Οτο Πρέμινγκερ: «Κηλίδες στο πεζοδρόμιο»

Ο Οτο Πρέμινγκερ [Otto Ludwig Preminger] σκηνοθετεί το φιλμ νουάρ «Κηλίδες στο πεζοδρόμιο». Ο αστυνόμος Μαρκ Ντίξον σιχαίνεται όλους τους εγκληματίες και τους απατεώνες. Σε αντίθεση με τον πατέρα του που ήταν σεσημασμένος κακοποιός, ο ίδιος επιδιώκει πάντα να είναι ο σωστός αστυνομικός, από τη μεριά των «καλών». Αλλά ο πολύ άγριος και τραχύς χαρακτήρας του δεν του το επιτρέπει. Μετά από πολλά παράπονα των ανωτέρων του γιατί χτυπά τους εγκληματίες και σειρά προειδοποιήσεων, το αφεντικό του, ο Νίκολας Φόλεϊ, τον υποβιβάζει και του κάνει σύσταση να συμπεριφέρεται σαν τον συνάδελφό του που πήρε προαγωγή, τον ντετέκτιβ Τόμι Σκαλάιζ. Μια μέρα συλλαμβάνει έναν χαρτοπαίχτη, τον Κεν Πέιν και τυχαία σε μια συμπλοκή τον σκοτώνει. Προσπαθώντας να κρύψει το πτώμα, ρίχνει το φταίξιμο στον ταξιτζή Τζιγκς Τέιλορ... Παίζουν: Ντάνα Αντριους [Dana Andrews], Τζιν Τίρνεϊ [Gene Tierney], Γκάρι Μέριλ, Μπερτ Φριντ, Καρλ Μάλντεν, Τομ Τιούλι (Κυριακή, 25/5, ΕΤ-1, 21.15).

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) is an American film noir directed and produced by Otto Preminger. The screenplay for the film was written by Ben Hecht, and adapted by Robert E. Kent, Frank P. Rosenberg, and Victor Trivas. The screenplay and adaptations were based on the novel Night Cry by William L. Stuart. The drama features Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, among others.^[1]

The film tells the story of ruthless and cynical Mark Dixon (Dana Andrews), a metropolitan police detective, who despises all criminals because his father had been one. The film is considered a classic of the film noir genre/style, and the brand of violence shown in the film, "lurking below urban society", is an important noir motif.[2]

New York City 16th Precinct Police Detective Dixon, who's in trouble with his superiors for his heavy-handed tactics, subjects murder suspect and gambler Ken Paine (Craig Stevens) the third degree -- he strikes the drunken Paine in self-defense and accidentally kills him. Paine, however, had a silver plate in his head, a fine war record, and newspaper friends. Dixon then dumps Paine's body in the river, and is later assigned to find his killer.

Dixon tries to place the blame on an old gangster enemy, Tommy Scalise (Gary Merrill), yet, he inadvertently places the blame for the killing on cab driver Jiggs Taylor (Tom Tully). Having fallen in love with Jigg's daughter, Morgan Taylor-Paine (Gene Tierney), Dixon tries to clear the cabbie without implicating himself, but ultimately he becomes trapped in a web created by himself. The 16th Precinct commander, Detective Lt. Thomas (Karl Malden), Dixon's boss, is convinced that Morgan's father is the killer.

Dixon continues to find a way to stop Jiggs from being found guilty of murdering Paine, and also tries to redeem himself. In an attempt to move the evidence away from Morgan's father and blame Scalise, Dixon comes face to face with the gangster and his cronies. A shoot-out leaves Scalise dead and Jiggs is finally cleared of the charges. At the end Dixon reassesses his life and decides to confess. He's arrested and goes to jail. He's satisfied that Morgan will wait for him until his release. This is the last film that Otto Preminger would make as a director-for-hire for Twentieth Century Fox in the 1940s. The series includes Laura, which also stars Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, Whirlpool, and Fallen Angel.^[3]

The film was entirely shot in New York: New York City and Washington Heights, Manhattan.

Notes

1. ^ Where the Sidewalk Ends at the Internet Movie Database.
2. ^ Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward, eds. Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style, film noir analysis by Carl Mecek, page 310, 3rd edition, 1992. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN 0-87951-479-5.
3. ^ Otto Preminger at the Internet Movie Database.
4. ^ Trbic, Boris. Senses of Cinema, 2000.
5. ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, July 8, 1950. Last accesed: February 1, 2008.
6. ^ Variety. Staff film review, January 1, 1950.