For Generation X folks like myself, we know Ricardo Montalban for three reasons: TV’s Fantasy Island, his ads for the Chrysler Cordoba in which he touted its “rich Corinthian leather” and his turn as the titular antagonist in 1982’s hit movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. 1950’s Mystery Street allows us to see another side of a much younger Montalban.

A human skeleton turns up on the beach at Cape Cod. Unsurprisingly, an investigation ensues, one led by Lieutenant Peter Morales (Montalban).

After consultation with forensic scientist Dr. Tim McAdoo (Bruce Bennett), he and Morales eventually figure out the identity of the deceased woman to be 24-year-old blonde Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling). From there, they need to figure out what led to her death and who – if anyone – to blame.

Despite the implication of my synopsis, the audience knows the identity of the deceased woman right off the bat. Street opens with a prologue set a few months prior to the discovery of Victoria’s remains and allows us to get to know her somewhat.

This acts as a way to set up the mystery. Street sets up some potential murderers and indeed makes it clear that someone did kill Vivian.

Frankly, this introduction feels like a mistake, as it eliminates too many potential questions. If the movie opened with the discovery of the skeletal remains, we would go into the story with as little information as the detectives.

Instead, we stand ahead of the cops. While the identity of the killer remains somewhat up for grabs, the nature of the crime doesn’t.

I guess the filmmakers felt that audiences needed to know Vivian to care about the rest of the tale. I disagree, as I think a more compelling thriller would come from a tale that puts us firmly in the shoes of the detectives.

If I ignore this issue, does Street bring a compelling mystery? To some degree, though I think the decision to give the viewer so much information about Vivian’s murder continues to haunt the rest of the project.

Still, Street finds some intriguing paths. We go through the usual roster of suspects, some more plausible than others.

It doesn’t take a police detective to figure out which potential killers will exist as red herrings. The question becomes whether or not the movie makes the exploration of viable candidates intriguing.

And the answer remains yes, at least to a moderate extent. I don’t think Street ever truly sizzles, but the paths Morales takes become reasonably involving.

Montalban feels a bit out of place as a detective. Perhaps this view stems from so much experience with his later-in-life roles, but he doesn’t ever quite seem at home in the role.

Nonetheless, Montalban does fine, and some colorful supporting actors add bite. In particular, Elsa Lanchester gleefully gobbles scenery as Vivian’s conniving landlady, and her borderline campy performance brings life to the proceedings.

Ultimately, I view Street as a disappointment simply because the film’s excessive exposition tells us too much. Outside of that bad choice, it turns into a generally entertaining thriller.

Mystery Street appears in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This turned into a typically positive Warner Archive presentation.

Overall sharpness satisfied. A few shots came across as a bit soft, but the majority of the flick appeared well-defined and concise.

No issues with jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws remained absent, and light grain cropped up through the film.

Blacks seemed deep and dense, while shadows seemed smooth and clear. I liked this appealing image.

In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack seemed more than satisfactory given its age. Speech could seem a bit brittle but the lines remained intelligible and without edginess or other issues.

Music sounded slightly shrill but remained acceptably lively, and effects followed suit, as those elements appeared thin but without distortion or issues. The soundtrack worked fine for its vintage.

A few extras appear, and we get an audio commentary from film historians Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward. Both sit together for a running, screen-specific look at story and characters, genre domains, cast and crew, cinematography, and their thoughts about the movie.

This becomes a spotty commentary, mainly because it leans toward general glimpses of the flick and not a lot about its creation. While we get some decent notes, the overall package remains less than compelling.

A short featurette called Murder at Harvard runs four minutes, 54 seconds. It brings notes from AFI Catalogue executive editor Patricia King Hanson, critic Richard Schickel, director of photography John Alton,

“Harvard” looks at story/characters, film noir elements, cast and crew, sets and locations, and their thoughts on the film. The reel seems too brief to offer much value.

In addition to the film’s trailer, two circa 1950 Tom and Jerry Shorts ensue. We get Little Quacker (7:11) and Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl (7:26).

During the former, Tom attempts to murder and cook a duckling but Jerry attempts to save the baby bird. I liked later cartoons with Little Quacker – even if his vocals offer a blatant ripoff of Donald Duck – and this one offers some charm.

With Bowl, Tom attempts to conduct an orchestral performance while Jerry interferes to do the gig himself. Some laughs follow, though I fiind it somewhat creepy that all the feline musicians look exactly the same.

With legendary director John Sturges behind the camera, I went into Mystery Street with high hopes. Though mostly engaging, the end product feels spottier than I’d like. The Blu-ray comes with strong picture, appropriate audio and a mix of bonus features. Despite some iffy storytelling choices, the flick usually entertains.