Race Street *** (1948, George Raft, Marilyn Maxwell, William Bendix, Frank Faylen, Harry Morgan, Gale Robbins) – Classic Movie Review 13,967

George Raft stars in the 1948 crime film noir Race Street as a nightclub owner who takes the law into his own hands when his bookie buddy (Harry Morgan) is killed.

Director Edwin L Marin’s 1948 RKO Pictures black and white American crime film noir thriller Race Street is based on a magazine serial story by Maurice Davis, and stars George Raft, Marilyn Maxwell, and William Bendix, along with Frank Faylen, Harry Morgan and Gale Robbins.

George Raft stars as San Francisco bookie turned nightclub owner Dan Gannin, who plans to quit the racket and open a nightclub with his torch-singing sister Elaine (Gale Robbins) as main attraction. But he returns to the world of crime after his bookie buddy Hal Towers (Harry Morgan) is murdered by a protection racket syndicate, going after the crooks despite the warning entreaties of another friend, cop Lieutenant Barney Runson (William Bendix).

Raft pits his wits against the blackmailing crooks led by mob boss Phil Dickson (Frank Faylen), while setting his eyes on World War Two widow femme fatale Robbie Lawrence (Marilyn Maxwell), who proves to be a snake in the grass. Dan’s treacherous war widow girlfriend Robbie is there when two thugs working for the mob boss blindfold and beat Dan.

Race Street may have seemed in its day an unremarkable crime melodrama, a modest B-movie much like many others. But the cast, particularly Raft and even more so Bendix, keep it more than just entirely watchable, actually engrossing and sometimes exciting.

Martin Rackin’s well-crafted screenplay, with its careful plotting and complexly drawn characters, makes the movie rise several notches above its perceived humble station. Edwin L Marin is a keen, effective director, working most efficiently, moving it along with pace and imagination, and J Roy Hunt’s camerawork adds a touch of class. The location filming in San Francisco is an obvious asset.

Raft’s sister is played by Gale Robbins, a singer under contract to RKO. Marilyn Maxwell also started as a radio and stage singer. She was born Marvel Marilyn Maxwell on August 3, 1921. But, sadly, when she signed with MGM in 1942 as a contract player, studio head Louis B Mayer insisted she drop her first name. What a marvellous career she would have had as Marvel Maxwell! Actually she did pretty well as Marilyn Maxwell, married three times, close friends with Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, and good friends with Rock Hudson. Yet ‘Marilyn’ could be a curse. When she appeared as the mystery guest on TV’s What’s My Line? in 1953, a blind-folded panellist asked her if she was Marilyn Monroe.

Maurice Davis’s story started life as a magazine serial in Turf and Sport Digest from December 1945 to March 1946. RKO head of the production Dore Schary liked it and bought the film rights, then signed Raft to star in January 1947.

It is the third of four films Raft made for RKO Pictures. Raft’s first three RKO films Johnny Angel, Nocturne and Race Street were profitable, but A Dangerous Profession recorded a loss of $280,000.

Release date: June 22, 1948 (US).

The film was made by RKO when it was run by Dore Schary, but before it was released RKO was taken over by Howard Hughes, who clashed with Dore Schary, who resigned in July 1948.

Cast: George Raft as Dan Gannin, William Bendix as Lieutenant Barney Runson, Marilyn Maxwell as Robbie Lawrence, Frank Faylen as Phil Dixon, Harry Morgan [Henry Morgan] as Hal Towers, Gale Robbins as Elaine Gannin, Cully Richards as Mike Hadley, Mack Gray as Stringy, Russell Hicks as Easy Mason, Richard Benedict, James Nolan, Tom Keene, William Forrest, George Turner, Dean White, Freddie Steele.

Race Street is directed by Edwin L Marin, runs 79 minutes, is made and released by RKO Pictures, is written by Martin Rackin, is shot in black and white by J Roy Hunt, is produced by Jack J Gross (executive producer) and Nat Holt, is scored by Roy Webb, and is designed by Albert S D’Agostino.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,967

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