Scarlet Street

Scarlet Street

Year: 1945

Runtime: 103 mins

Language: English

Director: Fritz Lang

CrimeDramaHumanity and the world around usMoving relationship storiesNoir and dark crime dramas

She seduces men only to end in murder. Cashier‑artist Christopher Cross falls for Kitty March, who pretends interest while actually longing for Johnny, a small‑time crook. When they discover art dealers want Chris’s paintings, they trick him into letting Kitty claim the work as her own. Chris consents out of love, but devotion has limits.

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Timeline & Setting – Scarlet Street (1945)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Scarlet Street (1945). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1934

Set in New York City during the early 1930s, the period reflects the era’s urban culture and economic precarity. The city’s art and commercial scenes become a playground for ambition and deceit, while social tensions and the remnants of Prohibition era dynamics shape the story. The narrative unfolds through a single year’s arc, punctuated by a public art scandal and a fatal confrontation.

Location

New York City, Greenwich Village, Kitty's apartment, Hogarth's office, art gallery

The story unfolds across Manhattan, with key action in Greenwich Village as well as the offices of J.J. Hogarth, Kitty's apartment, and various galleries. It charts the intersecting worlds of a humble employee, a glamorous social circle, and a booming, cutthroat art market. The settings shift from a respectable company party to backroom deals, street corners, and the glare of publicity that fuels the plot.

🗽 New York setting 🎨 Art world 🏙️ Urban life 🕰️ 1930s

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:47

Main Characters – Scarlet Street (1945)

Meet the key characters of Scarlet Street (1945), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson)

A meek, lovelorn cashier who longs to be artistically recognized and loved. His naivety makes him easy prey for Kitty and Johnny, driving him to steal money to fund a shady venture. His moral compromise escalates into tragedy, culminating in murder and his own ruin as he lingers between art and embezzlement.

🧭 Naive ⚖️ Morally conflicted 💸 Desperate

Katherine 'Kitty' March (Joan Bennett)

Kitty is a charming, ambitious woman who uses Chris’s longing and public appearances to propel her own career. She orchestrates the arrangement that brands Chris’s art as hers, crossing lines between affection and manipulation. Her performance as a celebrated artist hides a self-serving, calculating nature.

🎨 Charismatic 💃 Ambitious 🌀 Manipulative

Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea)

Kitty’s boyfriend and a con artist who engineers schemes to exploit Chris and Kitty’s relationship. He is reckless and unscrupulous, pushing the betrayal front and center as the plot twists toward a fatal confrontation. His cunning ultimately places him on a path toward punishment and death by the film’s end.

🎭 Conniving 🧱 Reckless 🔪 Manipulative

Adele Cross (Rosalind Ivan)

Chris’s shrewish wife, obsessed with status and power, who clings to her memory of a dead husband. She distrusts Chris’s activities and uses the possibility of adultery and painting forgery to keep him under pressure. Her presence fuels Chris’s anxiety and paranoia as the plot unfolds.

👩‍💼 Controlling 💔 Jealous 🧭 Imperious

Patch-eye Higgins (Charles Kemper)

A brash extortionist with dangerous connections who reappears to threaten Chris. His appearance signals corruption and the taint of criminal underworld influence, complicating the characters’ fates. His manipulation emphasizes the external pressures guiding Chris toward desperate acts.

🗝️ Extortion 💣 Dangerous 🫣 Threatening

J.J. Hogarth (Russell Hicks)

Company owner who fêts Chris at a party and later fires him, emblematic of corporate vanity and profit-driven decisions. Hogarth’s shifting attitude toward Chris embodies the precarious balance between praise and punishment in the business world. His role anchors the tension between financial security and moral consequence.

🏢 Boss 💼 Corporate 💬 Patron

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:47

Major Themes – Scarlet Street (1945)

Explore the central themes of Scarlet Street (1945), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Fame

The plot centers on how art and celebrity are manufactured and who gets credit. Kitty leverages Chris’s private talent to win public recognition while presenting herself as the face of his work. Chris’s longing for love and validation makes him vulnerable to manipulation, highlighting the double-edged nature of artistic success. The story raises questions about authorship, ownership, and the price of fame.

🕯️ Despair

As deception spirals, the film traces Chris’s moral corrosion and eventual downfall. His dream of recognition devolves into homelessness and a fractured identity, haunted by the people he harmed and the success he never claimed. The narrative uses stark moments of loss and memory to underscore the emptiness at the heart of a glamouring art world. The ending emphasizes the personal cost of pursuing appearances over truth.

⚖️ Justice

A courtroom and a public verdict frame the consequences of the characters’ schemes. The trial casts Johnny as the villain, while Chris navigates responsibility for his own actions. The film contrasts legal outcomes with moral accountability, showing how society processes guilt and redemption. In the end, justice is imperfect and unresolved, leaving a mark on the survivor.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:47

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Scarlet Street Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Scarlet Street, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Scarlet Street Summary

Scarlet Street Timeline

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Scarlet Street Timeline

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Scarlet Street (1945) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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