Review #1043: The Naked City.
Cast:
Barry Fitzgerald (Detective Lt. Dan Muldoon), Howard Duff (Frank Niles), Dorothy Hart (Ruth Morrison), Don Taylor (Detective Jimmy Halloran), Frank Conroy (Captain Donahue), Ted de Corsia (Willie Garzah), House Jameson (Dr. Lawrence Stoneman), Anne Sargent (Mrs. Halloran), Adelaide Klein (Mrs. Paula Batory), Grover Burgess (Mr. Batory), and Mark Hellinger (Narrator) Directed by Jules Dassin.
Review:
It is interesting to see a film noir like this, one with a semi documentary kind of style that depicts an investigation of a murder case step by step. In an interesting coincidence, I had already reviewed a police procedural film that has the same kind of semi-documentary style that also happened to be released in 1948, He Walked by Night (#947). Both movies stand on their own when it comes to detailing crime investigation, so it's hard to say which is the better of the two. Admittedly, the film has aged a substantial bit due to time along with the countless amounts of crime dramas that have followed (and continue to follow) after the film's release 70 years ago, although that doesn't mean the film isn't fairly well packaged. The film was produced and narrated by Mark Hellinger, who served as a journalist prior to becoming a producer, and he certainly contributes to making the film feel particularly effective in the story it wants to weave. The film was filmed on location in New York City, and there is certainly an interesting atmosphere that the film makes interesting to watch. The cinematography was done by William H. Daniels and the editing was done by Paul Weatherwax, with both receiving Academy Awards for their respective work in the film, and they certainly have standout moments, with Daniels' shots looking particularly good with action sequences or nighttime shots. The acting is acceptable for the movie and what it's going for, particularly from Fitzgerald and Taylor, who work fairly well together as the police leads, clicking without much struggle. The other cast members are a bit subdued, but they do their parts well, such as de Corsia in his adversarial role that doesn't come off as too forced. The best quality the movie has is that the movie seems comfortable with what it wants to tell, being a capable thriller without adhering to going through all of the cliches for noirs, going straight-forward with a straight shot. This film has a good deal of entertainment value along with staying power even after all of these decades. I would check it out, particularly if you are interested in a good crime yarn.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
