Street of Chance (1942)

Street of Chance (1942)

„Street of Chance“ is a 1942 film noir mystery film directed by Jack Hively. The screenplay by Garrett Fort is based on 1941 the novel „The Black Curtain“ by Cornell Woolrich 

One afternoon, Frank Thompson is knocked unconscious by wreckage falling from a building on Tillary Street in New York City. When he revives, Frank is seriously disoriented although unharmed. Frank soon discovers that his apartment has been rented out for a year and his wife Virginia has been living on her own elsewhere.

Frank confronts Virginia, who is shocked to see the husband who disappeared without explanation a year earlier. Virginia is thrilled to reunite with Frank, who has no memory of the past year, and he returns to his regular life. Soon, however, he is haunted by the appearance of Joe Marucci, a threatening looking police detective who follows Frank everywhere, and eventually breaks down the door to the apartment to arrest him. Frank and Virginia escape on the rooftops and he sends her home to her mother until he can clear up the mystery behind his missing year.

By returning to Tillary Street, Frank hopes to jog his memory and is startled when Ruth Dillon, a beautiful blonde, hurries him into her apartment for his own protection. Ruth identifies Frank as her lover, known as „Danny Nearing“, with whom she worked as a servant at the Diedrich estate in Jericho County until Frank was accused of Harry Diedrich’s murder.

Convinced that he is innocent, Frank insists that Ruth accompany him as he searches the Diedrich estate for evidence. Ruth reluctantly accompanies him as he probes around the dark house. There Frank discovers that Grandma Diedrich, an elderly, mute invalid, witnessed the murder but was not consulted by the police. Harry’s wife Alma and her lover, his brother, Bill Diedrich, return from an interrogation by the district attorney and are surprised to find Ruth in the house on her day off. Frank hides in the greenhouse while Ruth cuts the phone wires so that the suspicious Diedrichs cannot call the police.

The next night the Diedrichs go out and, unknown to Ruth and Frank, Joe watches their activities. Frank gets a few moments alone with Grandma and communicates with her through a code they have worked out with eyeblinks. Frank is shocked to learn from Grandma that Ruth is the real killer. When pressed, Ruth admits that she unintentionally stabbed Harry when he found her stealing money. Despite Ruth’s pleas, Frank is unable to sympathize with her because she selfishly let him suffer the burden of the murder accusation in order to save herself. Ruth tries to kill Frank, and as they struggle for the gun, a shot is fired into Ruth. Joe comes into the house after the shot is fired and hears Ruth confess to the murder before she dies.

Cast:

• Burgess Meredith – Frank Thompson
• Claire Trevor – Ruth Dillon
• Louise Platt – Virginia Thompson
• Sheldon Leonard – Joe Marruci
• Frieda Inescort – Alma Diedrich
• Jerome Cowan – Bill Diedrich
• Adeline De Walt Reynolds – Grandma Diedrich
• Arthur Loft – Sheriff Lew Stebbins
• Clancy Cooper – Burke
• Paul Phillips – Schoeder
• Keith Richards – Intern
• Ann Doran – Miss Peabody
• Cliff Clark – Ryan, (Policeman)
• Edwin Maxwell – Stillwell, D.A.
• Milton Kibbee – Barber
• James C. Morton – Bartender
• Ruth Gillette – Blonde
• Harry Tyler – Clothing Store Proprietor
• Reed Porter – Counterman
• Ralph Dunn – Fireman
• Bess Wade – Landlady
• Gladden James – Mr. Clark
• Helen MacKellar – Mrs. Webb, the Landlady
• Dorothy Vernon – Passerby at Accident Scene
• George Watts – Pawnshop Proprietor
• Sonny Boy Williams – Small Boy
• Kenneth Chryst – Taxi Driver
• Kernan Cripps – Taxi Driver
• Gloria Williams – Woman

„Der schwarze Vorhang“ (Street of Chance) ist ein Film-Noir-Krimi von 1942 unter der Regie von Jack Hively. Das Drehbuch von Garrett Fort basiert auf dem Roman „Der schwarze Vorhang“ von Cornell Woolrich aus dem Jahr 1941.

Eines Nachmittags wird Frank Thompson von den Trümmern eines Gebäudes in der Tillary Street in New York City bewusstlos geschlagen. Als er wieder zu sich kommt, ist er schwer verwirrt, aber unverletzt. Frank findet bald heraus, dass seine Wohnung seit einem Jahr vermietet ist und seine Frau Virginia woanders allein lebt.

Frank konfrontiert Virginia, die schockiert ist, den Ehemann zu sehen, der ein Jahr zuvor ohne Erklärung verschwunden ist. Virginia freut sich über das Wiedersehen mit Frank, der sich an das vergangene Jahr nicht mehr erinnern kann, und er kehrt in sein normales Leben zurück. Doch schon bald wird er von Joe Marucci heimgesucht, einem bedrohlich aussehenden Polizeibeamten, der Frank überallhin folgt und schließlich die Wohnungstür aufbricht, um ihn zu verhaften. Frank und Virginia fliehen über die Dächer, und er schickt sie nach Hause zu ihrer Mutter, bis er das Geheimnis um sein verschwundenes Jahr lüften kann.