Yul Brynner’s First Film: Port of New York

Yesterday, I saw “Port of Authority”, a 1949 crime drama I recorded because Yul Brynner is in it. Big Yul Brynner fan that I am, I had never come across it before. In his first movie role, Yul played a drug kingpin named Paul Vicola. The film starts out with a shipment of drugs being hijacked and a murder witnessed by Toni Cardell, Paul’s girlfriend who is in on the smuggling. Poor Toni had no idea someone was going to be killed and she is terrified.

Toni: “I never thought I’d be mixed up in a murder!”
Paul: “But you are now… and what do you wish me to do about it?”
Toni: “Take me away, Paul, to Rio like we planned or someplace. Anyplace, just for a while till this quiets down!”
Paul: “That, my dear, is quite impossible.”

Despite her pleadings, Paul coolly warns her that she “must not become a nuisance.” Then she asks him for 25 simoleans so she can take off alone but he claims he doesn’t have it. Toni foolishly says she is bound to be questioned and might give the wrong answers. A guy shows up and tries to hand Paul 25 grand right in front of Toni. Feeling betrayed, she leaves and contacts the Feds, willing to trade information for cash.

You don’t have to be a genius to figure out what is going to happen to Toni but the police are still able to get a lead thanks to her train reservation. Soon, U.S. Customs agent Mickey Waters and FBI agent Jim Flannery, the 2 men working the case, are on the trail of comedian Dolly Carney, an addict waiting for his fix. As the agents put the screws to Dolly, in comes his friend, Lili Long.

Dolly: Who are you guys? You ain’t local.
Flannery: Federal pinch, buster.
Lili: Dolly, what’s happening, what are they doing?
Flannery: Who are you?
Lili: Little Red Riding Hood.
Flannery: We’re not playing games here.
Lili: All right, I’m Lili Long, and I’m a dancer here.

The Feds want to haul Lili in along with Dolly but Dolly and his delivery boy both say she isn’t involved with the drugs so they only take Dolly in. Still, Lili “Red Riding Hood” will play an unwitting part in Dolly’s downfall and show up at a most inopportune time for Flannery.

It’s not like I never saw Yul Brynner play a bad guy before but his character in this film is a cold-blooded snake! He got 4th billing in this film. 2 years later, Yul got 2nd billing as the King in the 1951 Broadway musical “The King and I”, a role that catapulted him to international stardom. He earned a Tony from the stage play and an Oscar when he played the same role in his second movie.

WHERE TO WATCH: “Port of New York” is available for free on Pluto and Freevee.

MAIN CAST:
Scott Brady ….. Michael ‘Mickey’ Waters
Richard Rober … Jim Flannery
K.T. Stevens …. Toni Cardell
Yul Brynner ….. Paul Vicola
Arthur Blake …. Dolly Carney
Lynne Carter …. Lili Long
John Kellogg …. Lenny
William Challee.. Leo Stasser

Neville Brand has an uncredited role as Stasser’s Henchman. He’s the one steering the boat. Scott Brady was a younger brother of Lawrence Tierney, who starred in “Born to Kill” in 1947.