"99 River Street"

 

John Payne and Evelyn Keyes are walking along the side of a New York legit theatre in this shot from the great noir drama "99 River Street" (United Artists, 1953). We're actually on the Commodore Sloat Dr. side of the Carthay Circle Theatre, 6316 San Vicente Blvd. The view is back toward retail spaces at the front of the building.  

 

John is a washed-up boxer now driving a cab. Aspiring actress Evelyn has told him that she's killed a man onstage after an audition and needs his help. Phil Karlson directed. Also featured are Brad Dexter, Peggie Castle, Frank Faylen, Jay Adler, Jack Lambert and Glenn Langan. The cinematography was by Franz Planer. The nine minute theatre sequence starts 22 minutes into the film.  

 

Walking toward the stage door along the Carrillo Drive side of the building -- with a bit of an added fence plus some New York buildings matted in.   

 

 

 

Coming in the stage door upstage right. 

 

Down a few steps and walking behind the wire-guide counterweight sets. 

 

 

 

John in front of the dimmerboard. Evelyn has gone onstage. 

 

 

 

The body lies onstage as Evelyn tells John how she killed him after he made advances. 

 

A look into the dark auditorium after Evelyn turns on the light that's on the table. 

 

 

 

The set as seen from the house. 

 

John goes to the body and tells Evelyn they'll have to get it out of there and dump it in a gravel pit. But then the lights come up and it's all revealed as a ruse -- just an audition scene to prove to the producer that Evelyn can do the part.  

 

A view offstage right as Evelyn tells John she's sorry but it had to be done this way for her to get the job. He isn't amused. The producer offers him $20 for his trouble. 

 

 

 

Another look off right as the police are called to report John after he slugs several people. That's the stage door behind the rigging and a scene dock beyond. John is also involved in a second murder plot in the film. And that one is for real -- his wife gets killed. 

 

See the pages about the Carthay Circle Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the theatre and many photos. It had opened as a film and vaudeville house in 1926 but saw some legit action in the early 1930s. Again in the early to mid-1950s it was a legit house. That use was no longer possible after the TODD-AO remodel in 1956.

On IMDB: "99 River Street"