Race Street (1948)

Nice-guy bookie Dan Gannin plans to quit the racket; he's opening a new night club with his torch-singing sister as main attraction. But Dan's best friend Hal runs afoul of "protection" ... See full summary »

Director:

Edwin L. Marin

Writers:

Maurice Davis (story), Martin Rackin

Stars:

George Raft, William Bendix, Marilyn Maxwell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Raft	...	Daniel J. 'Dan' Gannin
William Bendix	...	Lt. Barney Runson
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Robbie Lawrence
Frank Faylen	...	Phil Dickson
Harry Morgan	...	Hal Towers (as Henry Morgan)
Gale Robbins	...	Elaine Gannin
Cully Richards	...	Mike Hadley
Mack Gray	...	Stringy
Russell Hicks	...	Easy Mason
Tom Keene	...	Al (as Richard Powers)
William Forrest	...	Nick Walters
James Nolan	...	Herbie (as Jim Nolan)
George Turner	...	Dixie
Richard Benedict	...	Sam
Dean White	...	Big Jack

Storyline

Nice-guy bookie Dan Gannin plans to quit the racket; he's opening a new night club with his torch-singing sister as main attraction. But Dan's best friend Hal runs afoul of "protection" crooks, and Dan goes after them like a one-man police force despite the admonishments of Lt. Barney Runson. But there's one thing Dan didn't bargain on...

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Plot Keywords:

race track | gangster | murdered man | san francisco california

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Taglines:

Racket king Raft - and homicide ace Bendix - hunting the same killer - tricked by the same dame

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Rua da Aventura

Filming Locations:

Bay Meadows Racetrack - 2600 S. Delaware Street, San Mateo, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening scene Dan Gannin crossing Post Street and entering Hal Tower's men's store. This was in the Fitzhugh Building. This was a 10-story "Italian Palazzo" style building built in 1923 for medical offices. It was a registered national landmark, but though over 50,000 signatures were gathered to save it, it was torn down in 1980 for the new Sak's Fifth Avenue store.

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Goofs

When the 2 hoods grab Hal(Morgan) at his front door, the hood who took his gun has a semi-auto in his hand. In the next scene, different angle, he has a revolver in has hand. When it switches back to the original angle, he again has the semi-auto pistol in his hand.

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Soundtracks

"I'm in a Jam with Baby"
(uncredited)
Music by Ray Heindorf and M.K. Jerome
Lyrics Ted Koehler
Performed by Gale Robbins

User Reviews

Doing It for a Pal

Noted San Francisco bookie and club owner George Raft is being muscled by the syndicate. He shrugs it off until pal Harry Morgan is thrown down a flight of stairs and killed. After that Raft is hot for revenge.

Though this film was produced by RKO it has a Paramount look to it because of the presence of William Bendix as a police lieutenant and Frank Faylen as the syndicate's man in San Francisco.

Raft gets a lot of good advice from Bendix in the film, most of which he ignores. Raft also has some very treacherous associates as the viewer will find out.

George Raft films are always art imitating life when they are about gangsters. Except for horror film stars like Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, I doubt there was ever a major star whose own life so closely got involved in the roles he played.

Raft was hardly a great actor, but in gangster films he knew the mob literally from the inside out so it was never acting.

Bill Bendix of course is always good, films with him in it should be seen if for no other reason than to watch him.

Race Street is an average noir film which I'm sure entertained the audiences who came to see whatever A picture was playing with it.