Side Street
| Program section: | Tribute to Cathy O'Donnell |
|---|---|
| Directed by: | Anthony Mann |
| Year: | 1949 |
| Country: | USA |
| Length: | 83 min. |
| Cast: | Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, James Craig, Paul Kelly, Jean Hagen and others. |
Screening:
- 21. 8. 2026 | 17:45 - Central Bohemia Hall (castle - gothic kitchen) / CZ subs /
Production: Loew‘s
Script/Based on: Sydney Boehm
Director of Photography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Score: Lennie Hayton
As historian Jeanine Basinger noted, Side Street revolves entirely around the theme of corrupted innocence. The characters, played by young actors Farley Granger and Cathy O’Donnell, gradually sink into a dark hell from which it is difficult to find a way out. While Granger’s character is portrayed in a complex manner – as a man succumbing to his own weaknesses and inner conflicts – O’Donnell (described by Vít Grigartzik as a “noir angel”) embodies his more positive counterpart. The film was made outside of the successful collaboration of director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton, and thus features a different style than, for example, T-Men (1947), Raw Deal (1948), and The Border Incident (1949). Joseph Ruttenberg’s lighting and framing appear more subdued and less expressive, even though we remain in a recognizably noir world throughout. The film is often overlooked, but Basinger considers it Mann’s most important noir. (mh)
