hyped garbage

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

The growing importance of forensic science in criminal investigations was effectively signalled in William Keighley's "The Street With No Name" (1948) but "Mystery Street" (1950) goes much further in illustrating how scientific methods can be used to learn everything about a crime that's already been committed and also a great deal about the probable culprit. The result is a fascinating police procedural in which an initially sceptical Boston cop comes to appreciate how helpful the new methods can be in solving even the most challenging of cases.Interestingly, the well-written plot doesn't try to entertain by providing a mystery to be worked out or a series of outrageous twists to be enjoyed but instead, begins by revealing absolutely everything about a cold-blooded murder and then following up with an absorbing account of the methods by which the killer is identified and brought to justice. Surprisingly, this unorthodox approach, which probably wouldn't be successful for most crime dramas, works really well in this case because of the nature of its story and the strength of its characters.Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) who works as a B-Girl in a Boston dive called "The Grass Skirt" has become increasingly desperate because she's broke, pregnant and two weeks in arrears with her rent. So when her wealthy lover, who has continuously been giving her the brush-off, fails to turn up for a date, she takes advantage of a very drunk young man who's sitting at the bar and offers to drive him home.Henry Shanaway (Marshall Thompson), whose wife is recuperating in hospital after having suffered a miscarriage, had been trying to drown his sorrows and in his confused state doesn't realise that he's actually being driven to Cape Cod. En route, Vivian telephones her lover to arrange a meeting near his home and when Henry sobers up enough to realise what's happened, Vivian tricks him into getting out of his car and leaves him stranded in the middle of the night in a very remote location. When she meets up with James Joshua Harkley (Edmon Ryan), he simply shoots her at point blank range, dumps her body in the ocean and her car in a nearby lake and then promptly leaves.Some months later, when part of a human skeleton is found on a beach at Cape Cod, Boston Police Lieutenant Peter Moralas (Ricardo Montalban) is assigned to the case and instructed to liaise with Dr McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) who works at Harvard's Department of Legal Medicine. The forensics expert is soon able to identify who the victim was and enquiries that Moralas makes enable him to establish that the car she left "The Grass Skirt" in, belonged to Henry. The evasive answers that Henry gives when he's interviewed by Moralas convince the detective, who's working on his first murder case, that he's found the killer and Henry is subsequently arrested and an early date is set for his trial.Further complications arise, however, when Dr McAdoo discovers how Vivian was killed and it becomes apparent that the murder weapon will have to be found in order to have any chance of convicting Henry.The quality of the acting is consistently good with Ricardo Montalban conveying Moralas' enthusiasm for his assignment after having been frustrated for so long by only being allowed to work on "small stuff". His character, who doesn't always display sound judgement, is likeable and shows commendable dignity when he's racially insulted or patronised and the scenes he shares with Bruce Bennett work particularly well. The real showstopper, however, is the wonderfully eccentric Elsa Lanchester as Vivian's landlady, Mrs Smerrling. This despicable, money-grabbing interfering alcoholic, not only steals Vivian's belongings but also twice attempts to blackmail the killer and disrupts the police investigation in various ways, including by stealing the murder weapon!"Mystery Street" provides a good account of how a combination of traditional police work and the work of scientists can achieve impressive results and also realistically highlights the differing natures of the types of men who work in each of these disciplines. The quality of the screenplay ensures that the drama remains entertaining and fast-moving throughout and John Alton's cinematography is exquisite right from the start with some striking scenes set in Vivian's rooming house where the shadow compositions on the staircase and in the hall are magnificent.

This procedural is notable for a focus on forensics before that was a thing and for a solid script. But mainly it's notable for its women. The always-fascinating Elsa Lanchester is absolutely wonderful as a scheming landlady. Jan Sterling does well as a brassy bleached blonde while Sally Forrest, as sweet, unfortunate wife, has a terrific scene in which she blows up, in a defeated desperate way, at a cop.The men are a bit less interesting. While I like Marshal Thompson as Sally's hubby, the other main men strike me as a bit too generic in that way that was common in the 1960s. Still, Montalban's scene being talked down to by a privileged blue blood is pretty terrific.The story is generally solid, although the action in the last third feels a bit forced.A must-see for Lanchester fans, and worth watching for anyone who likes detective movies.

In Boston, the prostitute Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) is pressed by Mrs. Smerrling (Elsa Lanchester), who is the greedy owner of the boarding house when she lives, to pay the rent of the room that is late. She calls her wealthy lover and schedules a meeting with him at "The Grass Skirt", where she works. However he never appears and Vivian hijacks the drunken client Henry Shanway (Marshall Thompson) and drives his car to Cape Cod. She stops at a diner and calls her lover again to meet him in a spot. When Henry awakes, Vivian lures him and leaves him on the road. When Vivian meets her lover, he kills her with a 45 mm, hides her body and dumps the car in a lake. A couple of months later, her skeleton is found near the beach. Detective Peter Morales (Ricardo Montalban) is assigned to investigate the case without any clue; however the coroner Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) from Harvard gives technical support to Morales and he finds the identity of Vivian. His further investigation leads him to Henry that lied to justify the hijack of his car to his wife Grace Shanway (Sally Forrest) and to the insurance company. Now Henry becomes the prime suspect and only his wife believe in his words. Will Detective Morales proceed his investigation and find the real killer?"Mystery Street" is an engaging film-noir directed by John Sturges. Ricardo Montalban is excellent in the role of a relentless detective that finds a suspect with all the evidences pointing to him but continues seeking out the real killer. However Elsa Lanchester steals the show in the role of a greedy and despicable woman. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "A Noite de 23 de Maio" ("The Night of May 23rd)

"Mystery Street" (1950) is an odd title to find on commercial DVD. True, it's an "A"-feature from M-G-M, but it's what we in the trade used to call "a double bill movie." In other words, it's a film that had little selling power and needed strong support, preferably from another "A" attraction. Its New York showcase was the Palace where it ran a pre-set week supporting a live vaudeville bill. The cast list is as long as your arm, but the leads – Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest (top-billed, despite her small role), Bruce Bennett (giving a rather off-hand performance), Elsa Lanchester (at her best!), and the well-cast Marshall Thompson – hardly qualify as box office draws. The movie's one memorable portrait comes from Jan Sterling, who is featured in the trailer, but not by name. Connoisseurs will also enjoy an excellent study by Betsy Blair as an unwilling witness. For DVD sales, the major selling point is that it's a film noir – and photographed by master of the genre, John Alton. Actual on-location lensing adds to the undeniable mood of suspense and helps paper over some really gaping holes in the plot.