Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Bereamic Awesome Movie

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Spikeopath Race Street, directed by Edwin L. Marin and adapted to screenplay by Martin Rackin from a story by Maurice Davis. Starring George Raft, William Bendix, Marilyn Maxwell, Frank Faylen, Gale Robbins and Harry Morgan. Music is by Roy Webb and cinematography by J. Roy Hunt.Story centers around two friends played by Raft and Bendix, the former is a turf accountant and night club owner, the latter a plain clothes policeman. With a syndicate racket moving in on the Frisco bookmaking circuit, Dan Gannin (Raft) refuses to co-operate, putting himself in grave danger. Barney Runson (Bendix) wants to move in and do it the official way, begging Dan to step aside and let the police do their job. But when the syndicate make a deadly move that hits Dan close to home, he's not for turning.In the grand scheme of Raft and Bendix movies, or classic era film noir pics in fact, this one is small fry, but strong cast and solid production foundation ensure it's an enjoyable experience. Story isn't strong, where two old friends lock horns while some villain throws his weight around, but in true noir fashion there's some sneaky surprises in store and a none cop out finale.Technically it's interesting, one quite dreadful process backed sequence aside, Marin and Hunt hit the noir bars for mood compliance. The absence of chiaroscuro is a shame, for a number of scenes here cry out for it, but the lighting techniques and shadow indulgence keeps the eyes pleased. There's even a startling sequence that appears to show Gale Robbins floating in and around the night club crowd as she sings a song, while a bit of zoom play and nifty Frisco locations add further quality.Good honest noirville enjoyment. 6.5/10

MartinHafer George Raft plays Gannin, a bookie who is, despite this, basically an honest guy. His pal, Hal (Harry Morgan) approaches him to say that some mobsters want in on his own bookmaking business. Well, these creeps turn out to mean business and when Hal refuses to cooperate, they murder him in a very vivid and brutal scene (one of the best in the film). Naturally, Gannin isn't happy but things are about to get rough for him as well, as the mobsters soon approach him as well. Now he could work with the detective (William Bendix) to expose these rats but, naturally, Gannin only likes to handle things alone. Does he possibly stand a chance?! Well, since it's George Raft, you certainly assume so!This film turned out to be a lot better than I expected. No, George Raft was just as stiff and unbelievable as he usually was in films. However, the plot offered some nice twists and kept me guessing. Plus the ending came as a HUGE surprise to me! Well worth seeing...almost deserving an 8...but not quite making it due to Raft's very ordinary sort of performance.Ironically, later Harry Morgan would play Bill Gannon on "Dragnet"...the show that helped make him a household name.

kidboots George Raft was a much better actor than people (and himself) gave him credit for. The fact that 20 years after his first film he was still making good movies is a credit to his durability and star power.This is a pretty good crime movie with many twists. Raft plays Dan Gannin, a bookie, who with the love of his girl "Robbie" (Marilyn Maxwell) wants to leave the race track racket for good. There is a protection racket starting to operate. Dan has told them he is not interested and being friends with Barney (William Bendix), a detective, helps to keep them at bay. His childhood friend Hal (a young Harry Morgan) is not so lucky - he is killed by some thugs who throw him down stairs.That is all Dan needs to flush the rats out. It leads him after a few twists and turns to Robbie's brutish husband Phil Dixon, who is very much alive and well (she had told Dan that he had been killed in the war). Frank Faylen plays Dixon. He was in so many films in the 40s, often playing vile characters but always memorable in a "Say, wasn't he the guy"!! way. Playing a harassed father in the TV series "Dobie Gillis" finally made him a household name.The deceiving Robbie was played by former singer Marilyn Maxwell, She was blonde (although a beautiful brunette in this film) pretty and curvaceous but just couldn't break through the ranks into stardom. Gale Robbins played Dan's sister Elaine but the role was just an excuse to let her sing a couple of songs - which she did very well. Charles Lane plays a sly hotel clerk. See it for the co-stars alone.Recommended.

bkoganbing Noted San Francisco bookie and club owner George Raft is being muscled by the syndicate. He shrugs it off until pal Harry Morgan is thrown down a flight of stairs and killed. After that Raft is hot for revenge.Though this film was produced by RKO it has a Paramount look to it because of the presence of William Bendix as a police lieutenant and Frank Faylen as the syndicate's man in San Francisco.Raft gets a lot of good advice from Bendix in the film, most of which he ignores. Raft also has some very treacherous associates as the viewer will find out.George Raft films are always art imitating life when they are about gangsters. Except for horror film stars like Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, I doubt there was ever a major star whose own life so closely got involved in the roles he played. Raft was hardly a great actor, but in gangster films he knew the mob literally from the inside out so it was never acting.Bill Bendix of course is always good, films with him in it should be seen if for no other reason than to watch him.Race Street is an average noir film which I'm sure entertained the audiences who came to see whatever A picture was playing with it.