Side Street (1950)

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

A lot of fun.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

So who does impulsive thief and part-time mail carrier Joe Norson (Granger) entrust with the $30,000 he's just stolen? Why that well-known paragon of virtue, the friendly neighborhood barkeep, of course. Then, when the latter disappears, a lot richer, guess what-- Joe is surprised! Let's hope the baby his wife just delivered got her genes instead of his. Now Joe gets to chase after the money before either the cops or the crooks get him first. Frankly, my money's on the crooks who certainly know how to surprise us with a broken-down lounge singer (Hagen). But then this is Production Code 1950 with the sweetfaced Granger, so better bet on the kid.This is Dore Schary's MGM playing catch-up with post-war noir, and they've hired the best— director Anthony Mann. That means the New York street scene never looked grittier, nor the great stone canyons more threatening. And that car chase down empty city corridors looks downright science-fiction eerie. Too bad they've saddled Mann with boring cops and a bad guy (Craig) about as scary as a TV salesman. And was there ever an actress whose sheer sweetness could melt the screen faster than O'Donnell. Together with the artless Granger, Mann's tough-guy cynicism never stood a chance. The visuals tell one story; the characters another. This is hard-shell noir with the softest of cores, but will still keep you stapled to the screen.

Farley Granger dominates this urban crime drama about a man named Joe Norson, a down-on-his-luck mailman who happens on to a wad of cash, and impulsively steals it, not knowing that the money is connected to the murder of a well-known woman. Sensing his mistake, Joe tries to straighten out the situation, but does all the wrong things. In the process, he gets mixed up with thugs. It's Joe's choices that propel the plot.More than anything else, "Side Street" is a character study of Joe, described by the film's narrator as: "no hero, no criminal, just human like all of us, weak like some of us, foolish like most of us". He's basically a good guy. But he gets tempted. When he yields to the temptation to steal, his whole world unravels.As with 1940s noir crime dramas, all the characters in "Side Street" seem desperate, frightened, and unhappy. They're like rats in a maze. And the film's setting in lower Manhattan really accentuates that boxed in, trapped, claustrophobic feeling.The B&W cinematography is excellent. From wide shots to close-ups, from low-angle to very high-angle, the variety of camera shots keeps the visuals interesting. Overhead shots of Manhattan at the beginning are among the best I have seen for such an old movie. Lighting is noir-based, consistent with crime films of that era.My only complaint is that some of the secondary characters are a tad difficult to keep track of, a fault of the script. But a second viewing clears things up.Beautifully photographed on location in lower Manhattan with its maze of narrow side streets, "Side Street" is a well-made film with an interesting story about a regular guy, trapped in a literal maze between tall buildings and a thematic maze of difficult choices. Farley Granger gives a fine performance, as does Cathy O'Donnell, his long-suffering wife.

Everything about this movie is good, especially the cinematography, which is visually stunning with great camera angles and beautifully composed shots reminiscent of Citizen Kane. This is one of the best noirs ever made, fast paced with strong direction and tight editing. Of special mention are the helicopter shots of New York, which create the feeling that the city is a board game or crossword puzzle.Granger delivers an excellent performance -- perhaps the best of his movie career -- as a delivery boy who falls victim to temptation and foolishly steals $30K from a couple of nasty villains. Of course, he is in over his head and the plot twists and turns as he desperately tries to extricate himself.The rest of the cast also deliver good performances, making this a tense, stylish crime drama. The only criticism is that the dialog lacks sharp, memorable lines although the omniscient stentorian narrator in the opening scene gives the movie an interesting fascist undertone. Nevertheless, the movie is classic noir and not to be missed.

Granger and O'Donnell, who co-starred in "They Live by Night" a couple of years earlier, are reunited in this taut film noir about a decent fellow who gives in to temptation and has his life unravel. Mann, known mainly for Westerns, does a terrific job of capturing life on the tough, gritty streets of New York City. The story of an innocent man who gets deeper and deeper into trouble is reminiscent of Hitchcock. Granger, who would star in Hitchcock's "Stangers on a Train" the following year, is perfectly cast as everyman. All the characters, even the minor ones, are well played, including Kelly as the police captain and Hagen as a singer.