Side Street
Joe Norson, an expectant father and part-time New York City letter carrier of modest means, dreams of having enough money to take his wife Ellen to Europe. One day, while on his mail delivery route, J…
Side Street
Joe Norson, an expectant father and part-time New York City letter carrier of modest means, dreams of having enough money to take his wife Ellen to Europe. One day, while on his mail delivery route, Joe, frustrated by his inability to provide for his wife and future family, rashly steals what he thinks is a file containing $200 from the office of disreputable lawyer Victor Backett. Joe soon discovers the file contains $30,000 in cash. Unknown to Joe, the cash was blackmail payoff money that Backett extorted from Emil Lorrison, an innocent man who was framed in a sex scandal by the crooked lawyer with the help of beautiful accomplice Lucille Colner and his henchman, Georgie Garsell. As planned, Garsell then killed Colner to eliminate a possible witness and dumped her body in the East River. Meanwhile, Joe tries to explain his sudden wealth by telling Ellen that he has taken a lucrative job in Schenectady. For safekeeping, Joe packages the money and leaves it with his pal Nick Drumman, a bartender. A short time later, Ellen gives birth to a baby boy, and Joe, feeling remorse for the theft, decides to return the stolen money. Backett, however, suspects that Joe is trying to trap him, denies any money was stolen, and refuses to accept it so that he can later check Joe's background in secret. Backett later sends Garsell to abduct Joe and get the package, but when Garsell opens it, he discovers that the money is missing. When Garsell learns that Drumman has absconded with the $30,000, he kills the bartender and recovers the money. Joe is later sought by the police for Drumman's murder, but he eludes capture and goes to the hospital where Ellen is recuperating from childbirth. Joe explains the story to his wife and she urges him to surrender himself to the police, but he refuses. Joe attempts to get incriminating information about Backett and Garsell to clear himself by using documents and a photograph of Garsell's girlfriend, Harriet Sinton, also found in the file that contained the blackmail money. Joe tracks down Sinton, an alcoholic nightclub singer, and begins to ingratiate himself with her. However, she grows suspicious and tips off Garsell who sets a trap for him with the aid of his cab driver friend, Larry Giff. Pretending he is going to drive Sinton home in Giff's cab, Garsell strangles her to death in the back seat to prevent her from talking to the police. Garsell and Giff then take Joe in the cab and head for the river where they intend to kill Joe and dump both bodies. They are soon followed by police Captain Walter Anderson and a frantic chase ensues with several police cars closing in. Giff, thinking about his family, begins to panic and Garsell lets him get out, but then shoots him in the back and forces Joe to take the wheel and drive on. In a desperate move to end the chase, Joe yanks the steering wheel and deliberately crashes the cab. Garsell is shot and killed while trying to escape on foot. Joe lives to tell the truth to the police and is reunited with Ellen who arrives at the scene before he is taken away in an ambulance.
Side Street
Crime,Drama,Film-Noir
Film Details
Joe Norson, an expectant father and part-time New York City letter carrier of modest means, dreams of having enough money to take his wife Ellen to Europe. One day, while on his mail delivery route, Joe, frustrated by his inability to provide for his wife and future family, rashly steals what he thinks is a file containing $200 from the office of disreputable lawyer Victor Backett. Joe soon discovers the file contains $30,000 in cash.
Unknown to Joe, the cash was blackmail payoff money that Backett extorted from Emil Lorrison, an innocent man who was framed in a sex scandal by the crooked lawyer with the help of beautiful accomplice Lucille Colner and his henchman, Georgie Garsell. As planned, Garsell then killed Colner to eliminate a possible witness and dumped her body in the East River. Meanwhile, Joe tries to explain his sudden wealth by telling Ellen that he has taken a lucrative job in Schenectady.
For safekeeping, Joe packages the money and leaves it with his pal Nick Drumman, a bartender. A short time later, Ellen gives birth to a baby boy, and Joe, feeling remorse for the theft, decides to return the stolen money. Backett, however, suspects that Joe is trying to trap him, denies any money was stolen, and refuses to accept it so that he can later check Joe's background in secret.
Backett later sends Garsell to abduct Joe and get the package, but when Garsell opens it, he discovers that the money is missing. When Garsell learns that Drumman has absconded with the $30,000, he kills the bartender and recovers the money. Joe is later sought by the police for Drumman's murder, but he eludes capture and goes to the hospital where Ellen is recuperating from childbirth.
Joe explains the story to his wife and she urges him to surrender himself to the police, but he refuses. Joe attempts to get incriminating information about Backett and Garsell to clear himself by using documents and a photograph of Garsell's girlfriend, Harriet Sinton, also found in the file that contained the blackmail money. Joe tracks down Sinton, an alcoholic nightclub singer, and begins to ingratiate himself with her.
However, she grows suspicious and tips off Garsell who sets a trap for him with the aid of his cab driver friend, Larry Giff. Pretending he is going to drive Sinton home in Giff's cab, Garsell strangles her to death in the back seat to prevent her from talking to the police. Garsell and Giff then take Joe in the cab and head for the river where they intend to kill Joe and dump both bodies.
They are soon followed by police Captain Walter Anderson and a frantic chase ensues with several police cars closing in. Giff, thinking about his family, begins to panic and Garsell lets him get out, but then shoots him in the back and forces Joe to take the wheel and drive on. In a desperate move to end the chase, Joe yanks the steering wheel and deliberately crashes the cab.
Garsell is shot and killed while trying to escape on foot. Joe lives to tell the truth to the police and is reunited with Ellen who arrives at the scene before he is taken away in an ambulance..