Alan Ladd plays an aerospace engineer on his way home from a late night at the office when his car runs out of gas on a dark street and he encounters a group of high school teenagers. The encounter leads to his being beaten up pretty badly and sets in motion his quest for either justice or revenge. Rod Steiger as a police detective represents the justice part, but the wheels move too slowly for Ladd, who engages in his own investigation to avenge his humiliating experience. This sets up a conflict with the law, the school system, which leads to several consequences. The film's proximity to the end of Ladd's career and life seems to be a major factor and makes it difficult to conclude whether his role either detracted from or added something to a film that is, in any event, still definitely worth watching IMHO.
Review of 13 West Street
