If Edward L. Cahn’s Incident in an Alley had been produced a mere ten years after it was, it would likely have shown up as an entry on ABC’s Movie of the Week instead of as a low budget theatrical B-movie of honest intentions but limited production values. There’s the germ of a good story here (courtesy of the original short story by Rod Serling), but the execution is flat and basically formulaic with no surprises and little in the way of genuine suspense or heartfelt drama to prop up the familiar cops and robbers story.
Incident in an Alley (MGM MOD)
Directed by Edward L. Cahn
Studio: MGM/UA
Year: 1962
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Running Time: 85 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 mono English
Subtitles: none
MSRP: $19.98
Release Date: available now
Review Date: November 21, 2011
The Film
2/5
After shouting two warnings to a fleeing youth after the robbery of a music store and the hysterical screams of a woman knocked down on the street, officer Bill Joddy (Chris Warfield) fires his pistol at the boy’s legs but hits him in the back instantly killing him. Indicted on charges of manslaughter, Joddy has the full support of his department, his partner Frank (Harp McGuire), and his wife Jean (Erin O'Donnell), and the jury finds him not guilty. However, the boy’s accusing mother (Virginia Christine) and his own guilt over not being able to find any evidence tying the fourteen-year old to the robbery lead Bill to resist efforts to transfer him to another police beat and to remain in his familiar neighborhood looking for clues to close the case.
Harold Medford and Owen Harris have concocted a screenplay that’s filled with trite situations built around the interesting premise furnished in Serling’s original story. The trial is loaded with laughable examination and cross examination that would have been declared a mistrial in any higher court in the land, and director Cahn really has no idea what to do with actors who aren’t speaking lines. When Mrs. Connell barges into the Joddys’ apartment and lets out her heartfelt despair over the loss of her younger son, Joddy’s wife and partner stand around blankly without ushering her out, offering her any comfort, or looking disturbed or infuriated by her accusations. Made on the tiniest of budgets, the film has street scenes that are obviously soundstage sets that offer limited mobility with cars and a few scattered people, and painted backdrops that look exactly like what they are. Rather than delving into the psychological implications that would wrack the conscience of an honest cop, the movie’s script and director are content to have Joddy run his hands through his hair a few times to show his angst and then proceed with his investigation of the slain boy’s friends and especially his older brother (Michael Vandever) who Joddy saw at the scene of the crime but who for some reason was not called to testify on either side during the trial.
The movie boasts two true professionals at work: Virginia Christine as the grieving Mrs. Connell has subpar material to work with throughout, but there’s no denying the genuine grief the woman exhibits throughout the movie. Willis Bouchey as the police captain who serves as intermediary between the press, the force, and his superiors including the commissioner walks a fine line in the movie and does so with good spirits and professional ease with lines and movement. Chris Warfield isn’t bad as Bill Joddy, but a more talented director might have drawn from him a more earnest and deeply felt performance instead of one that’s almost all on the surface. As his loyal wife, Erin O’Donnell’s expression changes hardly at all throughout the movie in a really amateurish turn. Gary Judis as the head of the teenage hoodlums throws off some dangerous vibes in his few scenes, but his role hasn’t been built up enough to be thoroughly effective.
Video Quality
4/5
The film is presented in an open matte presentation of 1.33:1. It would have been framed perfectly at 1.85:1 (a little zooming proves that well enough), but despite this analog TV-style transfer, the picture quality is actually surprisingly good. Black levels aren’t very strong, but sharpness is outstanding, and the grayscale is better than one might expect with those weak blacks. There is almost nothing in the way of dust specks or scratches to mar the presentation. The film has been divided into chapters every ten minutes so there are 9 chapters on this disc.
Audio Quality
2.5/5
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono sound mix is decoded by Dolby Prologic into the center channel. There is almost constant hiss, and it sometimes becomes almost overpowering. There is also crackle and popping to be heard, and the audio tone quality is decidedly treble lacking much resonance. On the other hand, the Richard Lasalle music score blends nicely with the visuals and never overpowers the dialogue.
Special Features
0/5
There are no bonus features on this made-on-demand disc.
In Conclusion
2/5 (not an average)
Sometimes unexpected gems can pop up in these made-on-demand titles of movies that haven’t much seen the light of day in decades, but Incident in an Alley unfortunately isn’t one of them. A small scale production filled with many mediocre actors and a script that doesn’t get the most out of its promising premise, Incident in an Alley doesn’t really have much to offer.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
