Movie Review: Scarlet Street (1945)

Scarlet Street (1945) directed by Fritz Lang

Edward G. Robinson plays Christopher Cross, a man celebrating his twenty-fifth year as cashier at a financial institution. They have a big part with liquor and present him with a gold watch. The boss leaves early in his big car with a fabulous young woman. The guys all wonder who she is. Cross wonders if a woman like that would ever be interested in him. Not that such a woman is a possibility for him.

Cross is married to a widow (Rosalind Ivan). Her former husband was a police officer who disappeared in the line of duty trying to save a woman from drowning. Neither body was found. She got insurance money which she is hiding in a bottom drawer "for her old age." Cross is henpecked incessantly by her. He can't even have friends over without some subterfuge. He's main joy in life is painting even though he is not very good at it

Walking home late at night after the celebration, he stumbles upon a woman named Kitty (Joan Bennett) being hit by a guy. In a fit of chivalry, he rushes up and hits the guy with his umbrella several times. The guy goes down and the girl is astounded. Cross rushes off for a police officer. When the two get back to the girl, the guy has left. She points out where the bad guy went. The cop tells them to stay put while he hunts down the mugger. Once he's gone, she tells Cross they need to leave because she does not want to get involved in all the hassle of an investigation. Cross reluctantly walks her back to her apartment. She says she can't invite him up because she shares it with another woman. They go into the late night cafe below where he orders coffee and she orders a rum and coke. He switches over to alcohol as they chat about each other. He's evasive, hinting he's an artist and well to do. She is also evasive, saying she's an actress, having gone home after a show (she refuses to say which) and had the run-in. He's smitten with her and promises to write her a letter.

The next day, she's at home and is visited by Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea), the "mugger" who is actually her boyfriend. He's a bit rough with her but she's happy with that. He's also a con artist looking for more cash for his next scheme. He sees the letter from Cross and decides Kitty needs to con Cross out of money. The plot gets more complicated from there as Cross tries to satisfy her financial needs through less than upright means.

Watching this movie, I was a little puzzled at first, because it had potential to be a black comedy or a noir drama. It is definitely the later, as the complications come fast and furious, making things more bleak. At first, Robinson's character is very sympathetic. He's a put-upon man who everyone is trying to take advantage of. Then he starts making bad choices. Other bad decisions happening around him create a vortex that pulls him further and further down. By the end, the story takes a very dark turn. I found it interesting but the convolutions of the plot were occasionally too much of a stretch. Robinson gives a good performance. Bennett's performance is a mixed bag--she's both the femme fatale and damsel in distress. The combination could be very potent but the movie seems unsure of which she should be. I had a hard time finding her sympathetic as more of her character is revealed. Duryea is okay as a straight-up villain, though he goes over the top some times. Lang's visual style is excellent as always. I ended the film with as many mixed feelings as I started with.

Mildly recommended--be ready for some unlikely events and unpredictable twists.