Rustifer
Senior HTF Member
Film Commentary
99 River Street (MGM 1953)
I took up Robert Crawford's suggestion to watch this flick on TCM's Noir Alley series. Host Eddie Muller, the kingpin of all things noirish, had a bucketful of fascinating tidbits about the film and its production, so I won't bother parroting any of his narrative and confine myself to my own observations below.
There's a damn good fight sequence for the opening scene, as Eddie Driscoll (John Payne) watches a replay of his championship bout on TV--which he unfortunately lost. It's Eddie's year of discontent, as his wife Pauline (Peggy Castle) considers him a complete wastrel who's now reduced to driving a cab for his existence. Eddie wants to have kids, but Pauline, who wears dresses like second skins, would just as soon see him drop down the nearest sewer drain much less screw up her magnificent figure by becoming preggers. Besides, she's been enthusiastically diddling with Victor Rawlins (Brad Dexter), a diamond thief who makes snail slime look attractive in comparison.
Peggy Castle doing a Mrs. Robinson, John Payne and Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter explaining how not to perform the Heimlich
Enter aspiring actress Linda (Evelyn Keyes)--a good friend of Eddie's, who's no slouch in the looks department either. She suggests that Eddie should take Pauline a nice box of candy to smooth over the relationship. Bad advice, as Eddie catches his wife and Victor sucking face in a flower shop. From here on out, good-natured Eddie develops the disposition of a constipated badger--taking his frustrations out on friends, relatives and any stray dogs within kicking distance. To add insult to injury, Linda pulls a harmless trick on him to prove her chops as an actress--which sends him screaming bonkers, beating the crap out of everyone withing swinging distance. Like I said, the boy has the humor of a bluebottle wasp.
So, to add in the noirish aspect to the movie, wife Pauline gets sideways with Victor, the results have him sending her choking over the rainbow then unceremoniously dumping her body in the backseat of Eddie's cab. Linda, who has apologized profusely to Eddie for her thoughtless trick, finds Pauline's body along with Eddie and offers to help him chase down the killer. Per Eddie: "All dames are alike--soft fur and perfume, telling me what a big man I am...and then they kick in my head..." Eddie's not exactly riding high with Lady Luck.
But true Linda sticks to him like library paste. It's a race for them to find Victor before he flees the city. The cops are after Eddie like the flaming hounds of hell, and disgruntled colleagues are also after Victor. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad dash through the backlot of MGM.
(As an aside--ever notice that studio backlots always seem to have wet streets? Even after Albert Hammond told us It Never Rains in Southern California...)
Linda finds Victor hanging in a sleazy bar waiting to pick up a forged passport. In order to stall his escape, she peels off her coat to reveal the girls to distract him, It sure as hell distracted me. Back in those days, women's cantilevered bras looked to be designed by NASA nosecone engineers. She presses up to Victor like a dog's nose to a deli window, and he falls for it. Who wouldn't? Eddie catches up to the pair and a breathless chase continues down River Street, culminating in Victor's capture.
Scroll to a year later--Eddie and Linda are married and partners in a thriving gas station. Linda definitely wants kids.
Finally, the world is Eddie's to joggle.
Both John Payne, playing against type, and Evelyn Keyes give outstanding performances in this flick. The music score is appropriately apprehensive where needed, adding substantial fuel to the suspense. An enjoyable watch, indeed.
Randoms:
Gene Reynolds has a tiny part in the film. Mostly known for playing somewhat adolescent roles in movies, Gene eventually moved on to a highly prolific career of writing, producing and directing--most notably Mash and Lou Grant--for which he he was nominated for 24 Emmys and won 6.
Amazingly, Gene is still with us at the ripe age of 96.
99 River Street (MGM 1953)
I took up Robert Crawford's suggestion to watch this flick on TCM's Noir Alley series. Host Eddie Muller, the kingpin of all things noirish, had a bucketful of fascinating tidbits about the film and its production, so I won't bother parroting any of his narrative and confine myself to my own observations below.
There's a damn good fight sequence for the opening scene, as Eddie Driscoll (John Payne) watches a replay of his championship bout on TV--which he unfortunately lost. It's Eddie's year of discontent, as his wife Pauline (Peggy Castle) considers him a complete wastrel who's now reduced to driving a cab for his existence. Eddie wants to have kids, but Pauline, who wears dresses like second skins, would just as soon see him drop down the nearest sewer drain much less screw up her magnificent figure by becoming preggers. Besides, she's been enthusiastically diddling with Victor Rawlins (Brad Dexter), a diamond thief who makes snail slime look attractive in comparison.
Peggy Castle doing a Mrs. Robinson, John Payne and Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter explaining how not to perform the Heimlich
Enter aspiring actress Linda (Evelyn Keyes)--a good friend of Eddie's, who's no slouch in the looks department either. She suggests that Eddie should take Pauline a nice box of candy to smooth over the relationship. Bad advice, as Eddie catches his wife and Victor sucking face in a flower shop. From here on out, good-natured Eddie develops the disposition of a constipated badger--taking his frustrations out on friends, relatives and any stray dogs within kicking distance. To add insult to injury, Linda pulls a harmless trick on him to prove her chops as an actress--which sends him screaming bonkers, beating the crap out of everyone withing swinging distance. Like I said, the boy has the humor of a bluebottle wasp.
So, to add in the noirish aspect to the movie, wife Pauline gets sideways with Victor, the results have him sending her choking over the rainbow then unceremoniously dumping her body in the backseat of Eddie's cab. Linda, who has apologized profusely to Eddie for her thoughtless trick, finds Pauline's body along with Eddie and offers to help him chase down the killer. Per Eddie: "All dames are alike--soft fur and perfume, telling me what a big man I am...and then they kick in my head..." Eddie's not exactly riding high with Lady Luck.
But true Linda sticks to him like library paste. It's a race for them to find Victor before he flees the city. The cops are after Eddie like the flaming hounds of hell, and disgruntled colleagues are also after Victor. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad dash through the backlot of MGM.
(As an aside--ever notice that studio backlots always seem to have wet streets? Even after Albert Hammond told us It Never Rains in Southern California...)
Linda finds Victor hanging in a sleazy bar waiting to pick up a forged passport. In order to stall his escape, she peels off her coat to reveal the girls to distract him, It sure as hell distracted me. Back in those days, women's cantilevered bras looked to be designed by NASA nosecone engineers. She presses up to Victor like a dog's nose to a deli window, and he falls for it. Who wouldn't? Eddie catches up to the pair and a breathless chase continues down River Street, culminating in Victor's capture.
Scroll to a year later--Eddie and Linda are married and partners in a thriving gas station. Linda definitely wants kids.
Finally, the world is Eddie's to joggle.
Both John Payne, playing against type, and Evelyn Keyes give outstanding performances in this flick. The music score is appropriately apprehensive where needed, adding substantial fuel to the suspense. An enjoyable watch, indeed.
Randoms:
Gene Reynolds has a tiny part in the film. Mostly known for playing somewhat adolescent roles in movies, Gene eventually moved on to a highly prolific career of writing, producing and directing--most notably Mash and Lou Grant--for which he he was nominated for 24 Emmys and won 6.
Amazingly, Gene is still with us at the ripe age of 96.
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