The Dryden will screen Open Secret (John Reinhardt, U.S. 1948, 68 min., 35mm) as part of the UCLA Festival of Preservation Tour series.

In the back room of a seedy, small-town bar, a group of men pronounce someone guilty of an unknown crime. Newlyweds John and Jane arrive as houseguests of an old army buddy only to have him turn up missing. As the couple investigate their friend's disappearance they realize that he and his town are hiding deep-rooted prejudices. The "open secret" is never mentioned except in a brief shot of the word "Jew" scribbled on a storefront. Austrian-born director John Reinhardt uses the language of film noir to explore the subject of anti-Semitism, as did other anti-Nazi émigré directors arriving in America after the Anschluss.

[source: George Eastman Museum calendar, 2018-May-7]