MYSTERY STREET
US, 1950, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest, Elsa Lanchester, Bruce Bennett, Marshall Thompson, Jan Sterling,
Directed by John Sturges.
Mystery Street is an effective murder thriller. Designed as a support by MGM in the early '50s, it nevertheless has strong qualities that make it entertaining, even though it is so old. It has Boston and Cape Cod settings, with some of the filming done in Harvard. John Sturges was the director, at the beginning of his career (Side Street - and in both films the song sung in the bar is Cole Porter's `Easy to Love', which must have been available from MGM). Ricardo Montalban is good as the detective and there is a strong supporting character cast, especially Elsa Lanchester as the greedy landlady. While there have been many films of this kind, many television episodes, this film is an effective detective thriller with emphasis on analysis of forensic evidence.
1.Enjoyable thriller? Murder thriller? Detective investigation? Forensic evidence?
2.Black and white photography, M.G.M. values? Boston, Cape Cod, Harvard? Atmospheric score?
3.The title, the focus on the apartment block, the people who live there? The murder mystery? The false accusation? Resolution?
4.Peter Morales, a newcomer to the United States, his detective skills? Investigation of the crime, discussions with Dr McAdoo? His interest in the forensic evidence? The detailed tracking of the murder victim? The analysis of bones, photo-composition? His interviews? The discovery of Henry and his wife? The car? His arresting Henry? The interrogations, his presumptions? Henry's wife and her pleading? Mrs Smerling? The search for the gun, the confrontation with Mrs Smerling, Harkley, the chase at the railway station? Vindication of Henry? The effective character portrayal of the detective and his motivations?
5.Professor McAdoo?, Harvard, his skill in forensic evidence, the examples of the analyses and conclusions?
6.The victim, her phone call, pregnancy? Picking up Henry, taking the car? The murder? Audiences glimpsing Harkley? His name in the book? The interview with Morales? His fear of the gun? The irony of the interview with Mrs Smerling and her taking the gun? The blackmail situation? His coming to Boston, the confrontation, the violence? His running away, wanting to get the gun back, the confrontation at the station?
7.Henry, ordinary citizen, going to the bar, the car, his wife's pregnancy? His lying? The police arresting him? The reaction of his wife? Her belief in his cause? His escape? The vindication?
8.Mrs Smerling, her greed, watching phone numbers, listening in to conversations? Her going to see Harkley? Taking the gun? The evidence to the police? Wanting to blackmail Harkley further? Her greed, the intimidation, his violence and her death?
9.Jackie and her being the room-mate, the evidence, the situation with the gun, with Mary?
10.The smaller characters and their effectiveness, for example the tattooist who was devoted to Vivian? The people in the bar, the bartender? The mortician in her book?
11.Age-old plot - but done effectively, 1950s style?
