As I’ve written about before, there’s (sadly) no universal consensus over what does and does not define a flick as a ‘film noir.’
I don’t offer that statement up as any controversy. The point is that a great number of people – vastly smarter than I am – insist that film noir (as its own genre) remains alive and well today whilst others will argue that true noirs were produced for only a reasonably short period of time (roughly the late 1940’s through the mid-1950’s). Anything resembling those older features today is more appropriately dubbed a ‘neo-noir’ – a conclusion I personally agree with – but academics, critics, and other members of the intelligentsia will more likely continue this debate into the next millennium, mind you. But because I tend to like classic film noirs and occasionally cover them in this space (under my ‘Monsters Of A Sort’ heading), I do like giving a bit of context for those who stumble into these reviews.
That said, 1950’s Mystery Street falls smack dab into the middle of that fateful era attributed to the best noirs; and even IMDB.com indicates first and foremost that the picture is considered a true film noir. Directed by the acclaimed John Sturges, the script shows attributed to Leonard Spigelgass, Sydney Boehm, and Richard Brooks. The cast includes such faces as Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, Marshall Thompson, and others. It’s worth noting that the film did receive a 1951 Academy Award nomination in the category of ‘Best Story,’ and – on that point alone – I honestly went in expecting to enjoy this one more than I did.
Impressions being what they are, Mystery Street is a good film, one that largely has the look and feel of the best noirs. Sadly, the similarities really end there – in my opinion – as the tale feels more like producers were pushing a bit away from noir’s usual doom and gloom, instead relying much more strongly on the inclusion of forensic science to bolster their picture’s popularity with audiences. While it’s definitely interesting, such procedural focus never quite competes with the genre’s tried-and-true characters, of which only a few turn up in the 90-minute running time. What emerges isn’t a disappointment, but it’s still rather bland in a few spots.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A small-town policeman is assisted by a Harvard professor after the discovery of a human skeleton on a Massachusetts beach.”
I don’t offer that statement up as any controversy. The point is that a great number of people – vastly smarter than I am – insist that film noir (as its own genre) remains alive and well today whilst others will argue that true noirs were produced for only a reasonably short period of time (roughly the late 1940’s through the mid-1950’s). Anything resembling those older features today is more appropriately dubbed a ‘neo-noir’ – a conclusion I personally agree with – but academics, critics, and other members of the intelligentsia will more likely continue this debate into the next millennium, mind you. But because I tend to like classic film noirs and occasionally cover them in this space (under my ‘Monsters Of A Sort’ heading), I do like giving a bit of context for those who stumble into these reviews.
That said, 1950’s Mystery Street falls smack dab into the middle of that fateful era attributed to the best noirs; and even IMDB.com indicates first and foremost that the picture is considered a true film noir. Directed by the acclaimed John Sturges, the script shows attributed to Leonard Spigelgass, Sydney Boehm, and Richard Brooks. The cast includes such faces as Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, Marshall Thompson, and others. It’s worth noting that the film did receive a 1951 Academy Award nomination in the category of ‘Best Story,’ and – on that point alone – I honestly went in expecting to enjoy this one more than I did.
Impressions being what they are, Mystery Street is a good film, one that largely has the look and feel of the best noirs. Sadly, the similarities really end there – in my opinion – as the tale feels more like producers were pushing a bit away from noir’s usual doom and gloom, instead relying much more strongly on the inclusion of forensic science to bolster their picture’s popularity with audiences. While it’s definitely interesting, such procedural focus never quite competes with the genre’s tried-and-true characters, of which only a few turn up in the 90-minute running time. What emerges isn’t a disappointment, but it’s still rather bland in a few spots.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A small-town policeman is assisted by a Harvard professor after the discovery of a human skeleton on a Massachusetts beach.”
Sometimes the difficulty in reviewing classic films is that there have been so many technical evolutions and revolutions in all of filmdom since the bygone eras that older flicks just don’t quite compete. It’s incumbent upon watchers to place a particular story in the proper time and place historically when considering what it may’ve done right and wrong as opposed to hating it outright because so many other storytellers may’ve done it better since way back then. I’m constantly reminding myself of that simple premise, and it certainly helps when examining something as bland as is so very much of Mystery Street.
