Review of Mystery Street (1950) by Clintus M — 08 Sep 2018
MGM low-budget film noir Mystery Street is years ahead of its time and will be an unexpected delight to fans of TV shows like the CSI franchise and especially, "Bones." It's a procedural whodunit shot on location in Boston starring Ricardo Montalban as a police lieutenant who enlists the help of Harvard medical scientists to identify a body and solve the crime.
The wrongly-accused- man theme will interest any film noir fan.
Other reviewers highlight Elsa Lancaster, famous as the Bride of Frankenstein, who hilariously steals every scene she's in. However I'm more interested in the youthful Montalban, and for other viewers who know him as Mr. Roark from TV's Fantasy Island or Khan from star Trek II, this film is a surprising treat. Considering his ethnicity, Montalban's character is ahead of its time also.
I don't consider this a negative criticism per se, however this film is not a "film noir," as advertised. It's a crime drama but not noir-ish at all. That being said, check out this engaging whodunit.
This review of Mystery Street (1950) was written by Clintus M on 08 Sep 2018.
Mystery Street has generally received positive reviews.
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