Mystery Street (1950)

A small town policeman is assisted by a Harvard professor when a human skeleton is found on a Massachusetts beach.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Sydney Boehm (screenplay), Richard Brooks (screenplay)

Stars:

Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ricardo Montalban	...	Peter Moralas
Sally Forrest	...	Grace Shanway
Bruce Bennett	...	Dr. McAdoo
Elsa Lanchester	...	Mrs. Smerrling
Marshall Thompson	...	Henry Shanway
Jan Sterling	...	Vivian Heldon
Edmon Ryan	...	James Joshua Harkley
Betsy Blair	...	Jackie Elcott
Wally Maher	...	Tim Sharkey
Ralph Dumke	...	A Tattooist
Willard Waterman	...	A Mortician
Walter Burke	...	An Ornithologist
Don Shelton	...	A District Attorney

Storyline

Vivian, a B-girl working at "The Grass Skirt," is being brushed off by her rich, married boyfriend. To confront him, she hijacks drunken customer Henry Shanway and his car from Boston to Cape Cod, where she strands Henry...and is never seen again. Months later, a skeleton is found (sans clothes or clues) on a lonely Cape Cod beach. Using the macabre expertise of Harvard forensic specialist Dr. McAdoo, Lt. Pete Morales must work back from bones to the victim's identity, history, and killer. Will he succeed in time to save an innocent suspect?

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Plot Keywords:

murder of a pregnant woman | pregnancy | beach | skeleton | police | 

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Taglines:

Anything can happen !

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 August 1950 (UK)

Also Known As:

Murder at Harvard

Filming Locations:

Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$730,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$429,000, 31 December 1950

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$775,000, 31 December 1950

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of the last motion pictures in which Ricardo Montalban can be seen walking or running normally, and even playing handball in one scene. The following year, during the filming of "Across the Wide Missouri," Montalban was thrown from a horse and trampled, causing severe back injuries. Montalban was in constant pain for the rest of his life, and unable to walk without a severe limp. His physical limitations were often masked by directors not showing him moving about during a scene. Instead, he typically would be shot standing or sitting, and if he had to appear to walk, the camera usually cut away just as he began to move. (Similar techniques would be used with game show emcee Bill Cullen, whose ability to walk was similarly impaired by childhood polio.) Montalban underwent an operation in 1993 to try to correct the problem, but instead ended up paralyzed below the waist.

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Goofs

When Vivian is talking on the phone early in the movie, initially she has a thin band ring on her finger. During the same conversation she has on a different ring with a large stone on it.

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Quotes

James Joshua Harkley: [taking offense when questioned] You know, I'm used to respect! People looking up to me!
Lieutenant Peter Morales: So am I Mr. Harkley, and my family hasn't been in this country for even one hundred years!

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Crazy Credits

Metro Goldwyn Mayer wishes to thank the president and fellows of Harvard College for their generous cooperation in the making of this picture.

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Connections

Featured in Mystery Street: Murder at Harvard (2007)

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Soundtracks

Love of My Life
(uncredited)
Music by Cole Porter
Played by the band at the Grass Skirt

User Reviews

Taut, Suspenseful Crime Drama Features Great Ensemble Cast

The somewhat generic title "Mystery Street" offers no real clue as to what is contained therein, and belies the fact that this film exhibits some very contemporary themes and devices. It is partnered with "Act of Violence" on a "film noir" DVD which offers an excellent evening of entertainment from two lesser-known movies of that genre.

Ricardo Montalban plays a Portuguese-American police detective trying to piece together the clues left behind by a skeleton found buried in the sand dunes near Hyannis, Massachusetts. The proceedings are a definite precursor to TV's "C.S.I." and similar series devoted to police forensics and procedures, and a crime lab run by Bruce Bennett at Harvard University features prominently. It's no secret to the audience who the skeletal remains are, but it is for earnest, hardworking Montalban to discover for himself.

In the process, the youthful Montalban interacts with several potential suspects and witnesses, all the while treating us to his special brand of Latin charisma that made him so popular with female audiences. He's in fine form, confident and looking great in a trench coat and fedora, although sometimes his accent gets a tad in the way.

The stellar supporting cast includes fabulous Elsa Lanchester as an avaricious and corrupt landlady who soon finds herself in over her head. Her expert dramatics are priceless, and she is allowed ample screen time to flesh-out a unique character who is both compelling and repulsive. Next mention should go to beautiful Jan Sterling in a pivotal role of a cynical but desperate dance hall girl looking to strike it rich. Marshall Thompson and Sally Forrest appear as a young married couple with their share of problems and more than a few secrets. The rest of the cast is filled with great little cameo performances, most with one scene each in rapid-fire succession.

So fans of classic police drama will find much to enjoy in "Mystery Street," a movie which certainly foreshadows current trends in that genre, and gives fine actors a great showcase for their talent.

**** out of *****