Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Street of Chance Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 30, 2022

Jack Hively's "Street of Chance" (1942) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only supplemental feature on the release is an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I'll manage on my own. Thank you.

New York City. While walking next to an old building that is being renovated by a small crew of careless construction workers, Frank Thompson (Burgess Meredith) is nearly killed by falling debris. But he quickly gets up and tells a motley crew of concerned strangers, including a cop, that he is fine. Before he leaves, someone hands him a hat and a fancy cigarette case with the initials DN. Shortly after, while still feeling dizzy, Frank heads home to his wife, Virginia (Louise Platt), but discovers that they parted ways almost a year ago and she has been living in a different part of the city.

Less than half an hour later, at Virginia’s new place, while struggling to recall why he walked away from her, Frank realizes that after getting hit on the head by the debris, he has lost his memories. When soon after a couple of thugs come looking for him at Virginia’s place, the two manage to get away and he tells her to move to her mother’s place until he finds out more about his past.

Frank then returns to the area where he nearly lost his life and visits a pawn shop whose owner recognizes him and his fancy cigarette case. Later that night, he reunites with Ruth (Claire Trevor), apparently his lover, and discovers that he is known as Danny Nearing, a fugitive wanted for murder.

It is difficult not to speculate that Street of Chance could have been a much better film because it tells an interesting story and Meredith is very good as the perplexed amnesiac. But Jack Hively’s direction is so uninspired that almost immediately after Meredith begins reconstructing his past Street of Chance acquires the personality of a very average B-film that was done on a budget to meet the most basic expectations. Was Street of Chance conceived to be that kind of a film? The correct answer is irrelevant because Hively’s inability to take advantage of Meredith’s performance is what delivers a disappointing film.

The story, which was penned by Cornell Woolrich, produces two crucial character transformations that define the nature of its drama. The first gives the drama solid noir qualities that make the Street of Chance attractive. The second replaces the noir qualities with neo-Gothic qualities and it is where Street of Chance looks most unconvincing. Hively struggles mightily to make the transition appear legit and as a result the final act is very underwhelming.

Unfortunately, the supporting cast is very comfortable with Hively’s uninspired direction and moves through different developments without helping the integrity of the story. While not surprising, this creates the impression that different feelings and emotions are displayed only because they are required at a particular moment, not because they are emerging organically. For example, all material involving the mute and very ill grandma Diedrich (Adeline De Walt Reynolds) looks very artificial and is completely out of sync with the rest of the film.

Hively teamed up with German-born cinematographer Theodor Sparkuhl, who lensed the classic adventure film Beau Geste. Sadly, his contribution to this film is instantly forgettable. In all fairness, however, a different director is unlikely to have delivered a more visually striking film. What could have made a difference is the management of the noir qualities, which may have made it easier to have a more atmospheric film.

Street of Chance Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Street of Chance arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new master with fine organic qualities. However, different areas of the film reveal numerous density fluctuations and plenty of surface wear. I don't mind both because the entire film has a pleasing organic appearance and this is what matters the most to me. However, there are digital tools that could have been used to clean up the visuals pretty well and stabilize a few areas as well. Delineation, clarity, and depth are usually quite good. The grayscale is convincing. However, this is another area where some minor adjustments could have been made to avoid crushing. Regardless, I was quite happy with the overall appearance of the visuals on my system. You will see numerous nicks, dark spots, scratches, and even some blemishes. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Street of Chance Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The exchanges are clear and easy to follow. I would say that dynamic intensity is very good for a film from the early 1940s. However, a few small areas reveal minor instability in the upper register which makes the audio a bit thin and buzzy. Are these areas distracting? No. You will only notice very small fluctuations that are not uncommon on older films. There are no audio dropouts to report in our review.

Street of Chance Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new commentary was recorded by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney.

Street of Chance Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Jack Hively had delivered a better final act Street of Chance could have been a pretty exciting film. More than likely Hively's management of the original material from Cornell Woolrich's story still would have been imperfect, but this final act is what effectively collapses Street of Chance. The mute and very ill grandma Diedrich is just not right for it, or at least as the character is played by Adeline De Walt Reynolds. This is very unfortunate because Burgess Meredith looks good and for a while it seems like his struggle to regain his memories would produce a fine film noir. I wonder what another director, like John H. Auer, would have accomplished with the same story. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release is included in Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VIII, a three-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.