''13 West Street'' is a 1962 American

neo noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating s ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

directed by

Philip Leacock Philip David Charles Leacock (8 October 1917 – 14 July 1990) was an English television and film director and producer. His brother was documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Career Born in London, England, Leacock spent his childhood in the C ...

and starring

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

and

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

whose own production company produced the film. It was based on the 1957 novel ''The Tiger Among Us'' (1957) by

Leigh Brackett Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was an American science fiction writer known as "the Queen of Space Opera." She was also a screenwriter, known for '' The Big Sleep'' (1946), '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), and '' The Long Go ...

, who called the film "very, very dull".

Plot

For no discernible reason, scientist Walt Sherill is assaulted and viciously beaten by a group of well-dressed young men, the opposite of a slum dwelling street gang, when his car breaks down and he ends up walking alone on a deserted street. When the police, including investigating juvenile officer Detective Koleski, are - in Sherill's opinion - acting too slowly and seem too busy to focus on finding the culprits, Sherill decides to go after them on his own. He proves to be an amateur sleuth at best, going over ground the police have already covered. His wife uncomfortably watches him use a gun he has purchased to take target practice on tin cans. One night, Sherill spots a convertible that resembles one belonging to his assailants and tails it at high speed. The driver is a frightened teenage girl who calls the police, and Sherill spends a night in the holding tank before Koleski has him released. Sherill hires Finney, a private investigator, whose work leads him to Chuck Landry, the gang's leader. Sherill's non-stop search for revenge causes one member of the gang to commit suicide. Landry counters by luring Finney to a dangerous section of road where he is killed, then coming to Sherill's home where he menaces his wife and plans to shoot Sherill when he returns home. Landry escapes from the police but as Sherill knows his address, he goes directly to the boy's home and beats him savagely. On the verge of killing him by drowning him in the Landry family's swimming pool, Sherill finally relents, turning Landry over to Koleski to be placed under arrest.

Cast

as Walt Sherill *

as Detective Sergeant Koleski * Michael Callan as Chuck Landry *

Dolores Dorn Dolores Dorn (March 3, 1934 – October 5, 2019) was an American film and television actress, who was the co-star of '' The Bounty Hunter'' (1954), ''Uncle Vanya'' (1957), '' Underworld U.S.A.'' (1961), and several other films through 1985. On ...

as Tracey Sherill *

Kenneth MacKenna Kenneth MacKenna (born Leo Mielziner Jr.; August 19, 1899 – January 15, 1962) was an American actor and film director. Family MacKenna was born as Leo Mielziner Jr. in Canterbury, New Hampshire, to portrait artist Leo Mielziner (Decem ...

as Paul Logan * Margaret Hayes as Mrs. Landry * Stanley Adams as Finney * Chris Robinson as Everett * Jeanne Cooper as Mrs. Quinn * Arnold Merritt as Bill *

Mark Slade Mark Van Blarcom Slade (born May 1, 1939) is an American actor, artist, and author, particularly remembered for his role of Billy Blue Cannon on the NBC Western television series, ''The High Chaparral''.Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of ...

as Tommy *

Henry Beckman Henry Beckman (26 November 1921 – 17 June 2008) was a Canadian stage, film and television actor. Career Beckman appeared in well over 100 productions in the United States and Canada, including recurring roles as Commander Paul Richards in th ...

as Detective Joe Bradford *

Clegg Hoyt Clegg Hoyt (December 10, 1910 – October 6, 1967) was an American film and television actor. He appeared in over 100 films and television programs, and was perhaps best known for his silent role as the Sportscaster's sidekick, George, in the 19 ...

as Noddy

Production

Leigh Brackett's novel ''The Tiger Among Us'' was originally published in 1957. Film rights were purchased by producer Charles Schnee, who had just left MGM and signed a deal with Columbia Pictures. He hired

John Michael Hayes John Michael Hayes (11 May 1919 – 19 November 2008) was an American screenwriter, who scripted four of Alfred Hitchcock's films in the 1950s. Early life Hayes was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to John Michael Hayes Sr. and Ellen Mabel Hayes. ...

to write the script.

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

was announced as a possible star. It was then reported that

Valentine Davies Valentine Loewi Davies (August 25, 1905 – July 23, 1961) was an American film and television writer, producer, and director. His film credits included ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), ''Chicken Every Sunday'' (1949), ''It Happens Every Spring ...

was working on the script, which had been retitled ''Fear No Evil''. Production plans were delayed when Schnee announced he was leaving Columbia, claiming he was unable to get any of his films in development made because of "almost insurmountable casting difficulties." The project stayed with Columbia and was assigned to producer Boris Kaplan. Roger Presnell wrote a version of the script. Philip Leacock was given the job as director and Alan Ladd and Rod Steiger were cast in the leads. The title ''The Tiger Among Us'' was changed out of fear audiences might expect a jungle film. The new title was ''13 East Street'' then Alan Ladd requested "east" be changed to "west". "The story concerns a teenage gang from Los Angeles east side but I suggested the locale be switched to the swank purlieu of Bel Air", said Ladd. "I have nothing against Bel Air but I want to show that juvenile delinquency can breed in exclusive areas too." Filming started April 1961.

References

External links

*
Trailer
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of A ...

* {{Philip Leacock 1962 films 1962 crime drama films American black-and-white films American crime drama films Columbia Pictures films 1960s English-language films Films scored by George Duning American films about revenge Films based on American novels Films directed by Philip Leacock American vigilante films American neo-noir films 1960s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links