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Brilliant and touching

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Blistering performances.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

During the dispute of the box championship, the boxer Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) loses the fight and the champion damages his optic nerve. Ernie is forced to quit his career and becomes a taxi driver in New York. His wife Pauline Driscoll (Peggie Castle) blames him for their simple life and their relationship is not good. The quick-tempered Ernie usually meets his friend, the aspirant actress Linda James (Evelyn Keyes), at the bar where he drinks coffee late night. Pauline has a love affair with the elegant thief Victor Rawlins (Brad Dexter) and she helps him to steal a fortune in diamonds from a man called Dutch. Meanwhile Linda lures Ernie to be cast in a play but when she learns that the producer has accused Ernie to the police to promote his play, she regrets and decides to help him. Meanwhile Victor kills Pauline to sell the jewels to a powerful fence and frames Ernie so that he can travel abroad. Now Ernie and Linda need to track Victor down to prove his innocence, but the fence and his gang are also chasing Victor to kill him."99 River Street" is a different, underrated, fast-paced and violent film-noir. The story and the screenplay are engaging and the direction and performances are top-notch. The conclusion with a happy-ending is also unusual in this genre but works very well in this film. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): "A Morte Ronda o Cais" (""Death Prowls the Habour")

One of Only a Fistfull of Pure Film-Noir from the 1950's. It is a Hard-Hitting, Exceptionally Photographed, and Well-Acted, for the most part, Entry in the Genre that has more than One Riveting, Unforgettable Scenes.This is the Story of an Ex-Boxer, not so Humbly accepting his Fall and Lot in Life as a Cab Driver, that gets Hit with a Cheating Wife, Framed for Murder, and Encounters some Low-Life Brutes. His Prowess as an Ex-Pug (as His Condescending Wife calls Him) comes in Handy.There is some Stunning Noir Lighting and Angles but it is the Brutality and some Sexuality that Highlight this Solid and Highly Entertaining Movie. There is some Overacting by Evelyn Keyes, but John Payne, Brad Dexter, and some Sharp Support from Secondary Characters Ring the Bell.Somewhat Overlooked and Overshadowed by Director Phil Karlson's Kansas City Confidential (1952). But this is a much more Satisfying Noir and Overall a Better Example of a Tough and Tense Style that is more than Recommended, it is Essential Viewing.

99 River Street is directed by Phil Karlson and adapted to screenplay by Robert Smith from a story by George Zuckerman. It stars John Payne, Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter, Frank Faylen, Jay Adler, Eddie Waller and Peggie Castle. Music is by Arthur Lange and Emil Newman and cinematography by Franz Planer.After sustaining a serious eye injury, boxer Ernie Driscoll (Payne) has had to retire from the ring and now drives a cab for a living. Constantly chided by his beautiful wife, Pauline (Castle), for being a failure, Ernie is close to breaking point when he finds that she is having an affair with a charismatic jewel thief. So when Pauline turns up dead in the back of Ernie's cab, he's obviously the chief suspect. But along with actress friend Linda James (Keyes), he attempts to unravel the mystery that is threatening to destroy his life.Tough as old boots, 99 River Street is the kind of unsung film noir crying out to be discovered by more like minded cinephiles. Though short of expressionistic verve, which was never Karlson's thing anyway, all the elements for a nitty-gritty noir are in place. New York forms the backdrop as a city of broken dreams, shattered illusions, a place frequented by unfaithful spouses, shifty fences, violent thieves and theatrical luvvies so far removed from the real post war world it would be funny were it no so sad! Smack bang in the middle of this tainted Americana is Ernie Driscoll, basically a good guy, but when pushed into a corner emotionally or physically, he strikes out in the only way he knows how, with his fists.As Karlson blurs the lines between the theatrical world and that of the real one, deftly essayed by Ernie and Linda, the director is clearly enjoying having such colourful characters to work with. Payne's tough guy anti-hero, Keyes' savvy heroine, Adler's unerringly menacing fence, Dexter's oily villain and Castle's disgustingly selfish wife. Throw in some thugs, persistent coppers and humane counterpoints portrayed by Faylen and Waller, and it's a nicely simmering broth of bad news, sexual suggestion and off-kilter redemption's. Violence is rife, and it's not the sort of staged violence that reeks of fake scents, this stuff hits hard, something which Karlson was always very adept at.The director also introduces some striking filming techniques to pump the picture with an edgy frankness. The opening sequence featuring Ernie's last fight is wonderfully staged, low angles and close ups put the sweat and pain front and centre, it's a smart set-up for when the story comes full circle at film's punchy finale. Another sequence features a panic stricken Linda begging Ernie for his help with something, the camera sticks rigidly to her, this also is a delightful set-up that has a sting in the tail. There's mirror images dropped in, scene echoes that mean something of note, one of which sees Karlson film a shot dead centre through the spread legs of Castle. So cheeky, and what a pair of legs as well!An unsung noir full of unsung actors (Payne is excellent) and directed with cunning absorption, 99 River Street is a must see. 8/10

The only reason I watched this clunker was it was on Turner Movies and has touted so highly by the guest that night. Yes, the settings are truly good film noir. And the plot had its high moments ... and low ones. The twist in the theatre was imaginative, if not believable. But the idea that this actress (where did they find her??? Was she really sleeping with the producer of THIS movie)would give up her so sought after part to follow the boxer around like puppy dog was ludicrous. As was her "acting." it's no wonder this movie is "unknown." Better it had stayed that way! The lead actor is quite good and the supporting cast is also, for the most part. I wasn't in NYC in the 50's, but I'll bet this is the way it was as for atmosphere.