Torch (1999); The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943); The Lords of Flatbush (1974); The Love Goddesses (1965); The Merv Griffin Show (1971–1975); The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951); The Mike Douglas Show (1973–1975); The Naked Edge (1961); The Night of the Iguana (1964); The Orange British Academy Film Awards (2008); The Prisoner of Zenda (1952); The Proud and Profane (1956); The Second Annual West End Theatre Awards (1977); The Sky Divers (1969); The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1958); The Sundowners (1960); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1964–1975); This Is Scotland (1957); This Is Your Life (1963–1985); Thunder in the East (1952); Too Young to Die (2012); Trumbo (2015); V.I.P.-Schaukel (1971 / 1974); Vacation from Marriage (1945); Variety Club of Great Britain Awards for 1961 (1962); Verifica incerta - Disperse Exclamatory Phase (1965); What's My Line? (1953–1954); Witness for the Prosecution (1982); Young Bess (1953); Yul Brynner: The Man Who Was King (1995).

 

Born on this day – Lamont Johnson:

Lamont Johnson

Actor

Director

September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010

Born on this day – Dan O'Bannon:

Dan O'Bannon

Actor

Writer

Director

September 30, 1946 – December 17, 2009

Credits:

A Conversation with Dan O'Bannon: The Final Interview (2011); A Little Bit Zombie (2012); Alien (1979); Alien Encounters: Superior Fan Power Since 1979 (2014); Alien Evolution (2001); Alien vs. Predator (1994 / 2004); Alien: Alone (2019); Alien: Containment (2019); Alien: Covenant (2017); Alien: Earth (2025); Alien: Enhancement Pods (2010); Alien: Harvest (2019); Alien: Isolation (2014); Alien: Night Shift (2019); Alien: Ore (2019); Alien: Resurrection (1997); Alien: Romulus (2024); Alien: Specimen (2019); Alien³ (1992); Aliens (1986); Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007); Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013); Area 51: The Alien Interview (1997); ASMR Xenomorph Attack (2019); Bird of Steel! (2024); Bleeders (1997); Blood Bath (1969); Bloodmyth (2006); Blue Thunder (1983 / 1984); Brave New Worlds: The Science Fiction Phenomenon (1993); Circus Maximus (2009); Cult Connections / Podcast Series (2021); Dan O'Bannon: Crafting Fear (2003); Dark Star (1974); Dead & Buried (1981); Delivering Milo (2001); Eli Roth's History of Horror (2020); Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors (1986); Film Genre (2002); Foster's Release (1971); Heavy Metal / Segment: Soft Landing (1981); Het loon van de angst (1983); I'm Gonna Eat Your Brains (2013); Invaders from Mars (1986); Jodorowsky's Dune (2013); Kill Her Goats (2023); L'antre du Mea (2017); Last Breath (2001); Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star (2010); Lifeforce (1985); Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019); Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures (2007); More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011); Movie Night Extravaganza (2022); Phobia (1980); Prometheus (2012); Return of the Living Dead: Designing the Dead (2002); Ride with the Angels: Making 'Blue Thunder' (2006); Screamers (1995); Special Collector's Edition (2014); Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (2007); Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); The AckerMonster Chronicles! (2012); The Alien Legacy (1999); The 'Alien' Saga (2002); The Beast Within: The Making of 'Alien' (2003); The Horror Hall of Fame (1990); The Resurrected (1991); The Return of the Living Dead (1985); Total Recall (1990 / 2012); Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (2007); Welcome to the Basement (2013–2014); When Muscles Ruled the World (2002); Zaum - Andare a parare (2011).

On this day in television history - Naked City (1958 - 1963)

Naked City

created by Stirling Silliphant,

was released in the United States on ABC,

and ran for four seasons from September 30, 1958 – May 29, 1963.

Narrated by Herbert B. Leonard and Lawrence Dobkin.

Theme music:

This is the Naked City by George Duning,

Somewhere in the Night by Billy May,

and The Naked City Theme by Nelson Riddle.

Cast:

