misswonderly3 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 TCM fans, if you can, check out "Mystery Street" tomorrow- Wednesday December 17, at 1:00pm EST. It's an odd little noir, with the under-rated Jan Sterling (not enough of her, though!), Ricardo Montalban, and Bruce Bennett. Also Elsa Lanchester, who gets her own line here because she's so memorable in this - she plays a funny, nasty, frumpy, corrupt, and shrewd (but maybe not quite shrewd enough) landlady. Oh, and her pet bird should get honourable mention. It's directed by John Sturges, who also did "Bad Day at Black Rock". But I like "Mystery Street" much better. This is one of those noirs that doesn't get aired very often, so here's your chance. TB and Moderators, please do not "remove" this to another forum. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 TCM fans, if you can, check out "Mystery Street" tomorrow- Wednesday December 17, at 1:00pm EST. It's an odd little noir, with the under-rated Jan Sterling (not enough of her, though!), Ricardo Montalban, and Bruce Bennett. Also Elsa Lanchester, who gets her own line here because she's so memorable in this - she plays a funny, nasty, frumpy, corrupt, and shrewd (but maybe not quite shrewd enough) landlady. Oh, and her pet bird should get honourable mention. It's directed by John Sturges, who also did "Bad Day at Black Rock". But I like "Mystery Street" much better. This is one of those noirs that doesn't get aired very often, so here's your chance. TB and Moderators, please do not "remove" this to another forum. Thanks for the reminder. This is one of the noir movies I have marked with a 'W' in my book Film Noir (Ward \ Silver). 'W' means; Want to see this. So on Wednesday night I can change that 'W' to a 'S' (seen it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet0312 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I've seen this little gem a few times and won't mind seeing it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misswonderly3 Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Hope you like it, guys. It's kind of what they used to call a "police procedural". You know, told from the POV of a detective in some police department, and the film depicts police methodology and technologies which were new at the time, and how these "state-of-the-art" methods help solve the case. Good gawd, I've just made Mystery Street sound completely boring, and it's just the opposite! It is in fact an intriguing story with a sympathetic (and innocent- that's not a spoiler) suspect, a cool and intelligent detective, a hilariously unethical landlady, and one of those smug hypocritical villains who crop up often in noirs. Fun details include Jan Sterling tripping down her boardinghouse stairs in fluffy mules to take a phone call, a macabre forensics scene at Harvard Medical School, and a great, classic chase scene in- of course!- a railway yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 TCM fans, if you can, check out "Mystery Street" tomorrow- Wednesday December 17, at 1:00pm EST. It's an odd little noir, with the under-rated Jan Sterling (not enough of her, though!), Ricardo Montalban, and Bruce Bennett. Also Elsa Lanchester, who gets her own line here because she's so memorable in this - she plays a funny, nasty, frumpy, corrupt, and shrewd (but maybe not quite shrewd enough) landlady. Oh, and her pet bird should get honourable mention. It's directed by John Sturges, who also did "Bad Day at Black Rock". But I like "Mystery Street" much better. This is one of those noirs that doesn't get aired very often, so here's your chance. TB and Moderators, please do not "remove" this to another forum. TB and Moderators, please do not "remove" this to another forum. miss w, did you like Destination Murder? I found that lacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrence1 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 This is great seeing so many who are fond of this movie. I've seen it probably four times and still enjoy it. The first time I saw it I was surprised to see Jan Sterling (always great) in an MGM movie. I don't recall another that she apeared in. And I always like to see Sally Forrest. What a great cast! Terrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Watched MYSTERY STREET last few times on TCM. Loved the Boston locations, and the scene on the Cape.. One of the few films that I remember seeing Boston locations during that time period. Elsa Lanchester as the blackmailing, evil landlady is a standout. Glad I'm home this afternoon to watch it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Yes, agree. It's good. I've seen it a few times...Cant record it this time around though...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Thank you, thank you, thank you MissW for this heads-up on this film I had never watched before until today! LOVED it!!! John Sturges' excellent direction and pacing of this film would show why I've always thought him one of most underrated of directors ever, and proof of which might be his receiving but one Oscar nomination in his long career and solely for "Bad Day at Black Rock". On possibly an interesting little coincidence here, I at least found it interesting that the scene in which Ricardo Montalban(very good in it, I thought) was bouncing the handball around inside the confined handball court while in contemplation, would later be mimicked somewhat by Steve McQueen's doing a similar thing with a baseball in Sturges' "The Great Escape". (...btw, I found it amazing to discover after Wiki-ing this movie that MGM lost money on it, and a fate I think after watching it that it didn't deserve...probably was because it had no big A-List actors in the cast) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Watched MYSTERY STREET last few times on TCM. Loved the Boston locations, and the scene on the Cape.. One of the few films that I remember seeing Boston locations during that time period. Elsa Lanchester as the blackmailing, evil landlady is a standout. Glad I'm home this afternoon to watch it again. Good, yes, but..........was there no 'lawyering up', as in Law and Order, back then? Praise be to whatever-it-is-you-believe-in for the Miranda Rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 