MYSTERY STREET

Starring Ricardo Montalban, 1950’s tells the story of a police lieutenant who teams up with a Harvard doctor to use,” says Goldfarb. “At the time, the studio was interested in a different kind of movie. After WWII, film audience tastes had changed. They wanted a more realistic story, done in a straightforward documentary style. The studio was intrigued, as crime stories and mysteries were age-old but had never featured a medical examiner. It was a new twist on an old idea. Lee suggested that the film be based on an actual case, which it was. Filmed at the height of the film noir boom, the film features many trappings of that genre, including a trenchcoated hero and an atmosphere of darkness and gritty realism. However, it’s emphasis on the methodical approach to detection work that sets it apart from its contemporaries. Although not a huge success financially, it was critically well received and earned writer Leonard Spigelglass a nomination for Best Screenplay at the 23rd Academy Awards.