The House Across The Street (1949)

When the managing editor (Wayne Morris) of a major newspaper blasts the police for bungling a case where a witness is murdered, the owner (Alan Hale) of the paper assigns him to the advice to the lovelorn column. Undeterred, he continues to investigate the murder case. Directed by Richard Bare (FLAXY MARTIN), this is an unusual blend of crime and comedy. The film starts out with a cold blooded killing but it isn't long before you realize this is no film noir but a crime comedy with the emphasis on the humor although the film is not without some brutality. This is the fourth movie version (others were 1936, 1937, 1942) and I had a good time with it. It's an unpretentious programmer that accomplishes what it sets out to do. With Janis Paige, Barbara Bates, Bruce Bennett and James Mitchell.