The Street with No Name (1948)
Lloyd Nolan appears as George Briggs, FBI agent (exactly as he did in Henry Hathaway's 1945 House on 92nd Street), and again, we see the FBI steadfastly solve a crime. This time it isn't that largest of themes, the atom bomb, but a more routine and gripping one, robbery and murder. Short parts of the film are basic FBI training dramatizations (well done, but a little undramatic), and there is sometimes the inevitable omniscient narrator, a little heavyhanded, but the rest of the film cooks along really well. Watch for some great noir scenes, including an edgy shootout in a factory.
Most interesting is the presence of Richard Widmark (in his second film after after Hathaway's Kiss of Death). He is an interesting addition to any movie, from snarling bad guy in Kiss to navy officer in The Bedford Incident. The plot moves at a good clip, and the mayhem compounds as the FBI gradually builds leads (and uses its huge resources), and then the straight drama gets going, and the movie takes off. There are some great night shots, and once the lead agents get out on their own in the layered jazz of the city, it gets edgy and pretty exciting. It never becomes something completely self-sustaining and special, however, due to the need to explain the FBI's tireless and all too flawless efforts.
Director William Keighley had an uneven career, but some high points including the legendary Robin Hood of 1938. Street with No Name pulls together a lot of great scenes, from sleazy hotel rooms to a boxing gym. I enjoyed this a lot more than the seemingly similar (in budget and intent) House on 92nd Street (also 20th Century Fox). You'll notice that there is a lot of trading and overlap of talent in these Fox films, and these are basically B- movies that have the hook of actual FBI promotion built in. Efficient stuff, made for a quick appearance and some short term money (the directors knew these were not classics).
Because we know the FBI will steadfastly succeed, a certain suspense is removed. But maybe that's comparing it to classics like Fox's Kiss of Death, which isn't fair. The Street with No Name is sometimes dazzling, and definitely a qualified pleasure.
Lloyd Nolan appears as George Briggs, FBI agent (exactly as he did in Henry Hathaway's 1945 House on 92nd Street), and again, we see the FBI steadfastly solve a crime. This time it isn't that largest of themes, the atom bomb, but a more routine and gripping one, robbery and murder. Short parts of the film are basic FBI training dramatizations (well done, but a little undramatic), and there is sometimes the inevitable omniscient narrator, a little heavyhanded, but the rest of the film cooks along really well. Watch for some great noir scenes, including an edgy shootout in a factory.
Most interesting is the presence of Richard Widmark (in his second film after after Hathaway's Kiss of Death). He is an interesting addition to any movie, from snarling bad guy in Kiss to navy officer in The Bedford Incident. The plot moves at a good clip, and the mayhem compounds as the FBI gradually builds leads (and uses its huge resources), and then the straight drama gets going, and the movie takes off. There are some great night shots, and once the lead agents get out on their own in the layered jazz of the city, it gets edgy and pretty exciting. It never becomes something completely self-sustaining and special, however, due to the need to explain the FBI's tireless and all too flawless efforts.
Director William Keighley had an uneven career, but some high points including the legendary Robin Hood of 1938. Street with No Name pulls together a lot of great scenes, from sleazy hotel rooms to a boxing gym. I enjoyed this a lot more than the seemingly similar (in budget and intent) House on 92nd Street (also 20th Century Fox). You'll notice that there is a lot of trading and overlap of talent in these Fox films, and these are basically B- movies that have the hook of actual FBI promotion built in. Efficient stuff, made for a quick appearance and some short term money (the directors knew these were not classics).
Because we know the FBI will steadfastly succeed, a certain suspense is removed. But maybe that's comparing it to classics like Fox's Kiss of Death, which isn't fair. The Street with No Name is sometimes dazzling, and definitely a qualified pleasure.