NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Warner Archive Blu-ray (September 2025): Warner Archive have transferred John Sturges' Mystery Street to Blu-ray. We reviewed the DVD as part of Warner's Film Noir Classic Collection Volume 4, from 2007, HERE. Cinematographer John Alton's (Witness to Murder, I, the Jury, Devil's Doorway, Reign of Terror, The Crooked Way, Border Incident, He Walked by Night, Hollow Triumph, The Amazing Mr. X, Raw Deal, T-Men, Count the Hours, Bury Me Dead) masterful black-and-white photography - characterized by high-contrast shadows, chiaroscuro lighting, and innovative angles - elevates the film to visual poetry, particularly in forensic sequences where light metaphorically illuminates hidden truths. The film's gothic set decorations, including seedy rooming houses and dimly lit bars like the Grass Skirt, enhance this noir sensibility, with scenes dominated by vast expanses of blackness punctuated by strategic illumination that metaphorically uncovers hidden truths in the forensic investigations. The restoration and 1080P transfer eliminates age-related defects while preserving the natural film grain, revealing intricate details in the location shooting and atmospheric lighting that were previously obscured in earlier home video releases, making it a significant upgrade over the previous DVD.

NOTE: We have added 76 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Warner Archive use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The auditory landscape of Mystery Street is more subdued compared to its visual prowess, with a focus on functional sound design that supports the procedural narrative without overwhelming it. Sound effects are straightforward and realistic, including elements like gunshots, car horns, engine revs, and the rumble of trains in a rail yard, which add tension to key dramatic moments such as the murder sequence and the climactic chase. The original score, composed by Rudolph G. Kopp (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Sign of the Cross, The Woman Accused, 1934's Cleopatra, 1934's The Murder in the Zoo, Merrily We Go to Hell,) is understated and unremarkable, serving primarily to underscore suspense and emotional beats with subtle cues rather than dominant themes. The lossless faithfully reproduces the original monaural soundtrack, emphasizing clarity in dialogue and maintaining the authentic 1950 sound design. This results in a clean, balanced presentation that complements the film's restrained style. Warner Archive offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The extras on the Warner Archive Blu-ray include a commentary by film historians Alain Silver (From the Moment They Met It Was Murder: Double Indemnity and the Rise of Film Noir) and Elizabeth Ward (The Film Director's Team,) which offers insightful context on the movie's genre evolution, production history, and influence on later procedurals; a short featurette titled "Mystery Street: Murder at Harvard", also available on the older DVD, that explores the film's ties to real forensic advancements at Harvard; two classic Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry cartoons from 1950, "Little Quacker" and "Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl", evoking the era's theatrical experience. Lastly an original theatrical trailer.

John Sturges' Mystery Street stands as an early exemplar of the film noir cycle infused with police procedural elements, marking a pivotal shift toward forensic science in crime storytelling on screen. With a screenplay by Sydney Boehm (The Big Heat, Violent Saturday, Secret of the Incas, When Worlds Collide,) and Richard Brooks (Blackboard Jungle, Deadline - U.S.A., Key Largo, Crossfire, Brute Force, The Killers,) based on a story by Leonard Spigelgass (The Accused, So Evil My Love,) it earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Story, highlighting its narrative ingenuity. At its core, the film explores the intersection of science, justice, and human frailty, blending atmospheric tension with innovative crime-solving techniques that foreshadow modern procedurals like CSI. The ensemble cast delivers nuanced performances that ground the film's procedural focus in emotional reality. Ageless Ricardo Montalbán (from Border Incident to TOS to Fantasy Island to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) shines as the earnest, determined Moralas, bringing natural charisma and subtle intensity to a role. Wide-eyed and sexy Jan Sterling's (Appointment with Danger, Union Station, Flesh and Fury, Alaska Seas, Man With The Gun, Female on the Beach,) Vivian is a compelling femme fatale archetype, blending vulnerability with brashness, while Elsa Lanchester (Bride of Frankenstein, Witness for the Prosecution, Buccaneer's Girl, Ladies in Retirement, Hell's Half Acre,) steals scenes as the scheming Mrs. Smerrling. Sally Forrest (While the City Sleeps, The Strange Door, Code Two, Hard, Fast and Beautiful) delivers a poignant and understated performance as Grace Shanway, the devoted yet distraught wife of the wrongly accused Henry, channeling helpless rage and grief with emotional authenticity that adds heartfelt depth to the film's procedural intrigue. Bruce Bennett's (Sahara, Shakedown, Mildred Pierce, Undertow, Robber's Roost, The Man I Love, The House Across the Street, Before I Hang, The Alligator People, Nora Prentiss, Dark Passage) Dr. McAdoo provides a stoic counterpoint, embodying scientific detachment, and Marshall Thompson (First Man Into Space, It! The Terror from Beyond Space, Fiend Without a Face) evokes sympathy as the hapless Shanway. The film remains a compelling artifact of 1950s cinema, where science demystifies the shadows of noir, offering a thoughtful meditation on truth amid deception. The Warner Archive Blu-ray of Mystery Street is a highly recommended release that vastly improves the home theatre presentation of this underrated 1950 film noir procedural, with its impressive video and audio restorations making it essential for dark cinema devotees.  

Gary Tooze