Fairfax Avenue. 1951. Directed by Jerry Lewis. With Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, Dino Crocetti, Patti Lewis. DCP. 30 min.
Janet Leigh commands her close-up as the faux Norma Desmond character in what an elaborate title sequence identifies as “the Jewish Sunset Boulevard.” Tony Curtis finds his inner boy-toy as the Desmond character’s companion and ostensible screenwriter, while Dean Martin defies typecasting as the Italian tenor who croons the title song. Shown with the 10-minute Eastman Color short An Eye for an Eye, with Leigh and Curtis as a couple dealing with suspicions of infidelity, as well as a selection of Fairfax Avenue outtakes (full program: 60 min.).