Kick-Back Friday: #148

Where the Sidewalk Ends*

(1950) is another grossly underappreciated noir film from Fox Studios, which reunites several individuals from the iconic Laura (1944), including director Otto Preminger and lead actors Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney.

A hot-headed New York detective, Mark Dixon (Andrews), attempts to cover up his unintentional killing of a gambling thug and then tries to pin the murder on his longtime nemesis, asthmatic crime boss Nicky Scalise (Gary Merrill of All About Eve). But the police, namely Dixon's boss (Karl Malden), believe that the thug's father-in-law is the perp. Dixon is ultimately torn between his hatred for Scalise and his growing admiration for the thug's lovely, saintly wife (Tierney).

Once again, entertaining and informative commentary is given by noir export Eddie Muller, who provides little-known background on several character actors and highlights Preminger's understated camera work and spare editing style.

* Not to be confused with the Shel Silverstein work.