mark.waltz Review of Pier 23

Pier 23 (1951)

Interesting low-budget Film Noir that is above the usual cut.

[5/10 · 18 March 2010]

This is actually two stories in one film, two days in the life of detective Hugh Beaumont whom you all remember as daddy Ward of "Leave It to Beaver". He first must solve the mystery of a murdered cop whom he believes to be an escaped prisoner from Alcatraz, then crooked goings-on in the boxing ring. Both episodes are tied together with the help of alcoholic Edward Brophy who appears to be an informer along the lines of Thelma Ritter in "Pickup on South Street". It all has the makings of early TV crime drama, but has the crispy hard dialogue of noir, as well as some great period info on San Francisco's docks in the early 50's. In the first segment, there is savagely dangerous blonde Ann Savage (of "Detour" fame), her dark haired sister Eve Miller and a blonde waitress (Joy, aka Joi Lansing) that it might be difficult not to confuse with Savage. Both Savage and Lansing get some good lines (although Lansing's participation is nothing more than a well written walk on), and Beaumont's first person narration is very interesting as well. There is a good payoff for Savage at the end of the first half that wreaks of irony. The second half isn't as interesting. I noticed that the dirty man who sits next to Beaumont at the Boxing match looks almost like Joe E. Brown. Mike Mazurki is the heavy, and Margia Dean is the bad girl here. She is made dark haired, probably not to confuse the viewers with the two blonds from the first half. Edward Brophy, a veteran character actor, changes his voice from his usual squeak to more theatrical. As a drunk who intends to be drunk when he enters the next world, he is the archetype classic film drunk that is good natured and silly rather than dangerous or pathetic. The fadeout with Brophy will either make you laugh or groan, but he milks it for all it is worth as if he was John Carradine spouting Shakespeare up and down Hollywood Blvd. Far from perfect, but filled with bits that make film noir today probably the most sought after classic genre to be released on DVD.