From the B-Movie Hive: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends represents a second pairing of Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in a suspense film in which Andrews plays a cop named Mark. The more famous film that teams Andrews and Tierney is the uberclassic Laura, of course, but I would hazard to propose that Where the Sidewalk Ends is actually the better of the two. I say that as a big fan of Laura. With stars of the magnitude of Andrews and Tierney, Where the Sidewalk Ends really doesn't quite qualify as an offering from the B-movie hive, but it has a B-movie feel to it and that's not an insult.

Dana Andrews plays a cop whose father was a gangster. This cop also has a reputation for beating evidence and confessions out of the bad guys that tend to remind him of his paternal ties. He's a decent sort of Joe at the heart, but he's got a chip on his shoulder as it relates to his bloodlines. The plot kicks off with an investigation that brings Andrews to the apartment of one of those crooks whom he feels the need to beat information out of. The guy falls down and appears to be knocked out, but since this is a suspenseful little flick, it turns out the guy is dead. The rest of the movie is a thriller that offers a nifty little twist on the standard Hitchcockian tale of an innocent plan trying to prove he isn't guilty. Here we have a guilty man doing everything he can to keep up the appearance of being innocent.

The web of lies that Dana Andrews must weave in order to throw off suspicion of himself ultimately threatens his burgeoning relationship with Gene Tierney. Tierney plays the estranged wife of a not very nice person at all; a slapper of women is he. The ties that bind Andrews and Tierney expand to include her soon-to-be-dead husband as well as her father. Things get especially complicated when suspicion of Andrew's accidental murder is cast upon Tierney's dear old dad.

Where the Sidewalk Ends offers a very tense and exciting couple of hours that definitely has a touch of Hitchcock to it. The stomach knots as you watch Andrews' nefarious plans almost go awry several times. The entertainment value of a movie like this is based upon how much you can invest in a character who is trying to cover up what qualifies at least as manslaughter. Where the Sidewalk Ends would completely fall apart if the Andrews character had not been set up as a very decent sort who only uses fascist techniques against know guilty people. If you can sustain your belief in his character despite questionable investigative techniques, you will find yourself actually rooting for him to get away with murder. The delicate relationship that develops between Andrews and Tierney also is designed to get you on the cop's side.

Ultimately, Andrews must come face to face with his Kantian dilemma. This decision sets the stage for a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion, but before we get there Andrews sets up for himself a maze of intrigue that provides some gritty scenes with Gary Merrill as a mob boss and the minions with which he surrounds himself.

Where the Sidewalk Ends is currently available for instant streaming on Netflix.