RACE STREET


US, 1948, 80 minutes, Black and white.
George Raft William Bendix, Marilyn Maxwell, Harry Morgan, Gale Robbins.
Directed by Edwin L.Marin.

Race Street is a late film noir, a star vehicle for George Raft who had his own personal connections with gangster syndicates and featured in many gangster films. This time he is the good man, in financial advising but wanting to get out, especially when his friend, Harry Morgan, is murdered and he himself is beaten up by the boss of the syndicate in San Francisco. William Bendix plays a plainclothes detective, eager to arrest the leader of the syndicate which he had failed to do years earlier.

There is strong atmosphere of San Francisco at the time, an indication of syndicated crime and its brutality, the work of the police. Raft opens his new club which he wants to manage by getting out of any gangster connection, featuring Gale Robbins as his sister who is the lead singer.

Since this is a film noir, there has to be a femme fatale. She is played by Marilyn Maxwell in a brunette wig, seemingly an heiress who owns racehorses, who is in love with Raft. She does a nice girl so well that it is a surprise when we discover her to be in cahoots with her husband, the gangster.

The film was directed by Edwin L. Marin, director of many westerns, especially with Randolph Scott, and small budget films of this period.

1. Small-budget, B-budget-film?

2. San Francisco, the streets, the race track, offices, nightclubs? Musical score? Song interludes?

3. The traditions of film noir, the gangster world, the ambiguous hero, the police, the femme fatale?

4. Dan Ganin, a George Raft character, age and experience, financial advice, phone calls, his friendship with Hal, memories of the past, his always helping Hal to stay with it, the strong arm tactics, protection, his reaction to Hal’s death on finding him at the foot of the steps, his being beaten by Dickson at the same place? His friendship with Barney Runson? Police advice? His relationship with Robbie, meeting her, the races, at the course, the bets, his not being a betting man? Opening the club? Robbie, her devotion to him? His sister and her singing? His wanting to confront Dickson? The plans to leave, discussions with Robbie, listening to her phone call, his dismay at her betrayall? Her lies? The final confrontation, his being shot?

5. Barney Runson, the San Francisco cop, telling the story, his taking down the criminals, his friendship with Dan, warning him, at the track, his suspicions of Robbie? At the club? Hal’s death? The final confrontation and Dan’s death?

6. Hal, longtime friend, his bad leg, telling his story, Dan always supporting him? The protection racket, his being victimised, the murder?

7. Robbie, her love for Dan, at the racetrack, their discussions, plans? The revelation that she was a blonde entertainer, Dickson’s wife, the plan to leave, her phone call to Dickson, rubbishing Dan?

8. Typical cast, people of the nightclub, Dan and sister and her sons, police, thugs, gangsters?