In The Street with No Name, a young FBI agent (Mark Stevens) is dispatched by FBI Inspector George Briggs (Lloyd Nolan, reprising the role from The House on 92nd Street) to a generic American city to infiltrate an emerging criminal organization led by a charismatic and clever criminal (Richard Widmark) whose wartime experience has inspired some new twists on how criminal organizations work.
The story has a realistic tone to its investigative procedures, with the gimmick of actual FBI agents being involved in the production or appearing in the roles they played in the original case. Nolan turns in his usual solid and believable performance as the officious Inspector Briggs. This was an early role for Richard Widmark, who easily turns in the most compelling performance of the film as a menacing and unpredictable lead villain who commands the audience’s attention each time he’s on screen.
The story of the investigation is interesting enough, yet it’s a bit bland, particularly in comparison to some of the other great procedural films of the era, such as He Walked by Night, T-Men, and especially House on 92nd Street. Outside of Widmark’s character, there are no really interesting characters. The forgettable and interchangeable men who play the thugs in this feature pale in comparison to the colorful German agents of House on 92nd Street brought to life by expert character actors.
The one other character who shows promise of being able to make some sort of impact is the villain’s wife (Barbara Lawrence), who has some strong moments opposite Widmark, but is ultimately and brutally sidelined before the final act.
One of the big interest factors is the FBI’s cooperation, which I can’t help but feel led to them choosing to dramatize a case that put the FBI in a great light, but isn’t nearly as interesting as it could have been.
At the end of the day, it’s an okay crime thriller with two big points of interest that may make it worth watching: the outstanding performance of Richard Widmark and the historical curiosity about older FBI procedures and the participation of actual agents in making the picture.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5
Street with No Name is available on DVD on Amazon. (Affiliate link)