“The Street of Forgotten Men” is a romantic name for a dirty place. It’s one of several such names in the movie; some uglier, but all of them memorable: Diamond Mike’s; The Death House; The Cripple Factory. Sleazy dives and hideouts, every one. But granted a certain drama, thanks to their monikers.
The Forgotten Men are hustlers. Beggars, really—wandering the sidewalks of a city filled with unsympathetic regular folk, unwilling to part with their dimes. To survive, these men need gimmicks. They need to be dramatic. In the back room of Diamond Mike’s tavern, they’re given the means.
