This Is the Bowery

This is the Bowery (1941)

*** (out of 4)

Nice entry in John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series takes us to the ugly streets of the Bowery in New York. Nesbitt describes it as the "permanent hangover" as various men find themselves homeless due to the lack of a job, their own desire or sometimes bad luck. We then follow one man as he sleeps on sidewalks but eventually finds himself in a church where help might be. One would think that the film would turn preachy or religious but it actually doesn't and instead it tries to make one believe in themselves no matter how many times you get kicked around. The opening part of this 9-minute short really comes off like a dark horror film as we get to see all the ugly stuff and hear about some dark images including how many people freeze to death in the winters simply by going to sleep. As usual, Nesbitt's narration is top-notch and really delivers the emotional aspect that the film needs.