Side Street (1950 film)

Side Street is a 1950 American crime film noirpolice procedural directed by Anthony Mann.

Joe Norson Granger lives with his inlaws in New York City after losing his gas station and has found work as a parttime mail carrier. Because he wants the best for his expectant wife Ellen ODonnell, Joe rationalizes stealing what he thinks is 200 from a lawyers office on his route. He discovers that hes actually stolen 30,000 from Victor Backett Edmund Ryan, a corrupt attorney. Backett has framed wealthy brokerpatsy Emil Lorrison Paul Harvey in a sex scandal, then extorted the money from him with the help of Lucille Colner Adele Jergens and excon accomplice George Garsell James Craig.From the start, Joe begins to panic. He explains his newfound wealth to Ellen as a lucrative outoftown job, then disguises the money as a package and leaves it with bartender Nick Drumman Ed Max. In the meantime Lucilles body is found in the East River, strangled, and Capt. Walter Anderson Paul Kelly of the New York Police Department investigates the murder. Both Lorrison and Backett are interviewed, names found in her love diary. After the birth of his child, Joe decides to try to return his illgotten gain, but Backett suspects a trap and refuses the offer. Backett instead sends Garsell and a taxi cab driver accomplice to grab Joe and recover the cash. Joe is able to escape after they discover that Drumman has substituted a nightgown in the package and gone into hiding with the money. ........

Source: Wikipedia