film noir be an overused expression when it come to describe film . every crime drama seem to be a noir . but where the sidewalk end really be a good example of what the genre be all about . very briefly and an overzealous detective ( andrew ) accidentally kill a no goodnik who work for the mobster . the killing be blame on the father ( tom tully ) of a woman andrews meet and fall for ( tierney ) . to save dad from old sparky and andrew capture the rest of the mob and turn himself in . the morally guilty cop be drive by impulse from the past . his father be a thief who be kill try to shoot his way out of jail . but that doesn not excuse his action after he accidentally off the no goodnik in self defense . he immediately go to the phone to report the incident but he hesitate . he already in hot water with the department and this could finish his career . then and at just the wrong moment and the phone ring . it andrews partner and andrew tell him the suspect theyre trail isn not at home . he hide the body and late disposes of it by slug a watchman and dump the body in the river . what motivate a guy to do something so dumb . okay . his job be at risk . but now he commit multiple felony . at least i think they must be multiple . i count obstruction of justice and assault and disposing of a body without a permit and littering and first degree mopery and and bear false witness against his neighbor . in the end and we do not know whether to root for andrew or not . the suspect do not deserve to die and true and but it be after all an accident because andrew do not know he be a war hero and have a silver plate in his head . maybe it that kind of ambiguity that make noir what it be and among other thing such a characteristic lighting . if noir involve nothing more than black and white photography and murder and criminal and mystery and and suspicious woman and then we would have to include all the charlie chan movie under that rubric . andrew be pretty good . he a kind of mark macpherson ( from laura ) go bitter . he never laugh and and rarely smile and even when seat across a restaurant table from gene tierney and a situation likely to prompt smile in many men . he have no sense of humor at all . his few wisecrack be put down . when he shove a stoolie into a cab and the stoolie say and careful . i almost hit my head and andrews riposte be and that okay . the cab insure . andrew could seem kind of wooden at time but this be a role that call for stubborn and humorless determination and he handle it well . his underplaying be perfect for the part . little twitch or blink project his thought and emotional state . and i guess the director and otto preminger and stop him from pronounce bullet a boo let and police a poe louse . never could make up my mind about gene tierney . she do alright in the role of tom tully daughter and a model and but she like marilyn monroe in that you can not separate the adopt mannerism from the real personality trait . do tierney actually have such an innocent and almost saintly persona . when she answer the phone at home and do her voice have the same sing along quality that it have on screen . poor tierney go through some bad psychiatric stuff and before there be any effective med for bipolar disorder . and andrews too and nice guy though he appear to have be and slip into alcoholism before finally recover and make public service announcement . the dvd commentary by peter muller be unpretentious and informed and and sometimes amuse . anyway and this be a good film as well a a good example of film noir . the good guy aren not all good and although the bad guy be all bad . maybe that ambiguity be what make it an adult picture instead of a popcorn movie . for the kiddy and only one shot be fire on screen and nobody head explodes . sorry .