Stakeout on Dope Street
| Stakeout on Dope Street | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Irvin Kershner |
| Produced by | Andrew J. Fenady |
| Written by | Andrew J. Fenady Irvin Kershner Irwin Schwartz |
| Starring | Yale Wexler Abby Dalton Morris Miller Allen Kramer Jonathon Haze |
| Music by | Richard Markowitz |
| Cinematography | Mark Jeffrey |
| Edited by | Melvin Sloan |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Stakeout on Dope Street is a 1958 crime film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Andrew J. Fenady, Irvin Kershner and Irwin Schwartz. It follows three teenagers who inadvertently get themselves involved in a drug ring. It was the directorial debut of Kershner. The film stars Yale Wexler, Abby Dalton, Morris Miller, Allen Kramer and Jonathon Haze. The film was released by Warner Bros. on May 3, 1958.
Late one night in Los Angeles, Sgt. Fred Matthews (Frank Harding) and Officer Lynn Donahue (Slate Harlow) arrest a pusher who is carrying two pounds of uncut heroin. They are ambushed by gangsters Mitch Swadurski (Herman Rudin) and Lenny Potter (Philip Mansour), who kill Matthews and wound Donahue, then kill the pusher after he tosses the briefcase containing the heroin into the underbrush.
Next day, the case is found by eighteen-year-old Julian "Ves" Vespucci (Jonathon Haze) as he delivers groceries from his father's store. Ves and his pals, would-be artist Jim Bowers (Yale Wexler) and bodybuilder Nick Raymond (Morris Miller) find the case contains samples of women's cosmetics. The canister containing the heroin is labeled "face powder," so they throw the can away, although Jim keeps some powder for his girl friend Kathy.
The boys pawn the briefcase. Jim takes the samples to Kathy and proposes to her. Kathy is afraid he will be unable to support them. Jim sees a newspaper headline about the missing narcotics. He rushes to tell Nick and Ves, but the canister has since been picked up by a garbage truck.
After a frantic search at the city dump, they find it. Nick convinces Jim and Ves to meet Danny, a heroin addict. The police and the mob are searching for the drugs, using every contact they have in the underworld and on the streets. Danny is thrilled by the small "test" packet of heroin brought to him by the boys and agrees to sell it for them.
The three are awed by the money that Danny gets for the heroin. Nick and Ves go shopping, while Jim buys a bracelet for Kathy. When he explains where he got the money, Jim is surprised by Kathy's vehement rejection of the bracelet. She upbraids him for profiting from others' weakness.
Danny relates to Jim in harrowing detail how he got addicted. Deeply moved by Danny's story, Jim grows more reluctant to continue selling.
The police obtain their first break when the pawnbroker reports the briefcase he bought from the boys. He recalls that one was named Nick and worked in a garage. Lenny and Mitch learn from a local pusher that Danny has been selling heroin. Jim wants out of the scheme completely, wanting to give the drugs to the police.
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