A weatherbeaten Andrews gives one of his finest performances.
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Synopsis: Otto Preminger's follow-up to his massively successful LAURA, WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS is a film noir set in postwar New York, where corruption and violence run rampant. Based on a novel by William L. Stuart, the atmospheric film stars Dana Andrews as Sergeant Mark Dixon, a detective whose... Otto Preminger's follow-up to his massively successful LAURA, WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS is a film noir set in postwar New York, where corruption and violence run rampant. Based on a novel by William L. Stuart, the atmospheric film stars Dana Andrews as Sergeant Mark Dixon, a detective whose brutal tactics have landed him in hot water with his superiors. When he accidentally kills a murder suspect, he tries to divert suspicion from himself and blame the death on his nemesis, crime boss Tommy Scalese (Gary Merrill, ALL ABOUT EVE), whom Dixon is obsessed with taking down. He is close to achieving his goal when he becomes involved with the dead man's wife, the beautiful Morgan Taylor (Gene Tierney, LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN, LAURA), which suddenly changes everything. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney
DVD Info
Release:
Jun 12, 2005
DVD Features:
- Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
- Mono - English
- Stereo - English
- (unspecified) - Spanish
- Subtitles - English - Closed Captioned
- Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - Eddie Muller - Film Historian
- Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
- 2. Fox Noir: DARK CORNER, NO WAY OUT, & LAURA
Photo Gallery:
- Stills/Photos
Reviews
A cool and atmospheric gangster film. It may not be particularly memorable, but it is fun to watch.
Hecht once again examines the fine line between cop and criminal with memorable results.
Otto Preminger, director, does an excellent job of pacing the story and of building sympathy for Andrews.
Fox may not have plumbed the depths of realism this time, but it still looks interesting, even two-thirds of the way down.
The last of Otto Preminger's studio pictures at Fox, this 1950 feature has many of the noirish qualities of his Laura and Fallen Angel: Dana Andrews, ambiguity about the characters' dark undertones, and a fluid, fascinating mise en scene.
A fascinating brutish and dark film noir that is set in the corrupt milieu of the underworld.


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