While the City Sleeps (1956)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Charles Einstein (novel)
Casey Robinson (writer)

Release Date:

30 May 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

Suspense as startling as a strangled scream !

Plot:

Death of media magnat Amos Kyne is causing power struggle between his executives. In the meantime New York women become prey of a serial killer...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Subway | Based On Novel

Cast

Dana Andrews	...	Edward Mobley
Rhonda Fleming	...	Dorothy Kyne
George Sanders	...	Mark Loving, KNS Chief
Howard Duff	...	Lt. Burt Kaufman
Thomas Mitchell	...	John Day Griffith (Sentinel managing editor)
Vincent Price	...	Walter Kyne
Sally Forrest	...	Nancy Liggett
John Drew Barrymore	...	Robert Manners (as John Barrymore Jr.)
James Craig	...	'Honest' Harry Kritzer
Ida Lupino	...	Mildred Donner
Robert Warwick	...	Amos Kyne
Mae Marsh	...	Mrs. Manners
Ralph Peters	...	Gerald Meade (Sentinel crime reporter)
Sandy White	...	Judith Felton
Larry J. Blake	...	Tim, Police Desk Sergeant (as Larry Blake)

Also Known As:

News Is Made at Night (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bert E. Friedlob Productions

Trivia:

Although 'Howard Duff' and Ida Lupino were married in real life, they have no scenes together.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Barrymore Jr. is watching Andrews on TV, he is clutching a copy of "Tales From The Crypt". When he drops it to the floor, a close-up of the comic book now shows it to be titled "The Strangler".

Quotes:

Ed Mobely: What a beautiful nightgown; and it's a shortie!

solid acting, writing and direction

While this is the sort of film that will not appeal to everyone (particularly teens and action film fans), this is a very well made drama from famed director, Fritz Lang. Unfortunately for Lang, his success directing American films was very limited and he eventually moved back to Europe soon after completing WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS. It's a shame, really, because many of his films (such as SCARLET STREET and this one) were darned good films but weren't blockbusters and weren't received too well by the public.

This film stars one of my favorite actors, Dana Andrews, though he is certainly NOT the entire show--as he has many fine supporting actors to make this movie about the future of a media empire quite interesting. Towards the very beginning of the film, the owner of a news wire service, newspaper and TV news empire dies--leaving the future to his ne'er do-well son (Vincent Price). Instead of picking a man to head this organization, he deliberately pushes these men to try to undermine and outdo each other to garner his favor! At the same time, there is a plot involving a serial killer which soon takes up most of the film's focus--particularly Dana Andrews'. How all this is worked out is pretty interesting and seemed pretty realistic. While not a great film, it was very good and is worth your time if you'd like a more cerebral type film as opposed to an action or suspense film (though there is quite a bit of both towards the very end).