Review: Street of Chance (1942)
Amnesia is one of film noir's well-worn devices. The disorienting notion of lost identity has fueled countless stories, especially during the hard-boiled era of crime fiction and film. The quest for self has arguably never been a stronger metaphor than in the years following World War II, for clear reasons. But Street of Chance was made just before the U.S. joined the war and arrives almost at the very beginning of what we now view as the classic years of film noir, meaning that it straddles the line between eras. Because of this, and because the film uses the amnesia device so well, Street of Chance feels fresh and unique. The picture begins with our lead (Burgess Meredith) being struck on the head by falling debris while walking down the street. When he awakes, he remembers that he's Frank Thompson, a devoted husband and career man, but when he tries to return home, the residence is empty and a neighbor tells him that his wife (Louise Platt) now lives alone on the ot...