Struggling to make ends meet, professional bargirl Vivian Heldon (played by the incandescent Jan Sterling) finds herself with no alterative other than to put the financial squeeze on loyal patron James Harkley (Edmon Ryan): she demands he pony up serious cash to pay her rent or she’ll out him to his family, bringing public shame onto his business of crafting designer yachts. After she convinces drunk shlub Henry Shanway (Marshall Thompson) to drive her out to Harkley’s estate, Vivian can finally see dollar signs in her eyes. But once she arrives in Cape Cod, she manages to dump Shanway out on the side of the road so that she can meet up with her married lover and get some of the cold cash. Lo and behold, Harkley has other designs in mind: in the dead of night, he pulls out a .45, plugs her with a bullet, dumps the body nearby, and chucks the car into the nearest lake.
Eventually, Heldon’s body is found, and the discovery sets in motion a series of events on the part of Massachusetts State Police Detective Peter Moralas (Ricardo Montalban). As Vivian was entirely decomposed, he enlists the assistance of Harvard scientist Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) to aid in identification as the man’s cutting-edge use of criminal forensics is just coming into prominence. Together, the two become a contemporary version of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they separate the layers of fiction from fact, leading them back to the boarding house where Vivian left a fateful clue in the hands of her conniving landlady Mrs. Smerrling (Elsa Lanchester).
Structurally, Mystery Street shares the DNA of just about any other film noir of its day. Characters like Heldon, Harkley, and Smerrling are the backbone around which the body of this dark tale of duplicitousness is aligned; and Shanways – the married husband and his young somewhat misfortunate wife Grace (Sally Forrest) – find their love tested by the circumstances of an inebriated young man making a poor choice as a consequence of his bad behavior. But – for my tastes – Montalban’s crusading cop only has his studiousness going for him: he never quite seems anything greater than the film’s moral conscience, behaving entirely as written and failing to rise off the screen as an authentic person. While the actor turns in an affable enough performance, it’s too ‘color by numbers’ to be believable against everyone else.
Additionally, Mystery Street falls back more on traditional melodrama in its second half, never quite overcoming the script’s desire to concentrate more on the procedure of solving crimes with evidence than crafting interesting yet stock characters that could be interchangeable with any like-minded picture. McAdoo – as the resident brainiac – shows up to provide the necessary exposition to move the whole affair from point A to point B to point C, so much so that I began wondering how in the Hell did Moralas ever get promoted to the point of serving as a chief detective. All too often, the science intercedes – perhaps trying to show why it should be trusted over all of those uncontrollable emotions – and no player here is strong enough to give the cast the presence it needed.
Struggling to make ends meet, professional bargirl Vivian Heldon (played by the incandescent Jan Sterling) finds herself with no alterative other than to put the financial squeeze on loyal patron James Harkley (Edmon Ryan): she demands he pony up serious cash to pay her rent or she’ll out him to his family, bringing public shame onto his business of crafting designer yachts. After she convinces drunk shlub Henry Shanway (Marshall Thompson) to drive her out to Harkley’s estate, Vivian can finally see dollar signs in her eyes. But once she arrives in Cape Cod, she manages to dump Shanway out on the side of the road so that she can meet up with her married lover and get some of the cold cash. Lo and behold, Harkley has other designs in mind: in the dead of night, he pulls out a .45, plugs her with a bullet, dumps the body nearby, and chucks the car into the nearest lake.
Eventually, Heldon’s body is found, and the discovery sets in motion a series of events on the part of Massachusetts State Police Detective Peter Moralas (Ricardo Montalban). As Vivian was entirely decomposed, he enlists the assistance of Harvard scientist Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) to aid in identification as the man’s cutting-edge use of criminal forensics is just coming into prominence. Together, the two become a contemporary version of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they separate the layers of fiction from fact, leading them back to the boarding house where Vivian left a fateful clue in the hands of her conniving landlady Mrs. Smerrling (Elsa Lanchester).
Structurally, Mystery Street shares the DNA of just about any other film noir of its day. Characters like Heldon, Harkley, and Smerrling are the backbone around which the body of this dark tale of duplicitousness is aligned; and Shanways – the married husband and his young somewhat misfortunate wife Grace (Sally Forrest) – find their love tested by the circumstances of an inebriated young man making a poor choice as a consequence of his bad behavior. But – for my tastes – Montalban’s crusading cop only has his studiousness going for him: he never quite seems anything greater than the film’s moral conscience, behaving entirely as written and failing to rise off the screen as an authentic person. While the actor turns in an affable enough performance, it’s too ‘color by numbers’ to be believable against everyone else.