James Franciscus, John McIntire, Harry Bellaver, Horace McMahon, Paul Burke, Nancy Malone, Alan Alda, Michael Ansara, Ed Asner, Martin Balsam, Barbara Barrie, Orson Bean, Robert Blake, James Caan, Godfrey Cambridge, Joseph Campanella, Diahann Carroll, James Coburn, Michael Constantine, William Daniels, Sandy Dennis, Bruce Dern, David Doyle, Keir Dullea, Robert Duvall, Peter Falk, James Farentino, Peter Fonda, Conard Fowkes, Eileen Fulton, Frank Gorshin, Harry Guardino, Gene Hackman, Barbara Harris, Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Hopper, Diana Hyland, Richard Jaeckel, David Janssen, Salome Jens, Jack Klugman, Shirley Knight, Piper Laurie, Diane Ladd, Audra Lindley, Jack Lord, George Maharis, Nancy Marchand, Sylvia Miles, Vic Morrow, Barry Morse, Robert Morse, Lois Nettleton, Leslie Nielsen, Carroll O'Connor, Susan Oliver, Marisa Pavan, Suzanne Pleshette, Robert Redford, Doris Roberts, Mark Rydell, Telly Savalas, George Segal, William Shatner, Martin Sheen, Tom Simcox, Jean Stapleton, Maureen Stapleton, Rod Steiger, Mel Stuart, Rip Torn, Cicely Tyson, Brenda Vaccaro, Dick Van Patten, Jon Voight, Christopher Walken, Deborah Walley, Jack Warden, Tuesday Weld, Dick York, Luther Adler, Eddie Albert, Robert Alda, Louise Allbritton, Kirk Alyn, Richard Basehart, Theodore Bikel, Nancy Carroll, Lee J. Cobb, Gladys Cooper, Hume Cronyn, Ludwig Donath, Diana Douglas, Betty Field, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Nina Foch, Ruth Ford, Martin Gabel, Peggy Ann Garner, Vincent Gardenia, Eileen Heckart, Barnard Hughes, Kim Hunter, Sam Jaffe, Glynis Johns, Kurt Kasznar, Abbe Lane, Eugenie Leontovich, Al Lewis, Viveca Lindfors, Ross Martin, Walter Matthau, Myron McCormick, Roddy McDowall, Burgess Meredith, Jean Muir, Meg Mundy, Mildred Natwick, Cathleen Nesbitt, Jeanette Nolan, Nehemiah Persoff, Claude Rains, Eugenia Rawls, Aldo Ray, Ruth Roman, Mickey Rooney, Albert Salmi, George C. Scott, Sylvia Sidney, Jan Sterling, Beatrice Straight, Akim Tamiroff, Lawrence Tierney, Jo Van Fleet, Eli Wallach, David Wayne, Jesse White, Cara Williams, Roland Winters, Keenan Wynn.

On this day in movie history - The Entity (1982)

The Entity

directed by Sidney J. Furie,

written by Frank De Felitta, and based on the novel by Frank De Felitta,

was released in the United Kingdom on September 30, 1982.

Music by Charles Bernstein.

Cast:

Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, David Labiosa, George Coe, Margaret Blye, Jacqueline Brookes, Richard Brestoff, Michael Alldredge, Raymond Singer, Allan Rich, Natasha Ryan, Melanie Gaffin, Alex Rocco, Sully Boyar, Tom Stern, Curt Lowens, Paula Victor, Lee Wilkof, Deborah Stevenson, Mark Weiner, Lisa Marie Gurley, Chris Howell, John Branagan, Daniel Furie, Amy Kirkpatrick, Todd Kutches, Pauline Lomas, Renee Neimark, Don Ramey Logan.

On this day in movie history - The Road to Memphis (2003)

The Road to Memphis

documentary directed by Richard Pearce,

written by Robert Gordon,

part 3 of the documentary series The Blues,

produced by Martin Scorsese,

was released in the United States on September 30, 2003.

Additional music by Davis Coen.

Cast:

Dr. Louis Cannonball Cantor, The Coasters, Jim Dickinson, Fats Domino, Rosco Gordon, Don Kern, B.B. King, Little Richard, Little Milton, Joe Mulherin, Calvin Newborn, Sam Phillips, Bobby Rush, Chris Spindel, Christine Spindel, Hubert Sumlin, Rufus Thomas, Ike Turner, Cato Walker III, Nat D. Williams, Howlin' Wolf.

On this day in movie history - Serenity (2005)

Serenity

directed and written by Joss Whedon,

based on the 2002 series Firefly by Joss Whedon,

was released in the United States on September 30, 2005.

Music by David Newman.

Cast:

Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Krumholtz, Michael Hitchcock, Sarah Paulson, Yan Feldman, Rafael Feldman, Nectar Rose, Tamara Taylor, Glenn Howerton, Hunter Ansley Wryn, Logan O'Brien, Erik Erotas, Demetra Raven, Jessica Huang, Marley McClean, Scott Kinworthy, Erik Weiner, Conor O'Brien, Peter James Smith, Weston Nathanson, Carrie 'CeCe' Cline, Chuck O'Neil, Amy Wieczorek, Tristan Jarred, Elaine Mani Lee, Terrence Hardy, Brian O'Hare, Ryan Tasz, Colin Patrick Lynch, Terrell Tilford, Joshua Michael Kwiat, Mischa Pfister, Antonio Rufino, Bobby Silva, David Sobolov, Linda Wang, Joss Whedon, Rick Williamson, Mark Winn.

On this day in movie history - The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh (2014)

The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh

documentary directed by Marilyn Ann Moss,

written by Joel Bender and Marilyn Ann Moss,

was released at the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland on September 30, 2014.

Music by Imre Czomba.

Cast:

Peter Bogdanovich, Johnny Crear, Dorisa Day, Illeana Douglas, Richard Erdman, Sidney J. Furie, John Gallagher, John A. Gallagher, Tab Hunter, C. Courtney Joyner, Norman Klein, Jack Larson, Paul Lynch, Leonard Maltin, Lee Marvin, Alan K. Rode, Jane Russell, Anthony Slide.

On this day in music history - 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault, by Stevie Nicks (2014)

24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault

by Stevie Nicks

was released on September 30, 2014.