East coast prostitute steals a car from a man--soused, on account his wife is ill in the hospital--in order to get money from an acquaintance parked on an ocean road; she ends up shot dead, and the married man is arrested. Ricardo Montalban plays the police officer who dedicates himself to solving the case, even though it's out of his jurisdiction (one wonders about all the cases going unheeded in Montalban's own territory!). Director John Sturges brings atmosphere (and a tough noir-ish feel) to this script by Sydney Boehm and Richard Brooks, from Leonard Spigelgass' story, but it's never a very suspenseful crime flick, nor complex. Montalban (attempting an image change from romantic matinée idol to an extremely well-dressed, well-manicured cop) isn't very convincing. ** from ****
Review of Mystery Street
