Blu-ray Review: Mystery Street

Synopsis: Ricardo Montalban stars in this noir-influenced police procedural directed with style and panache by the great John Sturges. This M-G-M production unwinds the tale of a wealthy, married, socially prominent Bostonian, a woman of loose morals pregnant with his child, the hapless bar patron she seduces so she can steal a car ... and the female skeleton that washes ashore on Cape Cod sometime later. Enter Lieutenant Peter Morales (Montalban), the detective assigned to the case. With few leads and little evidence, Morales finds an ally in Harvard-based forensic criminologist Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) to help find the murderer.

Main Features: I've not seen much in the vast catalog of noir films, but when I find one that I like and is done well, boy it goes on the list. "Mystery Street" is once such addition. The sharp visuals and settings establish a tense atmosphere for their troubled characters. The plot is basic, but the twists and turns are what to expect and payoff here, keeping viewers engaged. Sometimes, the film feels like an ensemble piece, given some supposed lead characters are supporting background actors. But noir, it's core, is about being a casual observer, so when you supposed lead is Montalban, you are still drawn to the quiet charisma even in scenes where he is practically a fly on the wall. Regardless, the visuslas on this HD format are beautiful and really support the physical media format (the film streams nowhere that I can find). 

Bonus Features: Audio commentary from historians, a very short featurette, and the film's original trailer are tied to a couple of archival MGM cartoon serials from the vault. Because this is a Warner Archive on-demand pressing, no digital code.

Final Call: While not the best of noir, "Mystery Street" is worth a stroll thanks to this top notch HD transfer and it's intriguing settings and lead.

Grade: B