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poster of The Street with No Name
Rating: 6.2/10 by 44 users

The Street with No Name (1948)

After two gang-related killings in "Center City," a suspect (who was framed) is arrested, released on bail...and murdered. Inspector Briggs of the FBI recruits a young agent, Gene Cordell, to go undercover in the shadowy Skid Row area (alias George Manly) as a potential victim of the same racket. Soon, Gene meets Alec Stiles, neurotic mastermind who's "building an organization along scientific lines." Stiles recruits Cordell, whose job becomes a lot more dangerous.

Directing:
  • William Keighley
  • Henry Weinberger
  • Kathleen Fagan
Writing:
  • Harry Kleiner
Stars:
Release Date: Wed, Jul 14, 1948

Rating: 6.2/10 by 44 users

Alternative Title:
Strasse ohne Namen - DE

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 31 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0

Plot Keyword: undercover, film noir, docudrama, semi-documentary, boxing, spousal abuse, police procedural, fbi agent, corrupt police officials
Subtitle   Wallpaper   Watch Trailer    

Mark Stevens
Gene Cordell / George Manly
Lloyd Nolan
Inspector George A. Briggs
Ed Begley
Chief Bernard Harmatz
Walter Greaza
Lt. Paul Staller
Howard Smith
Ralph Demory
Larry Anzalone
Sparring Partner (Uncredited)
George Barrows
Bouncer at Gym (Uncredited)
Joan Blair
Valentine Laval (Uncredited)
James J. Casino
Cornerman (Uncredited)
Lane Chandler
Policeman at Arcade (Uncredited)
Dick Cherney
Man at Gym (Uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissell
Prisoner (Uncredited)
Edmund Cobb
Desk Sergeant (Uncredited)
Vincent Donahue
Cholly (Uncredited)
Sam Edwards
Whitey (Uncredited)
Fred Fisher
Citizen (Uncredited)
Bruce Gordon
Detective in Raid (Uncredited)
Fred Graham
Bank Clerk (Uncredited)
Joe Gray
Boxer (Uncredited)
Kit Guard
Man at Arcade (Uncredited)
Joe Haworth
Police Sergeant Sam Bryant (Uncredited)
Don Jessee
Scared Face Tough (Uncredited)
Robert Karnes
David Jannings (Uncredited)
Johnny Kern
Fighter (Uncredited)
Mike Killian
Police Sergeant (Uncredited)
Don Kohler
FBI Agent Richard Atkins (Uncredited)
Lyle Latell
Officer (Uncredited)
George Leonard
Ticket Taker (Uncredited)
Jack Lomas
Man at Gym (Uncredited)
Marion Marshall
Singer (Uncredited)
Billy Mauch
Mutt (Uncredited)
Roger McGee
Joe (Uncredited)
Kitty McHugh
Waitress (Uncredited)
Joe McTurk
Fight Manager (Uncredited)
Lew Morphy
Officer (Uncredited)
Robert Patten
Robert Danker (Uncredited)
Phillip Pine
Monk (Uncredited)
Wally Rose
Man in Gym (Uncredited)
Wallace Scott
Ring Manager (Uncredited)
Sammy Shack
Hood (Uncredited)
Dan Sheridan
Police Desk Sergeant (Uncredited)
Mickey Simpson
Policeman at Arcade (Uncredited)
Randy Stuart
Helen Jannings (Uncredited)
Brick Sullivan
Officer (Uncredited)
Charles Tannen
Cab Driver (Uncredited)
Al Thompson
Hotel Clerk (Uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt
Bail Bondsman (Uncredited)
Kid Wagner
Punch (Uncredited)
Billy Wayne
Fight Trainer (Uncredited)
Robert B. Williams
Sergeant (Uncredited)
Buddy Wright
Kid Giveno (Uncredited)

John Chard

Central City Confidential. The Street With No Name is directed by William Keighley and adapted to screenplay by Samuel Engel and Harry Kleiner. It Stars Mark Stevens, Richard Widmark, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara Lawrence and Ed Begley. Music is by Lionel Newman and cinematography by Joseph MacDonald. Undercover FBI agent Gene Cordell (Stevens) infiltrates a crime gang led by Alec Stiles (Widmark). Produced in the good old semi-documentary style that suits cops and robbers noir pieces, The Street With No Name is all about showing how great the FBI is – and how dangerous their jobs are. Tight with its procedurals and investigative science, its thematic elements have high interest factors. Whilst the thrills come with the peril Cordell faces as he runs the risk of being unmasked by suspicious gang members and, naturally, there’s a stoolie in the mix as well. Stevens makes Cordell as the all American hero type, the kind the FBI want up front and personal as the face of its organisation. Widmark, fresh from prime psycho duties in Kiss of Death, again brings the nasty, only here with sly rational villainy in abundance. The polar opposites work well, while the characterisations of not only the principal players, but others as well, has that delightful ambiguity and personal quirky traits that would often drive film noir on. Joseph MacDonald (The Dark Corner/ Call Northside 777) cloaks it in suitably noirish photography, ensuring the fictional Central City comes off as a place in danger of being corruptible to the core. Dialogue is hard enough to land a punch, the script thus managing to offset Stiles being under written, and even though the plot is thin, cast are good enough to keep it as above average noir fare for discernible types. 7/10 Footnote: It would be reimaged as House of Bamboo in 1955 with Samuel Fuller directing (MacDonald on photography duty there as well). Interesting to compare the two from a noir perspective.


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