Some time ago, I took advantage of TCM On Demand to watch an underrated noir called Side Street. Between Farley Granger and a classic noir plot, I was definitely pleased that I tuned in. The premise is that swoony Mr. Granger is a part time mailman struggling to pay the bills with a baby on the way. In desperation, he steals what he believes to be $200, but soon discovers that it's a $30,000 payoff. This sets into motion a noir nightmare that ends in an edge-of-your seat car chase on the deserted streets of New York City. While some might argue that this is all standard noir, I can never get enough of those doomed by fate plots. The acting here is top notch with Farley as well as his They Live by Night co-star Cathy O'Donnell playing his young wife. I'm usually not a fan of those innocent good girl wives and girlfriends, but Cathy O'Donnell is the rare exception to this rule. No-one plays these roles with as much depth and feeling. On the bad girl side of things, Adele Jergens is perfect as the scheming Lucky. In fact, my biggest complaint with the film would be that her character was killed off too quickly. Jean Hagen finishes off the noir lady archetypes with her moving portrayal off a moll done wrong. If you love noir, I'd highly recommend Side Street, and if you're new to the genre, I'd still advise giving it a look. This movie should really be more well known than it is!
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