AaronCapenBanner Anthony Mann directed this film noir that stars Farley Granger as a struggling letter carrier with a pregnant wife(played by Cathy O'Donnell) who is worried about how he will support them on his salary. Fate intervenes when he is tempted to steal money from ruthless racketeers. He thinks its only a few hundred dollars, but turns out to be several thousands. Now guilt-stricken, he is also being pursued by the racketeers who want their money back, and will gladly kill him in the process. Well-directed and acted film effectively portrays the pitfalls of giving in to temptation and theft, which results in near-fatal consequences for Granger, who wishes he had never taken the money.

Lechuguilla Farley Granger dominates this urban crime drama about a man named Joe Norson, a down-on-his-luck mailman who happens on to a wad of cash, and impulsively steals it, not knowing that the money is connected to the murder of a well-known woman. Sensing his mistake, Joe tries to straighten out the situation, but does all the wrong things. In the process, he gets mixed up with thugs. It's Joe's choices that propel the plot.More than anything else, "Side Street" is a character study of Joe, described by the film's narrator as: "no hero, no criminal, just human like all of us, weak like some of us, foolish like most of us". He's basically a good guy. But he gets tempted. When he yields to the temptation to steal, his whole world unravels.As with 1940s noir crime dramas, all the characters in "Side Street" seem desperate, frightened, and unhappy. They're like rats in a maze. And the film's setting in lower Manhattan really accentuates that boxed in, trapped, claustrophobic feeling.The B&W cinematography is excellent. From wide shots to close-ups, from low-angle to very high-angle, the variety of camera shots keeps the visuals interesting. Overhead shots of Manhattan at the beginning are among the best I have seen for such an old movie. Lighting is noir-based, consistent with crime films of that era.My only complaint is that some of the secondary characters are a tad difficult to keep track of, a fault of the script. But a second viewing clears things up.Beautifully photographed on location in lower Manhattan with its maze of narrow side streets, "Side Street" is a well-made film with an interesting story about a regular guy, trapped in a literal maze between tall buildings and a thematic maze of difficult choices. Farley Granger gives a fine performance, as does Cathy O'Donnell, his long-suffering wife.

robert-temple-1 After the shocking and emotive 'They Live by Night' (1948), Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell were paired again for another adventure together. Cathy O'Donnell repeats her heart-wrenching performance of a good girl who loves a guy in serious trouble, with her inner radiance once again practically burning holes in the celluloid. Farley Granger is more than merely confused and panicky in this film, his character goes too far over the edge into being stupid, which loses a lot of our sympathy for his plight. That was a script weakness. Anthony Mann is at full strength here as director, and the film is powerful and disturbing. Jean Hagen delivers an excellent supporting performance. The plot involves a young man desperate for a modest amount of money who steals what he thinks is $200 but it turns out it is a $30,000 blackmail payoff. You can imagine the rest. 'I want my money!' as the usual gangster's refrain, with knives and guns to back up the demand. Poor old Farley goes from one extreme peril to another, all unwitting and largely uncomprehending. His innocent young face is ravaged with panic as he sweats from one thug to another, and is caught up in murder, corruption, and intrigues which proliferate like rabbits. Neither Farley nor the audience ever knew what hit them. The film was slightly too formula, and should have had a more sophisticated script and would then have been a real classic, as it had all the other ingredients. It is eminently watchable, and frantic, and guaranteed to give you an ulcer for the duration just imagining yourself caught up in any of that nightmare. Well done all around, but it falls short by being an overly contrived concept. It lacks the onrush of the unexpected but horror of the inevitable of the loving pair's previous effort. It could so easily have surpassed it. However, it is still a very superior noir film.

MARIO GAUCI Superbly-handled noir, from one of its absolute masters; despite their reputation for wholesomeness, MGM were really into the groove during this time (one of the genre's finest and most influential offerings, John Huston's THE ASPHALT JUNGLE came from them the same year). Apart from reuniting the hounded young couple from Nicholas Ray's THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (1948), Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell, the film also follows the 'story of a city' format laid down by Jules Dassin's THE NAKED CITY (1948).The narrative (written by genre expert Sydney Boehm) may be implausible at face value, but the snowballing of events – with the perplexed Granger at their centre – carries a genuine social resonance (though, thankfully, straying from sentimentality for the most part) and an undeniable charge of excitement (particularly towards the end, when the bodies start piling up and the police are closing in). O'Donnell's role doesn't allow her much range – though her instinctive appeal in the presence of the police for Granger to run away (with the camera suddenly zooming-in to her face) is beautifully done. Paul Kelly is the compassionate police captain on the case who also narrates the tale; one of his assistants is noir regular Charles McGraw.The rogues' gallery includes the thuggish James Craig (it was surprising to find the hero of THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER [1941] on the opposite side of the tracks), a corrupt lawyer, another lackey who conveniently uses his cab for kidnapping/body-disposal purposes and, of course, a couple of dames (Jean Hagen is a particular stand-out here: she was also in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, as a good girl this time). As I said, the climactic car chase along New York streets (shot on location) is terrific – though the ensuing happy ending feels tagged-on (MGM may have ultimately vetoed a downbeat finale) - if still leading to a memorable final shot.