I've been surprised that several people have come up to me at my signings/screenings and wanted to talk about 1952's Walk East on Beacon! Never released on video, it's pretty obscure. It's one of the first Hollywood features made in Boston, and the Red Scare drama is certainly the most hysterical. But its documentary style and its taste for "realism" (the quotes included because the movie is pure propaganda) mean that it's usually shot in bright daylight with little creative lighting, which makes it very handy for taking a gander at the city, post-war and pre-urban renewal (it's the only commercial movie with a glimpse of Scollay Square, albeit a brief but tasty one). It's on rare display this coming Thursday on Turner Classic Movies, as part of the cable channel's series coinciding with the FBI's centennial. So "enjoy" it while you can.
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