The stunning one sheet poster for Mystery Street
A film noir that would fit right into the fabric of twenty-first century television, Mystery Street, directed by John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), is like an extended episode of CSI (or Criminal Minds), circa 1950 – a novel idea for the time.
One of the first movies to be shot on location in Boston, in a way, it is a two pronged tale – demonstrating old-school investigative police work by State Police Lieutenant Peter Morales (Ricardo Montalban) and the avant-garde use of forensics by a Harvard doctor by the name of McAdoo (Bruce Bennett).
With an extended intro that will bring to mind a plot device that would be utilized in the future by Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma, Sergio Martino and numerous other filmmakers, Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) is a blonde femme working at a night club, a sultry girl walking the line between rich benefactors and her own poverty.
Low on rent, her landlady, Mrs. Smerrling (Elsa Lanchester), is constantly hounding her for being behind on her payments. Looking to make it big, Heldon is part of a blackmailing scheme. . . something that will eventually fall on the desk of both Morales (getting his first big break, he usually gets lesser jobs in Boston’s large Portugese community) and McAdoo.
Investigating, Morales teams up with the very modern doctor, a Harvard employed, science-driven, details-oriented mastermind. . . leaving the always-in-a-hurry Lieutenant to do the grunt work of tracking down a number of untrustworthy suspects – in addition to Smerrling, the man interviews Henry Shanway (Marshall Thompson) – a man whose wife (Sally Forrest) has just had a miscarriage. . . sending him to a wild and crazy tavern to get drunk; James Joshua Harkley (Edmon Ryan) – a wealthy shipping magnate with a checkered past; and an Ornithologist (Walter Burke) – a suspected peeping Tom who stumbles upon an unwanted surprise.
Much like the science driven doctor, director Sturges is all about the details – a mechanically operated hula dancing girl lamp that exemplifies the kind of bar we are in; a Tattooist (Ralph Dumke) whose work is perfectly depicted by his own arm, which features a naked figure of a woman that moves in alluring fashion as you move; the locations in and around Boston (Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Beacon Hill, Trinity Station, Cape Cod and Hyannis). . . when combined with solid cinematography by John Alton and sharp editing, it all comes together to create a nuanced noir.
A film noir that spun a new web, not only by way of its creative procedural process that was wholly unique for the time, but also with the casting of Mexican born Ricardo Montalban as the lead, was something rarely seen in this era. Putting forward an energetic, balanced performance, his take on his character’s jovial attitude and trustworthy nature (not at all dismissive of the Dr.’s new methods) makes him a likeable persona – even though he is wrong as much (if not more) than he is right. With an engaged supporting cast, those mentioned above have wonderfully well rounded characters, from Lanchester’s turn as a desperate (for love, attention, money, and so much more) aging dame – her voice as hauntingly mesmerizing as ever, to the Shanway’s – a struggling married couple who are dealt a second troublesome hand after he is wrapped up in the investigation, even bit players like Dumke’s Tattooist bring their best.
Nominated for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story (Leonard Spigelgass), Mystery Street was also firing on all cylinders when it came to its advertising campaign. . . a stunning one sheet poster with a striking colour palette, and the perfect mix of enigmatic intrigue and sultry suspense. Less interested in twisting its viewer, Sturges builds a technically detailed, feasible narrative that is still oozing with visual style. So, grab the key to unlock the secrets of Mystery Street and discover whether this is just another case of being a bird in a gilded cage.