13 West Street

A rocket scientist, Walt Sherrill, is driving along a empty city street at night when his car breaks down. After he is almost run down by a speeding car, he is assaulted and viciously beaten by the occupants, a group of well-dressed young men, the opposite of a slum dwelling street gang. When the police, including investigating juvenile officer Detective Koleski, are - in Sherill's opinion - acting too slowly and seem too busy to focus on finding the culprits, Sherill decides to go after them on his own.

This quest becomes an obsession for Sherrill which threatens the stability of both his job and his marriage. Sherrill proves to be an amateur sleuth at best, going over ground the police have already covered. His wife uncomfortably watches him use a gun he has purchased to take target practice on tin cans.

One night, Sherill spots a convertible that resembles one belonging to his assailants and tails it at high speed. The driver turns out to be a frightened teenage girl who calls the police, and Sherill spends an uncomfortable night in the holding tank before Koleski has him released.

Sherill hires Finney, a private investigator, whose work leads him to Chuck Landry, the gang's leader. Sherill's non-stop search for revenge causes one member of the gang to commit suicide. Landry counters by luring Finney to a dangerous section of road where he is killed, then coming to Sherill's home where he menaces his wife and plans to shoot Sherill when he returns home. Landry escapes from the police but Sherill takes the boy's address from his abandoned car, and is waiting there when Landry arrives. Sherrill beats him savagely with his cane. On the verge of killing him by drowning him in the Landry family's swimming pool, Sherill finally relents, turning Landry over to Koleski to be placed under arrest. Tracey and Walt leave the scene to go home.

• Alan Ladd as Walt Sherill
• Rod Steiger as Detective Sergeant Koleski
• Michael Callan as Chuck Landry
• Dolores Dorn as Tracey Sherill
• Kenneth MacKenna as Paul Logan
• Margaret Hayes as Mrs. Landry
• Stanley Adams as Finney
• Chris Robinson as Everett
• Jeanne Cooper as Mrs. Quinn
• Arnold Merritt as Bill
• Mark Slade as Tommy
• Henry Beckman as Detective Joe Bradford
• Clegg Hoyt as Noddy

Leigh Brackett's novel The Tiger Among Us was originally published in 1957.[3] Film rights were purchased by producer Charles Schnee, who had just left MGM and signed a deal with Columbia Pictures. He hired John Michael Hayes to write the script.[4] John Wayne was announced as a possible star.[5] It was then reported that Valentine Davies was working on the script, which had been retitled Fear No Evil.[6] Production plans were delayed when Schnee announced he was leaving Columbia, claiming he was unable to get any of his films in development made because of "almost insurmountable casting difficulties."[7] The project stayed with Columbia and was assigned to producer Boris Kaplan. Roger Presnell wrote a version of the script.[8] Philip Leacock was given the job as director and Alan Ladd and Rod Steiger were cast in the leads.[9] The title The Tiger Among Us was changed out of fear audiences might expect a jungle film. The new title was 13 East Street then Alan Ladd requested "east" be changed to "west". "The story concerns a teenage gang from Los Angeles east side but I suggested the locale be switched to the swank purlieu of Bel Air", said Ladd. "I have nothing against Bel Air but I want to show that juvenile delinquency can breed in exclusive areas too."[10]

Filming started April 1961.[11]

• List of American films of 1962
• List of hood films

• 13 West Street at IMDb
• Trailer at TCMDB
• 13 West Street at the TCM Movie Database