Main Cast: John Payne, Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter, Frank Faylen, Peggie Castle
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 83 minutes
Plot
Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) is an ex-fighter who came within seconds of winning the world championship. He's now forced to eke out a living driving a cab. A basically decent guy, he has lots of people who care about him, including Linda James (Evelyn Keyes), a slightly ditsy actress friend -- but Ernie also has a short fuse, especially where his wife Pauline (Peggie Castle) is concerned. His rage boils over when he spots her kissing another man, but her unfaithfulness turns out to be the least of his worries. The man she's seeing, Vic Rawlins (Brad Dexter), is a career criminal with both the police and his former partners after him, and he sees Ernie as the perfect fall-guy. The law and Rawlins' criminal associates are soon closing in on Ernie, while he tries desperately -- with Linda's help -- to buy the time he needs to unravel this nightmare. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Review
99 River Street is one of director Phil Karlson's brutal, sweaty excursions into film noir, and it has as many detractors as it has admirers. Certainly, there's a lot to applaud in River, starting with the economical way in which Karlson tells this complicated story. Karlson, as usual, is in love with close-ups, and there's a reason for it: they force the audience to concentrate on the character at hand, to experience his experience in a direct and no-nonsense manner. But cinematographer Franz Planer isn't content to pack everything into the close-ups; he provides some stunning, evocative shots and angles that compliment and enhance the action and the storytelling. Planer and Karlson are especially good with the climactic sequence, which is expertly handled. And the cast, especially John Payne, is in top form. And yet all of this talent and expertise is in pursuit of what is, at base, a rather ordinary story -- and one that, despite Karlson's skill, is still more than a little convoluted. In addition, Karlson's world view may come across as too cynical and/or simplistic for some. Not for every taste, 99 River Street still packs an undeniable wallop. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
F. Paul Sylos - Art Director, Frank Sylos - Art Director, Joe King - Costume Designer, Phil Karlson - Director, Buddy Small - Editor, Art Lange - Composer (Music Score), Emil Newman - Composer (Music Score), Franz Planer - Cinematographer, Edward Small - Producer, Alfred E. Kegerris - Set Designer, David Koehler - Special Effects, Lambert Day - Sound/Sound Designer, George Zuckerman - Screen Story, Robert Smith - Screenwriter
The film takes place over one night in New York City. Ernie Driscoll is a former boxer who had to give up fighting after sustaining an injury in the ring. He is now a New York taxi driver. His wife, Pauline, unhappy living a poor life, is having an affair with a richer man who happens to be a criminal. The criminal, after being unable to sell some stolen diamonds, kills Pauline and then attempts to frame her husband with the crime.
The film receives mostly positive reviews. Dave Kehr from the Chicago Reader calls 99 River Street "an example of the kind of humble brilliance that often emerged from the American genre cinema."[1]
