99 River Street (1953)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

Robert Smith (writer)
George Zuckerman (story)

Release Date:

3 October 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

Rips into you like a double-crossing Dame!

Plot:

Having lost his heavyweight championship match, boxer Ernie Driscoll now drives a taxi for a living and earns the scorn of his nagging wife...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Jewel Theft | Address As Title | Boxing | Number In Title

Cast

John Payne	...	Ernie Driscoll
Evelyn Keyes	...	Linda James
Brad Dexter	...	Victor Rawlins
Frank Faylen	...	Stan Hogan
Peggie Castle	...	Pauline Driscoll
Jay Adler	...	Christopher
Jack Lambert	...	Mickey
Glenn Langan	...	Lloyd Morgan (as Glen Langan)
Eddy Waller	...	Pop Durkee
Ian Wolfe	...	Waldo Daggett
Peter Leeds	...	Nat Finley
William Tannen	...	Director
Gene Reynolds	...	Chuck

Also Known As:

Crosstown

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1954) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #16973)

Company:

Edward Small Productions

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Ernie Driscoll leaves the stage, the shadow of a crew member is projected on the wall.

Quotes:

Ernie Driscoll: There are worse things than murder. You can kill someone an inch at a time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fade to Black (1980)

A bit different and worth watching.

Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) loses his heavyweight boxing crown and

has to endure the nagging tirades of his wife. She realizes that Ernie`s defeat and his deteriorating fighting abilities will mean no more big paychecks. She gets involved with Brad Dexter ( a

small time hood) hoping that Dexter`s big time ambitions will help to elevate her social and financial status. However when Dexter does hit it big, her demands and threats incur his ire and he kills her. Driscoll is blamed and now has to find out who did kill his wife. From here on in the action is fast and furious. Evelyn Keyes and

Frank Faylen are his allies (Keyes, a budding actress and Faylen a

buddy working with Driscoll as a cab driver) who ably assist in

the dangerous quest to find the killer. Earlier in the film Keyes had tricked Payne (Driscoll) into believing that she had killed a

man during an argument. Payne follows her to the scene of the "crime" which appears to have occurred on the stage of an empty theatre. She becomes hysterical as she looks at the body, Payne comforts her and tries to calm her. The murder is a hoax. Keyes is on trial to display her acting skills. The lights go on and

several people appear, all applauding the performance given by Keyes. Driscoll is furious and attacks them knocking the nearest man down. His anger is short lived and he befriends her realizing that his

violent attack had probably lost her the role for which she was

auditioning. A series of encounters with other hoods (also looking for Dexter and whatever he has) eventually leads to the location of Dexter. The final scene takes place on the deck of a ship where Dexter is planning to make his escape. A fight between him and Payne results in a confession and the subsequent exoneration of

Payne. One thing I find very realistic in movies starring John Payne, and that is that his fights all seem to underline his obvious skill at being able to throw punches that any boxer would be proud of. Watch his fistic display during a fight he has with Jack Lambert. This happens midway through the film when Payne corners Lambert in a sleazy hotel room and "persuades" him to reveal the whereabouts of Dexter. A film full of action and tension, see it I think you`ll agree.