WHOA!!!!!!!! Did anyone else catch the MALTESE FALCON on the cabinet in the lawyer's (John McIntire) office in the not very good Shadow on the Wall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 WHOA!!!!!!!! Did anyone else catch the MALTESE FALCON on the cabinet in the lawyer's (John McIntire) office in the not very good Shadow on the Wall? Another yawner, The Tattooed Stranger, but that was a non-speaking Jack Lord back in the office. He moved up in 10 years, Junior G-man went nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet0312 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 WHOA!!!!!!!! Did anyone else catch the MALTESE FALCON on the cabinet in the lawyer's (John McIntire) office in the not very good Shadow on the Wall? I saw something in that shot. I thought it was just an eagle statue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Good, yes, but..........was there no 'lawyering up', as in Law and Order, back then? Praise be to whatever-it-is-you-believe-in for the Miranda Rights. Not sure why you picked my post to comment about the film. My post is about the great locations shots in Boston and Elsa Lanchester Others on this thread have all had positive comments about the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Not sure why you picked my post to comment about the film. My post is about the great locations shots in Boston and Elsa Lanchester Others on this thread have all had positive comments about the film. Not sure why either, didn't realize there were rules here. But, was there no lawyering up back then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LornaHansonForbes Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 It's directed by John Sturges, who also did "Bad Day at Black Rock". But I like "Mystery Street" much better. Damn I am very sorry I missed it. I have to toss out that I like Bad Day.... quite a bit, although I see it as a revisionist western/noir hybrid. The screenplay to Mystery Street was, I think, by a husband and wife screenwriting team (The Anhalts?) and they got nominated for a screenplay Oscar alongside another couple of married couple/writers- The Goodrich/Hacketts and someone else I can't recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineHoard Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 MYSTERY STREET was a gem of a movie with nice performances by all. Loved the Boston area shots and the forensics was quite interesting. Glad I caught it. That whole afternoon was movies from 1950 (I also watched SHADOW ON THE WALL - ok but MYSTERY STREET was much better). For those wondering, Miranda rights didn't happen until the early '60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 MYSTERY STREET was a gem of a movie with nice performances by all. Loved the Boston area shots and the forensics was quite interesting. Glad I caught it. That whole afternoon was movies from 1950 (I also watched SHADOW ON THE WALL - ok but MYSTERY STREET was much better). For those wondering, Miranda rights didn't happen until the early '60s. Correct, I know Miranda rights didn't happen until the 1960s, but weren't the citizens smart enough to lawyer up? Did everyone spill their guts to the first copper who asked them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineHoard Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 No, not everyone was smart enough to lawyer up and yes, in the movies they spill their guts to the cops or the movie would go on and on and/or they'd get the c**p beat out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 No, not everyone was smart enough to lawyer up and yes, in the movies they spill their guts to the cops or the movie would go on and on and/or they'd get the c**p beat out of them. That's true. And, I guess lawyering up didn't become that well known until the advent of Law and Order the television show. Until not too long ago, John and Jane Q. Public thought it was their civic duty to spill their guts to cops. Imagine lawyering up with Joe Friday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigarjoe Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Great film I have it on DVD, agree about the great locations. Glad you all enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 No, not everyone was smart enough to lawyer up and yes, in the movies they spill their guts to the cops or the movie would go on and on and/or they'd get the c**p beat out of them. Evidently you guys have never watched CBS's "48 Hour Mysteries", the documentary style program where it usually turns out the husband or wife has killed their spouse, and during which the guilty party will willingly go into the police interrogation room SANS lawyer and trip themselves up during said interrogation and all caught on video camera! (...so yes, people STILL do this and YEARS after Mr.Miranda's case would change American Jurisprudence) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Evidently you guys have never watched CBS's "48 Hour Mysteries", the documentary style program where it usually turns out the husband or wife has killed their spouse, and during which the guilty party will willingly go into the police interrogation room SANS lawyer and trip themselves up during said interrogation and all caught on video camera! (...so yes, people STILL do this and YEARS after Mr.Miranda's case would change American Jurisprudence) Happens on Murder, She Wrote too, when the guilty party confesses to Jessica (LOL)....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Happens on Murder, She Wrote too, when the guilty party confesses to Jessica (LOL)....... LOL Yeah, well, in THAT case(murder, that is), how about a little shout out to one Perry Mason, and who MIGHT have started the ol' ball rollin' in this regard. (...and of course before he would become confined to a wheelchair) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 LOL Yeah, well, in THAT case(murder, that is), how about a little shout out to one Perry Mason, and who MIGHT have started the ol' ball rollin' in this regard. (...and of course before he would become confined to a wheelchair) At least they were under oath then and should have known better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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