The Naked Street
Encyclopedia
The Naked Street is an American crime
film noir
directed by Maxwell Shane
. The drama features Farley Granger
, Anthony Quinn
and Anne Bancroft
.
film critic, Bosley Crowther
, panned the film, writing, "Crime is again demonstrated as an unprofitable form of enterprise — and we might add, an unprofitable form of entertainment — in a little screen-filler called The Naked Street, produced by Edward Small and delivered yesterday to the Palace, along with eight acts of vaudeville
...The whole spectacle is dismal and uninspiring. The only cheerful thing that occurs is that the sister and wife, played by Anne Bancroft, falls in love with and marries a newspaper man."
More recently, critic Dennis Schwartz was also critical of the film, writing, "An unconvincing second-rate film noir directed by the mediocre Maxwell Shane (Fear in the Night/Nightmare
), who mishandles the dismal story line both as director and co-writer. It's based on the story by Leo Katcher. The film's message is that 'crime doesn't pay'...It concludes in an unconvincing way, with the wheels of justice strangely turning as the cops arrive to arrest Phil for obstructing justice. The talented cast was left seemingly on death row by the far-fetched story, the unpleasant characterizations and how flatly it was presently.
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
directed by Maxwell Shane
Maxwell Shane
Maxwell Shane was an American movie and television director, screenwriter, and producer.-Biography:Before embarking in a career in show business, Shane studied law at USC and UCLA law schools. He later became a journalist and moved on to become a Hollywood publicist and later, a screenwriter. Most...
. The drama features Farley Granger
Farley Granger
Farley Earle Granger was an American actor. In a career spanning several decades, he was perhaps best known for his two collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Rope in 1948 and Strangers on a Train in 1951.-Early life:...
, Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
and Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
.
Plot
Tough racketeer (Quinn) pulls strings to get his sister's punk boyfriend out of the death house.Cast
- Farley GrangerFarley GrangerFarley Earle Granger was an American actor. In a career spanning several decades, he was perhaps best known for his two collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Rope in 1948 and Strangers on a Train in 1951.-Early life:...
as Nicholas 'Nicky' Bradna - Anthony QuinnAnthony QuinnAntonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
as Phil Regal - Anne BancroftAnne BancroftAnne Bancroft was an American actress associated with the Method acting school, which she had studied under Lee Strasberg....
as Rosalie Regalzyk - Peter GravesPeter GravesPeter Graves may refer to:* Peter Graves , American actor* Peter Graves, 8th Baron Graves , English actor and peer* Peter Graves , English cricketer...
as Joe McFarland - Else Neft as Mrs. Regalzyk
- Sara Berner as Millie Swadke
- Jerry ParisJerry ParisJerry Paris was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show.-Life and career:...
as Latzi Franks - Mario Siletti as Antonio Cardini
- James FlavinJames FlavinJames William Flavin, Jr. was an American character actor whose career lasted nearly half a century.-Life and career:...
as Attorney Michael X. Flanders - Whit BissellWhit BissellWhitner Nutting Bissell , better known as Whit Bissell, was an American actor.-Early life:Born in New York City, Bissell was the son of prominent surgeon Dr. J. Dougal Bissell. He trained with the Carolina Playmakers, a theatrical organization associated with the University of North Carolina at...
as Dist. Atty. Blaker - Joe TurkelJoe TurkelJoe Turkel is an American character actor. He is credited in several films as Joseph Turkel.-Background:Turkel was born in Brooklyn, New York, and served in the U.S. Military during World War II. He currently lives in southern California, and has been involved in writing screenplays.-Career:His...
as Shimmy - Joyce Terry as Margie
- Harry Tyler as I. Barricks
- Jerry Hausner as Louie
Reception
When the film was released, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
film critic, Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther was a journalist and author who was film critic for The New York Times for 27 years. His reviews and articles helped shape the careers of actors, directors and screenwriters, though his reviews, at times, were unnecessarily mean...
, panned the film, writing, "Crime is again demonstrated as an unprofitable form of enterprise — and we might add, an unprofitable form of entertainment — in a little screen-filler called The Naked Street, produced by Edward Small and delivered yesterday to the Palace, along with eight acts of vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
...The whole spectacle is dismal and uninspiring. The only cheerful thing that occurs is that the sister and wife, played by Anne Bancroft, falls in love with and marries a newspaper man."
More recently, critic Dennis Schwartz was also critical of the film, writing, "An unconvincing second-rate film noir directed by the mediocre Maxwell Shane (Fear in the Night/Nightmare
Nightmare (1956 film)
Nightmare is a 1956 psychological thriller starring Edward G. Robinson. The story is based on a novel by William Irish . The novel was also made into a film in 1947 titled Fear in the Night. The film was directed by long-time movie writer Maxwell Shane, later the producer of the classic horror...
), who mishandles the dismal story line both as director and co-writer. It's based on the story by Leo Katcher. The film's message is that 'crime doesn't pay'...It concludes in an unconvincing way, with the wheels of justice strangely turning as the cops arrive to arrest Phil for obstructing justice. The talented cast was left seemingly on death row by the far-fetched story, the unpleasant characterizations and how flatly it was presently.
External links
- The Naked Street film clip at Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
Media Room - The Naked Street film clip at Turner Classic MoviesTurner Classic MoviesTurner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
Media Room