NEIGHBORHOOD TIME TRAVELING, PT. 9: "THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET" (1945)

The House on 92nd Street, the true story of a Nazi spy ring in New York, was partly filmed on location about a 25 minute walk from our apartment. But while taking photos at that spot, I realized the filmmakers had indulged in some movie trickery. But more on that later.

Well, there's an establishing shot for you. You don't even need the street signs to know you're in New York -- the fires escapes do the job. By the way, don't you like how you can look at just one of those signs to know what corner you're on? 

Those old apartments in the movie are gone, and with them the fire escapes (starting in the 1970s, all new buildings were required to install indoor sprinklers). Now it looks like Anywhere, USA. The charming, informative street signs are now generic.  Do you find them appreciably easier to read? I don't.

The German-American working undercover for the FBI walks past a handsome townhouse on his way to meet his Nazi contact.

Apart from a likely power washing at some point, the townhouse looks the same, as do the buildings across the street. The fence seems to be the original, too. Thank God some things don't change. Well, the city did plant a couple of trees.

Next door is the house fronting for a Nazi spy ring. Yikes! Let's hope they've moved out since then.

Moved out? The damn thing's gone. Why didn't it qualify for some kind of "Historic Landmark" designation? Temporary scaffolding makes this even less photogenic.

I'm cheating with a couple of screenshots since Columbus Circle isn't really in my neighborhood. But I couldn't resist sharing this charming scene. Look at the street cars! On the corner of Broadway and West 57th is a Ruppert Beer sign with a clock. (It's always time for a glass of Ruppert!). What looks like a junk peddler is in the right foreground. Or maybe he's a delivery guy for a dry cleaner. Whatever he is, it all looks good to me! 

Not anymore it doesn't. Everything other than the statue of Columbus is gone -- including that section of West 57th, which is now the location of the Deutsche Bank Center, formerly the Time Warner Center. The tall building on the right is the Trump International Hotel & Tower. Raise your hand if you see anything charming here. Why did they get rid of the streetcars?!

Still on Columbus Circle. Don't be fooled by the distinguished-looking gentleman played by Leo G. Carroll. He's selling some top-secret info to the Nazis. Note the Liggett's pharmacy to the left. At first, I thought this was the east side of the street, until I realized Central Park was in the background. That could mean only one thing...

Where Liggett's was -- on the corner West 57th -- is now the entrance of the Duetsche Bank Center. No wonder I couldn't find it! Off-topic: when was the last time you saw a Liggett's Pharmacy? Do they even exist anymore?

And we're back to our first location, where our hero is now driving away from Nazi headquarters, not realizing that Leo G. Carroll and another spy are walking toward it. Once again, Central Park is in the background...

... Which means The House on 92nd Street was actually filmed on 93rd Street! Fooled all you out-towners, hunh? Oh, and they've installed traffic lights, an alternate side of the street parking sign, and a WALK/DON'T WALK signal since 1945. 

To answer your obvious question, maybe The House on 93rd Street doesn't have the same ring to it. And free advice to all urban planners out there: bring back those old-school street signs!

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