Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The film “Call Northside 777” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

The movie is set in Chicago in 1932. An officer is murdered inside a speakeasy, and two men are quickly arrested and sentenced to 99 years imprisonment.

After the mother of one prisoner, Frank Wiecek, puts out an ad 11 years later offering $5,000 in exchange for information on the true killers, a Chicago Times reporter is assigned to write a story on the case. Although he believes the prisoners to be guilty, the reporter’s opinion begins to change as the story develops.

He is met with increased police resistance followed by political pressure to end a story that may embarrass the administration. Despite the government’s insistence, Wiecek eventually is proved innocent.

Directed by Henry Hathaway and starring James Stewart, Richard Conte and Lee J. Cobb, this documentary-style film noir was the first movie filmed in Chicago. It received mostly positive reviews both when it was originally released and when it was released again on DVD in 2004.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.