"Kiss of Death," starring Richard Widmark as a giggling villain who shoves an old woman in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs, was anything but for the actor's career.

It marked his film debut, earned him an Oscar nomination (he lost to Edmund Gwenn from "Miracle on 34th Street") and was the first movie mentioned in his obituary when he died in March at age 93.

"Kiss of Death" will kick off the July Sunday night series, "The Face of Noir: Richard Widmark," at the Regent Square Theater, 1035 S. Braddock Ave. Movies start at 8 p.m. and admission is $8.

After the July 6 "Kiss of Death" opener, the series will continue July 13 with "Night and the City," starring Widmark as a fight promoter trying to stay ahead of debt collectors in London; July 20, "Panic in the Streets," an Elia Kazan thriller about a murder victim in New Orleans with bubonic plague; and "Pickup on South Street," with Widmark as a pickpocket who unwittingly lifts some secret microfilm intended for a Communist spy.

In other news, Alexander Sokurov's "Alexandra," an unconventional war film starring Russian opera legend Galina Vishnevskaya, is being held over at the Regent Square for afternoon shows only tomorrow and Sunday.

And if you're in the market for something family-friendly and free, Pittsburgh Filmmakers will show "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" on the lawn at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, corner of Fifth and Shady avenues, on Thursday at 9:15 p.m.

Movie & mortgage

Now this is a promotion for our times. Hancock, the character played by Will Smith in the movie of the same name, has inspired a mortgage payoff contest by Columbia Pictures.

Entrants have to write a 200-word essay explaining why they deserve to have their mortgage paid off. Go to www.Hancockmovie.com to enter and find details about household and home value limits and other rules.

"Hancock," starring Smith as a misunderstood superhero who tries to improve his public image, opens Wednesday with some theaters offering advance screenings at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

'Raiders' re-creation today

A shot-for-shot remake of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," started when Eric Zala, Jayson Lamb and Chris Strompolos were 12-year-old boys and finished when they were 19, will play at The Andy Warhol Museum at 7 tonight. Admission is $15.

Director Zala will introduce and discuss "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation." Scott Rudin purchased the rights to the filmmakers' story, and A-list directors such as Steven Spielberg are among its fans.

Due to copyright issues, revenue generated by the screenings must go to a nonprofit organization, which has led the filmmakers to be selective about where they screen.

Oscar ranks growing

Actors Sacha Baron Cohen, Josh Brolin, Marion Cotillard, Ruby Dee, Allison Janney, Jet Li and Ray Winstone are among 105 people invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. So is film editor Mark Livolsi, a Canonsburg native and son of former Pittsburgh Press illustrator Chuck Livolsi.

The list of new members, who will be eligible to vote for the Oscars, covers 20 specialities, from animators to writers, including Judd Apatow and recent winner Diablo Cody.

It would appear that the newbies and the old-timers will find "WALL-E" on their Oscar ballot later this year. It is a surefire contender for best animated feature, and it's hard to imagine another movie nudging it aside as the favorite. The Hollywood Reporter predicts "Horton Hears a Who," "Kung Fu Panda" and the "Madagascar" sequel are other possible nominees.

In brief

Variety reports that Nicolas Cage, Tilda Swinton and Pierce Brosnan will star in Roman Polanski's adaptation of the Robert Harris political thriller called "The Ghost." ... Plans are under way for a sequel to the horror drama "The Host."

Pod plug

On "Rated PG," our movie podcast, Barry Paris and I discuss "WALL-E," "Wanted," "Mister Lonely," "My Brother Is an Only Child" and "The Children of Huang Shi." Go to post-gazette.com/podcast.