Cry of the City (1948)

Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Richard Murphy (screenplay), Henry Edward Helseth (novel)

Stars:

Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Fred Clark

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Victor Mature	...	Lt. Candella
Richard Conte	...	Martin Rome
Fred Clark	...	Lt Collins
Shelley Winters	...	Brenda Martingale
Betty Garde	...	Miss Pruett
Berry Kroeger	...	W.A. Niles
Tommy Cook	...	Tony Rome
Debra Paget	...	Teena Riconti
Hope Emerson	...	Rose Given
Roland Winters	...	Ledbetter
Walter Baldwin	...	Orvy
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martin Begley	...	Bartender (scenes deleted)
Dan Sheridan	...	Detective (as Michael Sheridan)

Storyline

Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?

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Plot Keywords:

water cooler | city | cry | murder of a policeman | murder of a police officer | 

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Taglines:

Society exacts retribution for defiance of its laws !

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

11 October 1948 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Chair for Martin Rome

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Debra Paget's screen debut.

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Goofs

The doctor that illegally treated Martin Rome (Richard Conte) was implicated by being paid in cash, in money reportedly taken from the lawyer Niles' safe. However Rome only finds jewelry and documents in Niles' safe, while emptying it.

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Quotes

Lt. Candella: They'll make a Robin Hood out of a cheap hoodlum like that. The longer he's loose the bigger hero he is.

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Connections

Referenced in Cry of the City (2017)

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Soundtracks

Baby Face
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Akst
Played during the scene in the bar

User Reviews

Film Noir.....At It's Best

From the opening strains of Alfred Newman's "Street Scene" Theme Music, which accompanies the Credits to the End title, "Cry of the City" invokes a tale of good and evil in the persons of Victor Mature & Richard Conte........Boyhood pals from the lower East Side of N.Y......One a Cop, the other a Gangster................But make no bones about it, this film is Conte's showcase and he makes the most out of it in a chilling performance as Martin Rome(Roma), a savage killer with no remorse at all.........He is persued throughout the film by Victor Mature as Leut. Candella, Chief of the Homicide Beaureau......and Mature gives a fine performance in the role...........Supporting players are highlighted by Hope Emerson in a performance of a lifetime, as a Female version of Conte.....their scenes together are cat & mouse......but which is which?.......For a special treat on the film noir craze of the 1940s; and a pure New York City feeling; do not miss "Robert Siodmack's"...."Cry of the City"-1948---20th. Century Fox........Respectfully submitted, sasheegm at the movies