99 River Street (1953)

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but 99 River Street proves that brute strength can get you all that you need. It is a film about a man that the world has turned his back on, but a man that uses his fists to reclaim his dignity.

Film noir is my movie genre, and this film adheres to every bullet in the Film Noir Rule Book. Before the phrase was coined, what we deem "noir" was considered the melodrama of the day. It usually centered on a man who was separated from the rest of the world, and everyone was suspect. There was a damsel in distress, usually a trick ending, and was often very violent. Motivations were usually sexual in nature, and actions were inspired by cynical outlooks. Typically the main character was a cop or detective or, in this case, a boxer.

Eddie Driscoll is a down-and-out boxer living in a thankless marriage. His wife Pauline, a failed actress, dreamed of stardom, but when Eddie lost the fight of his career she began to resent him. Seeking money and excitement she begins an affair with a jewel thief named Victor Rawlins, a typical noir villain with a fedora and a slimy smile, who wants nothing more than paper bills.

Having stolen $50,000 worth of diamonds Victor meets up with the other members of the affair, Pauline in tow. Victor's boss is not pleased at seeing a women in the midst and calls the deal off. Worried that he might not receive his share of the money Victor kills Pauline and frames Eddie for the death. Eddie--being chased by the police not only for the murder, but also for assault and battery of some very dubious Broadway producers  (in one of the film's best scenes)--hunts down Victor, his only proof that he didn't commit the murder, in a roller coaster evening of violence and deception.

There are plot twists, and a love affair with the aspiring actress, Linda James (a very good performance from Evelyn Keyes, an actress I was not familiar with before this movie) --hence the connection to the producers. Coincidentally, Keyes owns the other best scene in the film when, towards the end of the film, Linda uses her acting talents to try to seduce information from Victor in a fish-and-chips joint. The film is bloody, with a deliciously ridiculous message that former glory will not die completely. Eddie is always more competent with his boxer's fists than all of the pinstriped gangsters are with their revolvers.

You won't find anything particularly special from this film, but it is an involving character study of a hulking man whom everyone calls "boy," and the lengths that he goes to in order to prove that he is no longer life's punching bag. It is brisk, but sad; good, but I could probably recommend something better.

3/4