"The Street With No Name"

Our story in "The Street With No Name" (20th Century Fox, 1948) begins with a bank robbery in  the town they're calling Center City where we're cautioned that gangsterism is increasing. In the background is an unidentified theatre with "Li" at the top of its vertical. They decided to conceal the rest behind a "Now Playing" banner.

The film, directed by William Keighley, stars Mark Stevens and Richard Widmark in a tale of an FBI informant trying to infiltrate a mob of gangsters. The cinematographer for the film was Joseph McDonald.

Stevens, seen here in the center, is the FBI agent on the case looking for a place to live on sleazy Dock St. so that he'll blend in and maybe get acquainted with members of the gang. Walking down the street he passes the Optic Theatre, 533 S. Main St. Note the Optic signage above the display case.

Jack Tillmany notes that in the postercase behind the woman in the shot above the movie they're advertising is "Manila Calling," another 20th Century Fox film, from 1942, starring Lloyd Nolan, who himself plays a leading role in this one.

It's easy to think we're on the 400 block of S. Main St. as we cut to this shot of that block as soon as we pass the Optic. The Gilbert Hotel at 417 is just south of the Muse Theatre, one we see later in the film.

Stevens crosses Main St. at Winston giving us a look south at the Regent Theatre, 448. S. Main. He's going to stay at the Royal Hotel, 416 S. Main.

Stevens heads to the Dock Street Gym, actually a building at 323 S. Main St. once a theatre known at different times as the New Star, Bijou and Regal. It was built in 1894 as a German social hall. By the time of the filming its theatre days were long gone and it had become a gym.

A bit of the Regal's proscenium and balcony.

Another view to house left. 

The rear of what had been the auditorium. Don't worry about the woman who just came in the back door. Maybe she was a subplot that didn't make the final cut.

Another view to the rear, this time giving us a look at the house right stairs to the balcony. 

A fine look across the street from the gym's front door.

A view toward the stage end of the building with Richard Widmark on the stairs. He owns the place and also heads the gang the Mark Stevens will crack. Later we get a tour of the gym's basement where Widmark keeps his arsenal.

Stevens gets in with the gang. One night they drop him off at his hotel giving us another view south to the Regent. 

 As he gets out of the car we get a view across the street at the Muse Theatre, 417 S. Main St.

A better view of the Muse's clamshell entrance is seen as the car pulls away.

 

Crossing again. The building at the corner is the Canadian Bldg., still standing at the corner of Winston and Main.

A fine view along the east side of the 500 block. 

See the pages about the Optic Theatre, the Regent Theatre, the Muse Theatre, and the Regal Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of these Main St. houses. Of the four, the Regent is the only survivor.

On IMDb: "The Street With No Name"