The House on Carroll Street

Emily Crane is fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, and takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. One day her attention is drawn to a noisy argument being conducted largely in German in a neighbouring house, the more so since one of those involved is her main senator prosecutor. Starting to look into things, she gradually enlists the help of FBI officer Cochran who was initially detailed to check her out. Just as well when things turn nasty

**_Kelly McGillis plays a Nancy Drew-like character in early 50’s Manhattan_** A picture editor for Life magazine (McGillis) loses her job in the Big Apple upon refusing to name names for the House Un-American Activities Committee. She then snoops around a German-speaking man with dubious immigration status, which draws the ire of the Committee's main Senate prosecutor (Mandy Patinkin) and the assistance of an amicable FBI agent (Jeff Daniels). “The House on Carroll Street” (1988) is an old fashioned Hitchcockian crime drama/thriller in which an innocent person stumbles upon something nefarious involving shady government officials and the corresponding cover-up. The events take place four years after the start of the Cold War when the US Government wanted to secure a scientific lead over the Soviets. The pièce de résistance is a clash at Grand Central Station in the last act. It plays like Indiana Jones during the early Cold War years, albeit with a female protagonist and less hamminess, although there’s some silliness in the bomb sequence (like people are going to casually joke around while a bomb’s about to explode). I like the irony of good citizens being smeared as evil and bad officials being presumed good. It’s a worthwhile period piece with definite points of interest, but somehow underwhelming. It needed a rewrite to flush out the potential. The film only runs 1 hour, 41 minutes (as if it didn’t have the confidence to go longer), and was shot in Manhattan. GRADE: B-