Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Man
- (uncredited)
- Mama Roma
- (uncredited)
- Barber
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Masselli
- (uncredited)
- Elevator Operator
- (uncredited)
- Rosa
- (uncredited)
- Detective Loomis
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Richard Murphy
- Henry Edward Helseth
- Ben Hecht(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe theme music over the opening and closing credits by Alfred Newman, named "Street Scene" is the same as that played in the earlier Henry Hathaway movie, The Dark Corner (1946), and many others since it was originally written for Street Scene (1931).
- GoofsAs Martin dies, he falls with his right hand, holding the knife, stretched out to his right side. In the next shot, a close-up, his right arm is bent upward so that his right hand is next to his face. In the next shot, the arm is stretched out to the side again.
- Quotes
Martin Rome: I had enough of that when I'm a kid. Crummy tenements, no food, no clothes.
Lt. Vittorio Candella: Oh, save it for the jury, Marty. Who do you think you're kidding? l was brought up in the district too. I've heard that dialogue from you poolroom hotshots ever since l was ten years old. Get hip... only suckers work... don't be a square... stay with the smart money. Let the old man get the calluses digging the ditches. No food... no clothes... crummy tenements. You're breaking my heart, Marty.
- ConnectionsEdited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)
In fact, the film features a number of unusual and unheralded players that spice up the proceedings—Walter Baldwin as the trustee Orvy, crooked teeth and all; Betty Garde as plain- looking nurse Pruett, who takes no guff from anybody including cops; and Barry Kroeger as puffy-face lawyer Niles, an insult to his profession. These are not pretty people in the usual Hollywood sense, and I think one of the fascinations of noir is to feature such types at a time when movies prized good-looking people above all. Here, along with the shambling Emerson, they leave us with an impression of real city streets instead of a casting call along Hollywood and Vine.
Among the more conventional, it's fun to see a still slender Shelley Winters (Brenda) doing her cheap blonde bit as she fends off a tipsy masher in a bar. Her character sort of drops into the narrative out of nowhere, making me wonder whether something connective got edited out. Frankly, headliner Victor Mature (Candella) hasn't much to do except stand around and look handsomely imposing. Instead, co-star Conte gets all the best scenes, good lines, and audience interest. At the same time, something should be said for young Tommy Cook who makes a good gritty impact as Conte's younger brother.
Then too, check out director Siodmak's visual approach to the filming. Usually the light and shadow of expressionist noir takes place on a sound stage where control is absolute. But here, the imaginative Siodmak mixes expressionist light and shadow with location shooting to create an unusual overall effect. Note the number of location shots without the natural lighting that ordinarily would create a more documentary feel. It's a curious but effective blend. In passing—note too Siodmak's beautifully paced direction of the jailbreak sequence, a really suspenseful look at bureaucratic paper-shuffling, in this case, a police department.
The story itself is pretty shopworn—two friends growing up together in the ghetto, where one ends up becoming a cop, while the other turns to crime. In short, the sort of thing Cagney and O'Brien did in the 30's. Nonetheless, Siodmak's imaginative approach, plus the many interesting characters and entertaining vignettes make this version a noir worth catching up with.
- dougdoepke
- Jun 6, 2009
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Chair for Martin Rome
- Filming locations
- New York, USA(Hester Street)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1