Movie Reviews

‘Down Three Dark Streets’ Blu-Ray Review – Sturdy Crime Drama Succeeds With Talented Ensemble

By Dillon Gonzales
April 12, 2022
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When FBI agent Zack Stewart is gunned down in the line of duty, supervisor John “Rip” Ripley (Broderick Crawford) takes over his caseload. Believing that one of Stewart’s three active investigations will reveal the identity of his killer, agent Ripley’s assignment takes him “Down Three Dark Streets”: chasing down fugitive criminal Joe Walpo (Joe Bassett), breaking down small-time hood Vince Angelino (Gene Reynolds), and hunting down an unknown extortionist threatening helpless Kate Martell (Ruth Roman)—ending with a thrilling climax set against the backdrop of the iconic “Hollywood” sign!

With a supporting cast that includes Martha Hyer, Casey Adams, Jay Adler, Claude Akins and William Johnstone, Down Three Dark Streets was directed by Arnold Laven (Without Warning!) and produced by Jules V. Levy and Arthur Gardner. The trio would enjoy much success in television as the creative team behind such hits as The Rifleman and The Big Valley.

For thoughts on Down Three Dark Streets, please check out my piece on The Video Attic here.

Video Quality

Down Three Dark Streets makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to ClassicFlix with a brand new 1080p master that is really quite excellent. The restored transfer shows off a fantastic amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The clothing and the production design especially display a pleasing amount of detail and textures that is showcased well on screen. The track does experience a small amount of minor damage and scratches, but these moments are fleeting with the biggest dips in quality showing up in the optical dissolves. The lovely black-and-white photography shines in high definition with stable contrast and natural grain intact. Black levels are strong with no noticeable occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The white levels do not exhibit much in the way of blooming, and the natural film grain resolves well throughout most of the runtime. ClassicFlix has done a top-tier job with this one overall that should not be missed.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a terrific DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie very well considering the age of the source material. Dialogue and background noises are always balanced well with all competing elements including the sounds of the city. This track does present with some very brief moments of age related wear and tear, but mostly things remain stable and pleasing to the ear. The music never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The folks at ClassicFlix have once again delivered a quality audio track.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc.

Final Thoughts

Down Three Dark Streets is a small-time crime film which features some silly plot elements but ultimately engages the audience quite capably. The dogged investigation allows for a few different types of crimes to amp up the mystery even if the outcome is not all that surprising. Broderick Crawford is a formidable presence who grounds the story while the amazing Ruth Roman demands your emotional investment. The film is a breezy watch which is a fine addition to the procedural crime genre. ClassicFlix has released a Blu-Ray featuring a pleasing A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. This is the perfect lazy weekend afternoon watch. Recommended

Down Three Dark Streets is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.