Additionally, Mystery Street falls back more on traditional melodrama in its second half, never quite overcoming the script’s desire to concentrate more on the procedure of solving crimes with evidence than crafting interesting yet stock characters that could be interchangeable with any like-minded picture. McAdoo – as the resident brainiac – shows up to provide the necessary exposition to move the whole affair from point A to point B to point C, so much so that I began wondering how in the Hell did Moralas ever get promoted to the point of serving as a chief detective. All too often, the science intercedes – perhaps trying to show why it should be trusted over all of those uncontrollable emotions – and no player here is strong enough to give the cast the presence it needed.
Of course, some of this could be owed to the fact that – from what I’ve read – Mystery Street was a B-Movie, meaning that it lacked any major star power at the time. While it boasted a few familiar faces from cinema, there certainly was no marquee presence based on what I know of 1950’s films. Montalban was just kinda/sorta coming into his career, and Lanchester – while very good as the landlady trying to scheme her way into the lifestyles of the rich and famous – just never has enough screen time though she uses what she’s given admirably. The beguiling Sterling was only enjoying her fifth screen role: given that she disappears fairly early in the film (what with her character being shot and killed), the actress could perhaps have been used better in a stronger role.
None of this is to suggest in any way the Mystery Street is a bad film. Technically, it’s quite good; and a strong case could be made that perhaps the story as designed was meant to bridge the gap between noir and traditional melodrama. While the players and craftspeople all achieve something of interest in it, there’s still that spark – the real fire of immortality that strikes from memorable roles and production quality – that’s missing; and perhaps that’s the most notable misstep here.
Mystery Street (1950) was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the Blu-ray’s sights and sounds to be pretty exceptional from start-to-finish: John Alton’s cinematography is top-notch across the flick, occasionally oozing with perhaps more atmosphere than was needed but is still appreciated. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a commentary by Alan Silver and Elizabeth Ward, a featurette exploring the use of forensics in the production, a few classic cartoons, and the original theatrical trailer.
Recommended.
Mystery Street (1950) is the kind of production that may’ve stirred up a minor bit of buzz back in its days, and yet the film can’t really hold a candle to competing noirs that both set the stage and following over the next few years. A quick Google.com search suggests it was a box office loss for the studio – not surprising necessarily – and that kinda/sorta underscores my two cents on the affair, suggesting it just never quite generated any heat amongst its players and their respective circumstances. Still, it looks good – Alton and director Sturges weren’t phoning their work in – and there’s just enough substance in there to make for an interesting hour-and-a-half, though probably not a memorable one.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Mystery Street (1950) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
None of this is to suggest in any way the Mystery Street is a bad film. Technically, it’s quite good; and a strong case could be made that perhaps the story as designed was meant to bridge the gap between noir and traditional melodrama. While the players and craftspeople all achieve something of interest in it, there’s still that spark – the real fire of immortality that strikes from memorable roles and production quality – that’s missing; and perhaps that’s the most notable misstep here.
Mystery Street (1950) was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the Blu-ray’s sights and sounds to be pretty exceptional from start-to-finish: John Alton’s cinematography is top-notch across the flick, occasionally oozing with perhaps more atmosphere than was needed but is still appreciated. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a commentary by Alan Silver and Elizabeth Ward, a featurette exploring the use of forensics in the production, a few classic cartoons, and the original theatrical trailer.
Recommended.
Mystery Street (1950) is the kind of production that may’ve stirred up a minor bit of buzz back in its days, and yet the film can’t really hold a candle to competing noirs that both set the stage and following over the next few years. A quick Google.com search suggests it was a box office loss for the studio – not surprising necessarily – and that kinda/sorta underscores my two cents on the affair, suggesting it just never quite generated any heat amongst its players and their respective circumstances. Still, it looks good – Alton and director Sturges weren’t phoning their work in – and there’s just enough substance in there to make for an interesting hour-and-a-half, though probably not a memorable one.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Mystery Street (1950) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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