Stakeout on Dope Street (1958)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writers:

Andrew J. Fenady (screenplay)
Andrew J. Fenady (story)

Release Date:

3 May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

A BOMBSHELL!

Plot:

Three teenagers find a briefcase with a beat-up old can in it. They throw away the can and pawn the suitcase...

Plot Keywords:

Heroin | Drugs | Drug Dealer | Teenager | Gang

Cast

Yale Wexler	...	Jim Bowers
Jonathan Haze	...	Julian 'Ves' Vespucci (as Jonathon Haze)
Steven Marlo	...	Nick Raymond (as Morris Miller)
Abby Dalton	...	Kathy
Allen Kramer	...	Danny
Herman Rudin	...	Mitch Swardurski
Philip Mansour	...	Lenny Potter (as Phillip Mansour)
Frank Harding	...	Capt. Richard R. Allen
William Shaw	...	Chuck (as Bill Shaw)
Andrew J. Fenady	...	Stan (as A.J. Fenady)
Slate Harlow	...	Officer Lynn Donahue
Herschel Bernardi	...	Mr. Fennel
Carol Nelson	...	Nick's girl
Edward Schaaf	...	Samuel Alber (as Ed Schaff)
Matt Resnick	...	Sgt. Fred Matthews

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Quotes:

Officer Lynn Donahue: Nick and Ves had passed the earlier part of the afternoon looking at clothes, sporting equipment, bongo drums, and other racy items for kids their age.

Gritty low-budget film noir about teens and drugs...

A jazz score accompanies the soundtrack of this gritty story about three teens who get involved with drugs (heroin supply) and then try to make a deal with a druggie who can turn over some cash for whatever amount they come up with. Meanwhile, some drug dealers are also after the drugs and will stop at nothing to find out where the teens have stashed the goods.

The no name cast is headed by YALE WEXLER as the more sensitive one who decides the drug heist should be handed over to the cops--but by the time he makes this decision it's too late and the dealers have already trapped his friends and beat them up. He manages to elude them when they pursue him on a climactic chase that forms the climax of the story.

Interesting, gritty and worthwhile if you're a film noir buff, but nothing extraordinary. The only reason I watched it was because I had seen the screen test of YALE WEXLER for the role of "Ben-Hur" in 1959 and wondered if he ever pursued an acting career after losing that role. Evidently, he did. He gives a convincing performance here and so does the rest of the cast.