Scarlet Street (1945)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Georges de La Fouchardière (novel)
André Mouézy-Éon (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

28 December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

The GREAT STARS and DIRECTOR of "Woman in the Window"

Plot:

When a man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, her venal fiancé persuades her to con him out of some of the fortune she thinks he has.

Plot Keywords:

Painter | Femme Fatale | Beautiful Woman | Street In Title | Attempted Suicide

Cast

Edward G. Robinson	...	Christopher Cross
Joan Bennett	...	Katharine 'Kitty' March
Dan Duryea	...	Johnny Prince
Margaret Lindsay	...	Millie Ray
Jess Barker	...	David Janeway
Rosalind Ivan	...	Adele Cross
Arthur Loft	...	Dellarowe
Charles Kemper	...	Patch-eye Higgins
Russell Hicks	...	J.J. Hogarth
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Charles Pringle
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Mrs. Michaels (as Anita Bolster)
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Pop LeJon
Cy Kendall	...	Nick (as Cyrus W. Kendall)
Tom Dillon	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Abbott	...	Critic at Gallery (uncredited)
John Barton	...	Hurdy-gurdy man (uncredited)
Rodney Bell	...	Barney (uncredited)
Richard Cramer	...	Principal keeper (uncredited)
Dick Curtis	...	Detective (uncredited)
Tom Daly	...	Penny (bartender) (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Henri DeSoto	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Joe Williams, Morning World (uncredited)
Neal Dodd	...	Priest (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	First Policeman in Park (uncredited)
Fred Essler	...	Marchetti (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Jones (apartment manager) (uncredited)
Lance Fuller	...	(uncredited)
Gus Glassmire	...	Employee (uncredited)
Arthur Gould-Porter	...	Critic at Gallery (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Employee (uncredited)
William Hall	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	Critic at Gallery (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Chief of Detectives (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Detective (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Employee (uncredited)
Fritz Leiber	...	Evangelist (uncredited)
Ralph Littlefield	...	Employee (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Vince Conway, Ledger (uncredited)
Lou Lubin	...	Tiny (bartender) (uncredited)
Robert Malcolm	...	Policeman (uncredited)
George Meader	...	Holliday (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Employee (uncredited)
Horace Murphy	...	Milkman (uncredited)
Clarence Muse	...	Ben (Bank Janitor) (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	First Policeman in Hogarth's office (uncredited)
Constance Purdy	...	Matron (uncredited)
Beatrice Roberts	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Derelict saving Cross (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Tom Crocker, Evening Globe (uncredited)
Wallace Scott	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Jack Statham	...	Employee (uncredited)
Kerry Vaughn	...	Blond girl (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Prosecuting attorney (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Detective (uncredited)
Matt Willis	...	Policeman in Hogarth's office (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Watchman (uncredited)
Will Wright	...	Globe Loan Office Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Fritz Lang

Writing credits
Georges de La Fouchardière		(novel and play "La Chienne") (as Georges De La Fouchardiere)
André Mouézy-Éon		(novel and play "La Chienne") (as Mouezy-Eon)
Dudley Nichols		(screenplay)

Produced by
Fritz Lang	....	producer
Walter Wanger	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Hans J. Salter		(musical score) (as H.J. Salter)

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Arthur Hilton

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Carl J. Lawrence		(as Carl Lawrence)

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup director

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Melville Shyer	....	assistant director

Art Department
John Decker	....	paintings: Christopher Cross's (uncredited)

Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson	....	sound technician
Bernard B. Brown	....	director of sound

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photography

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Travis Banton	....	costumes

Other crew
Walter Wanger	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Fritz Lang Productions (as A Fritz Lang Production and also A Diana Production)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Release)
• Film Classics (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Timeless Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Brentwood Home Video (1995) (USA) (DVD)
• Hollywood Classics (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Take 2 Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Questar Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Questar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Vintage Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport International Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Notausgang Film (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Aurora (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Corinth Films (????) (USA) (DVD)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Video Yesterday (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #11276) | Australia:PG

Company:

Fritz Lang Productions

Trivia:

Is part of the Public Domain.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the movie, when Chris is in the hotel room with the blinking neon light, the time between when the neon light flashes on changes from shot to shot. It varies anywhere from just under a second to just over 2 seconds, depending on the shot.

Quotes:

Kitty March: Who do you think you are? My guardian angel?
Millie Ray: Not me, honey. I lost those wings a long time ago.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Watching the Detectives (2007)

Soundtrack:

Melancholy Baby

A Brilliant Remake

I've seen LA CHIENNE, and although most of SCARLET STREET is a remake, the two are entirely different films. LA CHIENNE is virtually a comedy. In fact, it begins with an introduction by puppets (!), so we know we're not to take the plot very seriously. Renoir's film is light and fun, and is very interesting to watch for comparisons of 'moral standards' between France and Hollywood.

By now, you probably know the story. A sad little man gets involved with a prostitute and her pimp. Hollywood toned down the fact that Robinson and Bennett were involved in a sexual relationship, and the ending of the film had to live up to Hollywood's standards of 'morality'. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet, but needless to say, the endings between the two films differ in a major way.

What makes SCARLET STREET so outstanding in my opinion, is that given the repressed nature of the protagonist, the film works better because of the changes. You can better understand the pressures of what living as a human doormat has done to this man, and how coiled up he really is. Edward G. Robinson gives one of the best performances of his career, which is saying a lot! I know, there will always be those who will insist on seeing him as the cigar-chomping tough guy only, and won't accept him as anything else, but SCARLET STREET showcases his more subtle talents and his enormous range. Joan Bennett is pure charm and snake oil in this, and Dan Duryea out-weasels Richard Widmark in KISS OF DEATH [in fact, I'll bet good money that the weasel toons in WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT were based on Dan Duryea's character!]. Hollywood films will always falter in comparison to other country's films because the industry's fear of offending audiences always dulls the blade of truth. But, at least during the classic era of Hollywood, the talent usually made up for the story flaws. What do you get when you put Fritz Lang, Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea together? Magic!