Ladd Enterprises' Final Feature Address

Fouled-Up Kids Land on Ladd in 13 West Street (1961)

Extremely unpleasant drama, and for so many reasons. Cape Fear would go a similar route the following year and be as much an ordeal. The beaten-down star that was Alan Ladd by 1961 takes further punishment at hands of teen delinquency led by wealth infected Michael Callan. Ladd in prime would never have stood for humiliation meted to him here. He's ground down in a first reel and spends balance of 13 West Street on crutches or a cane. For those who'd known quick-as-a-lick Ladd at Paramount peak, this must have been painful. Still, it was a "Ladd Enterprises" production, with the Jaguar logo, so those lights were still on, but there'd be no more US starring work for the once-great action man. Known well is how drink and home issues brought Ladd low, but on him, every misery showed. Once sharp dialogue delivery comes out halting and slurred. Close takes saw puff and wear on a face that had once sustained fan mag covers. Ladd's was as ghastly a fall from grace as any Classic Era star we'd known.

It's by Ladd's diminished measure that 13 West Street ends up working so well as it does. What begins as seedy exploitation becomes an interesting ponder on vigilante theme that movies forever address, but never endorse. Just once I'd like a revenge yarn where the lead man gets his fill killing off all villainy, then says "I feel better now" for a close. That, however, was no-no under the Code. Taking law into one's own hand remains a dangerous policy to applaud, for what of audience members with their own scores to settle? 13 West Street does persuade us that Ladd is better off letting police detective Rod Steiger conduct investigation, though it's interesting that this film and Cape Fear allow victims to succeed in at least trackdown, if not disposal, of oppressive force. 13 West Street shows up on Sony's Movie Channel from time to time in HD, the added clarity exposing cruelly what short years had done to Alan Ladd.