Scarlet Street

Released Dec 28, 1945

1h 46m

Crime

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

87%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

Cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is absolutely smitten with the beautiful Kitty March (Joan Bennett). Kitty plays along, but she's really only interested in Johnny (Dan Duryea), a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Dan find out that art dealers are interested in Chris' work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her get away with so much.

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Jaime N. Christley

Slant Magazine

In his images and his storytelling, Lang drew together masses of intersecting lines, steel cables that pulled his characters to their doom or their reward.

Feb 6, 2024

Full Review

Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

You can be assured that Mr. Robinson, Miss Bennett and Mr. Duryea give their best melodramatic efforts to this study of crime and its sure punishment.

Dec 31, 2020

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)

San Francisco Examiner

Miss Bennett matches her previous excellent acting as the hard and brittle damsel with a penchant for maribou trimmed negligees, trashy literature and easy living.

Jan 5, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Quite hilariously, loud mouths, circumstantial evidence, misplaced fame, moralistic conundrums, and inescapable guilt ensure that everyone will get what's coming to them.

Rated: 8/10

Aug 14, 2020

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Lesser known perhaps but no less accomplished than some of [Lang's] more famous works.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 6, 2019

Full Review

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Maximus G

I appreciate it more than I like it. It didn't really connect with me and the middle dragged, but the ending was great.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

nick s

An interesting storyline. It's the great acting and directing that really elevate this movie. Well worth watching.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/20/23

Full Review

Martin B

Just another variation of the "no fool like an old fool" theme and in the end "crime doesn't pay". It's an average movie with a lot of terrific actors. Biggest problem is there movie depends too much on Robinson's character and too little on the interaction of all the other characters. Every reaction and nuance having to be picked up of Robinson because he was the mega star but it was over the top. His wife over the top as a nag. Too much over the top. Jilted and kills is a fit of rage. The entire movie is a cliche of one sort or another. Even Dan Duryea who seems to have one character the sleazy bad guy only surprises for being executed for the one crime he didn't commit.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/04/23

Full Review

Christopher B

A masterful and powerful film directed by the legendary Fritz Lang, "Scarlet Street" is a dark and gloom filled tale of vice and murder. The film really develops the characters and you truly feel for them as they try and naively cope with the unforgiving world around them. Real people in real situations and the desperation that rears it's head and causes chaos is the theme here and is enacted perfectly by the cast and written wonderfully! This really is a haunting and powerful film that has a powerful performance by all involved, especially Edward G. Robinson as the lonely and desperate Christopher Cross. Ultimately we are shown that no matter what you legally get away from, sometimes the worst thing is your own conscience. This is a great film that I would recommend to anyone interested in film and especially those that like dark dramas and film-noir.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/03/22

Full Review

Audience Member

One of my absolute favorite noirs. I could watch it a hundred times.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

dave j

Written and directed by Fritz Lang adapting from a Georges de La Fouchardière novel and play "La Chienne" stars Edward G Robinson as Chris becoming a chump when he falls for a tramp named Kitty

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Fritz Lang

Director

Edward G. Robinson

Christopher Cross

Joan Bennett

Kitty March

Dan Duryea

Johnny Prince

Margaret Lindsay

Millie Ray

Rosalind Ivan

Adele Cross

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Synopsis

Cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is absolutely smitten with the beautiful Kitty March (Joan Bennett). Kitty plays along, but she's really only interested in Johnny (Dan Duryea), a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Dan find out that art dealers are interested in Chris' work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her get away with so much.

Director: Fritz Lang
Producer: Walter Wanger
Screenwriter: Dudley Nichols, Georges de la Fouchardière, Andre Mouézy-Éon
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Film Classics Inc., Corinth Films [us], Hollywood Classics, Reel Media International [us], Take 2 Video, Questar, LS Video, Video Yesterday
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Walter Wanger Productions, Inc., Diana Production Company
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 28, 1945, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 28, 2016
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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