Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screenplay)
Victor Trivas (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 July 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Plot:

Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. But Dixon's vicious nature will get the better of him.

Plot Keywords:

Police Detective | Sucker | Taxi Driver | New York City | Taxi

Cast

Dana Andrews	...	Det. Mark Dixon
Gene Tierney	...	Morgan Taylor
Gary Merrill	...	Tommy Scalise
Bert Freed	...	Det. Paul Klein
Tom Tully	...	Jiggs Taylor
Karl Malden	...	Lt. Thomas
Ruth Donnelly	...	Martha
Craig Stevens	...	Ken Paine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Detective at Staff Meeting (uncredited)
Don Appell	...	Willie Bender (uncredited)
Tony Barr	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)
Neville Brand	...	Steve, Scalise Hood (uncredited)
Barry Brooks	...	Thug (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Railroad Baggage Clerk (uncredited)
Oleg Cassini	...	Oleg the Fashion Designer (uncredited)
John Close	...	Hanson (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Detective at Staff Meeting (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Police Desk Sergeant Murphy (uncredited)
John Daheim	...	Scalise Hoodlum (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Man at Dice Table / Passerby (uncredited)
Bob Evans	...	Sweatshirt (uncredited)
Charles Flynn	...	Policeman Schwartz (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Fenney (uncredited)
Anthony George	...	Scalise Hoodlum (uncredited)
Joseph Granby	...	Fat Man (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Detective at Staff Meeting (uncredited)
Kathleen Hughes	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Lou Krugman	...	Mike Williams (uncredited)
Louise Lane	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Louise Lorimer	...	Mrs. Jackson (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Joe, Scalise Hood (uncredited)
Ian MacDonald	...	Detective Casey (uncredited)
John Marshall	...	Police Detective (uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Detective Gertessen (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Harrington (uncredited)
Eda Reiss Merin	...	Mrs. Shirley Klein (uncredited)
Grayce Mills	...	Mrs. Tribaum, Paine's Landlady (uncredited)
Lou Nova	...	Ernie, Scalise Hood (uncredited)
Peggy O'Connor	...	Model (uncredited)
Robert Patten	...	Medical Examiner (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Policeman (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)
Stephen Roberts	...	Gilruth (uncredited)
Lester Sharpe	...	Friedman, Morgan's Employer (uncredited)
Robert F. Simon	...	Insp. Nicholas Foley (uncredited)
Wanda Smith	...	Model (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Clarence Straight	...	Detective (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	Police Radio Dispatcher #79 (voice) (uncredited)
Shirley Tegge	...	Model (uncredited)
Larry Thompson	...	Riley (uncredited)
John Trebach	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Phil Tully	...	Det. Ted Benson, 16th Precinct (uncredited)
Harry von Zell	...	Mr. Morrison (uncredited)
Duke Watson	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Chili Williams	...	Teddy (uncredited)
Mack Williams	...	Jerry Morris, Attorney (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Detective (uncredited)
David Wolfe	...	Sid Kramer, Scalise Hood (uncredited)

Directed by
Otto Preminger

Writing credits
Ben Hecht		(screenplay)
Victor Trivas		(adaptation) and
Frank P. Rosenberg		(adaptation) and
Robert E. Kent		(adaptation)
William L. Stuart		(novel)

Produced by
Otto Preminger	....	producer
Frank P. Rosenberg	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(as Cyril Mockridge)

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Louis R. Loeffler		(as Louis Loeffler)

Art Direction by
J. Russell Spencer
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Oleg Cassini

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Marie Walter	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Sam Wurtzel	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henry Weinberger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Anderson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Maupin	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director (as Charles LeMaire)

Music Department
Lionel Newman	....	musical director
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Kathleen Fagan	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century - Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Koch Media (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | Germany:12 | UK:12 | USA:Approved (MPAA rating: certificate #14458) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Not only was the traditional Twentieth Century Fox fanfare music not utilized at the film's opening, Alfred Newman's ubiquitous "Street Scene Theme" is whistled over the unique opening credits, appropriately written in chalk on a sidewalk.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Andrews is staging the murder scene after Stevens' death, he is gloveless. A few seconds later he suddenly has gloves on both hands.

Quotes:

Insp. Nicholas Foley:[to a beaten-up Dixon] Look at ya! You're all bummed up like a barrelhouse vag!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Trip to Swadades (2008)

Soundtrack:

Street Scene

Amazingly well made

At first glance, it would seem natural to compare Where the Sidewalk Ends with Laura. Both have noirish qualities, both were directed by Otto Preminger, and both star Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney. But that's where most of the comparisons end. Laura dealt with posh, sophisticated people with means who just happen to find themselves mixed-up in a murder. Where the Sidewalk Ends is set in a completely different strata. These are people with barely two nickels to rub together who are more accustomed to seeing the underbelly of society than going to fancy dress parties. Where the Sidewalk ends is a gritty film filled with desperate people who solve their problems with their fists or some other weapon. Small-time hoods are a dime-a-dozen and cops routinely beat confessions out of the crooks. Getting caught-up in a murder investigation seems as natural as breathing.

While I haven't seen his entire body of work, based on what I have seen, Dana Andrews gives one of his best performances as the beat-down cop, Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon. He's the kind of cop who is used to roughing up the local hoods if it gets him information or a confession. One night, he goes too far and accidentally kills a man. He does his best to cover it up. But things get complicated when he falls for the dead man's wife, Morgan Taylor (Tierney), whose father becomes suspect number one in the murder case. As Morgan's father means the world to her, Dixon's got to do what he can to clear the old man without implicating himself.

Technically, Where the Sidewalk Ends is outstanding. Besides the terrific performance from Andrews, the movie features the always delightful Tierney. She has a quality that can make even the bleakest of moments seem brighter. The rest of the cast is just as solid with Tom Tully as the wrongly accused father being a real standout. Beyond the acting, the direction, sets, lighting, and cinematography are all top-notch. Overall, it's an amazingly well made film.

If I have one complaint (and admittedly it's a very, very minor quibble) it's that Tierney is almost too perfect for the role and her surroundings. It's a little difficult to believe that a woman like that could find herself mixed-up with some of these unsavory characters. It's not really her fault, it's just the way Tierney comes across. She seems a little too beautiful, polished, and delicate for the part. But, her gentle, kind, trusting nature add a sense of needed realism to her portrayal.