"The Street With No Name" is another of 20th Century Fox's documentary/noire style dramas popular in the late 40s. The film uses actual FBI employees in the FBI headquarters sequences.The scene is set in "Center City" where a recent crime wave has broken out resulting in two killings. Because crimes have involved federal banks, the FBI is called in. Inspector George Briggs (Lloyd Nolan in a role he played in "The House on 92nd Street) is assigned to the case. Working with Police Chief Bernard Harmotz (Ed Begley) and Commissioner Ralph Demory (Howard Smith), they decide to plant FBI agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) within the gang. Cordell assumes the identity of George Manly who with main contact Cy Gordon (John McIntire), set up shop in the skid row district of the city.Manly soon comes into contact with gang leader Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark) who controls the crime operation. After being set up as the fall guy in a heist, Manly becomes a gang member participating in the gang's plans. Stiles tells Shivvy (Donald Burka) and Matty (Joseph Pevney) to keep an eye on Manly. The gang is planning a major heist but it is halted when an inside source informs Stiles that there is an undercover cop within the organization.Stiles bides his time and knowing that Manly is the "rat" makes his move and..............................................Although Mark Stevens was a capable leading man, it is Richard Widmark who steals the film. His cold calculating Stiles reminiscent of his "Tommy Udo" portrayal in "Kiss of Death" (1947), is terrifying. He even gets to slap his wife Judy (Barbara Lawrence) around in a fit of rage. Lloyd Nolan was everybody's favorite cop in the forties. He had starred in the Michael Shayne detective series earlier in the decade.If I have a criticism, I felt that the identity of the police insider was revealed far too early. I would have kept the audience guessing a little longer.

Saw this the other night on Movies-TV Film Noir Saturday Night. I read somewhere long ago that legendary director Marty Scorsese was sickly as a child and spent many days at the matinée in his native Brooklyn watching films. I could easily imagine him sitting in a darkened theater around 13 or 14 yrs old and being transfixed by this movie. It reminds me of "The Departed" with all the inside mob and cop snitching, replacing Richard Widmark in the Jack Nicholson role. Excellent caper film.

1948's "The Street With No Name" is, without question, hard-hitting, well-scripted, and, most definitely, top-of-the-line Film Noir.Shot in a semi-documentary style (which was a popular format in its time), this film of crime and corruption tells the vivid story of a tough, undercover FBI agent who infiltrates a ruthless criminal gang who operate in the skid-row district of the fictional "Center City" (which clearly reminds one of NYC).Very entertaining, "The Street With No Name" is a real treat for any fan of the Film Noir genre.I really liked actor Mark Stevens in this picture. He was superb as the FBI agent, Gene Cordell.

For Widmark's second film Fox rushed him into this semi-documentary knowing that 1) he was now a solid draw after his brilliant debut in Kiss Of Death and 2) that the semi-documentary pioneered by the studio still had lots of mileage left in it. Widmark would make a much better film that same year (Jean Negulesco's Roadhouse) but this isn't exactly chopped liver albeit he is called upon to do little more than replay Tommy Udo under another name, i.e. snarl, smile and slap women around. Mark Stevens is featured as the clean-cut undercover agent charged with bringing Widmark down and the solid, dependable Lloyd Nolan is, er, solid and dependable as a senior FBI agent. William Keighly directs the traffic competently enough and the whole is pleasantly engaging.