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IMDbPro

Cry of the City

  • 19481948
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
Cry of the City (1948)
Watch ’Trailer’
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
31 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Film-Noir
Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.Police Lieut. Candella, longtime friend of the Rome family, walks a tightrope in the case of cop-killer Martin Rome.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Siodmak
  • Writers
    • Richard Murphy(screen play)
    • Henry Edward Helseth(novel)
    • Ben Hecht(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Victor Mature
    • Richard Conte
    • Fred Clark
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Siodmak
  • Writers
    • Richard Murphy(screen play)
    • Henry Edward Helseth(novel)
    • Ben Hecht(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Victor Mature
    • Richard Conte
    • Fred Clark
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 60User reviews
    • 46Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:24
    Trailer

    Photos31

    Cry of the City (1948)
    Cry of the City (1948)
    Cry of the City (1948)
    Shelley Winters and Konstantin Shayne in Cry of the City (1948)
    Shelley Winters and Richard Conte in Cry of the City (1948)
    Richard Conte and Debra Paget in Cry of the City (1948)
    Richard Conte and Tommy Cook in Cry of the City (1948)
    Victor Mature and Betty Garde in Cry of the City (1948)
    Richard Conte and Debra Paget in Cry of the City (1948)
    Victor Mature, Richard Conte, and Debra Paget in Cry of the City (1948)
    Victor Mature and Richard Conte in Cry of the City (1948)
    Richard Conte and Joan Miller in Cry of the City (1948)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Victor Mature
    Victor Mature
    • Lt. Vittorio Candellaas Lt. Vittorio Candella
    Richard Conte
    Richard Conte
    • Martin Romeas Martin Rome
    Fred Clark
    Fred Clark
    • Lt. Jim Collinsas Lt. Jim Collins
    Shelley Winters
    Shelley Winters
    • Brenda Martingaleas Brenda Martingale
    Betty Garde
    Betty Garde
    • Frances Pruettas Frances Pruett
    Berry Kroeger
    Berry Kroeger
    • W. A. Nilesas W. A. Niles
    Tommy Cook
    Tommy Cook
    • Tony Romeas Tony Rome
    Debra Paget
    Debra Paget
    • Teena Ricontias Teena Riconti
    Hope Emerson
    Hope Emerson
    • Rose Givenas Rose Given
    Roland Winters
    Roland Winters
    • Ledbetteras Ledbetter
    Walter Baldwin
    Walter Baldwin
    • Orvyas Orvy
    Robert Adler
    Robert Adler
    • Manas Man
    • (uncredited)
    Mimi Aguglia
    Mimi Aguglia
    • Mama Romaas Mama Roma
    • (uncredited)
    George Beranger
    George Beranger
    • Barberas Barber
    • (uncredited)
    Oliver Blake
    Oliver Blake
    • Mr. Massellias Mr. Masselli
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Carter
    Harry Carter
    • Elevator Operatoras Elevator Operator
    • (uncredited)
    Dolores Castle
    • Rosaas Rosa
    • (uncredited)
    Ken Christy
    • Detective Loomisas Detective Loomis
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Siodmak
    • Writers
      • Richard Murphy(screen play)
      • Henry Edward Helseth(novel)
      • Ben Hecht(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Originally, Victor Mature was cast as the killer and Richard Conte as the cop. Since Mature had recently played some villains in movies like Kiss of Death (1947), the roles were switched.
    • Goofs
      As Martin dies, he falls with his right hand, holding the knife, stretched out to his right side. In the next shot, a close-up, his right arm is bent upward so that his right hand is next to his face. In the next shot, the arm is stretched out to the side again.
    • Quotes

      Martin Rome: I had enough of that when I'm a kid. Crummy tenements, no food, no clothes.

      Lt. Vittorio Candella: Oh, save it for the jury, Marty. Who do you think you're kidding? l was brought up in the district too. I've heard that dialogue from you poolroom hotshots ever since l was ten years old. Get hip... only suckers work... don't be a square... stay with the smart money. Let the old man get the calluses digging the ditches. No food... no clothes... crummy tenements. You're breaking my heart, Marty.

    • Connections
      Edited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Baby Face
      (uncredited)

      Music by Harry Akst

      Played during the scene in the bar

    User reviews60

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Charismatic and fascinating villain
    Had Cry Of The City been done at Warner Brothers in the Thirties this would have been perfect material for a James Cagney/Pat O'Brien film with the story of two childhood friends, one who goes into the police force and one who goes into a life of crime. Of course they would have to have been Irish because neither Cagney or O'Brien would have made convincing Italian protagonists as Cry Of The City has in its leads.

    And the leads are Victor Mature and Richard Conte. Mature is good as the upright cop who makes it personal to go after Richard Conte who has now committed the ultimate sin, he's killed a cop. But like a film a year earlier for Mature, Kiss Of Death, the film is dominated by Richard Conte who plays a charismatic and fascinating villain just as Richard Widmark did in Kiss Of Death.

    Unlike Widmark who is a loner, Conte is charming and is ruthless in his use of that charm. The film opens with him seriously wounded after shooting a police officer. But he recovers and is in a prison hospital awaiting trial. It's the death penalty for sure, but Conte does in fact charm his way into an escape (I won't say how) and from then on because of his wound has to rely on a lot of help including his own family.

    Some other standout performances including an old girl friend, Shelley Winters whom he has obtain an unlicensed physician to tend him. Hope Emerson who is as evil as she was as the prison matron in Caged, plays a masseuse who Conte uses to obtain traveling money as the woman is quite mobbed up. Tommy Cook plays Conte's hero worshiping younger brother who realizes just how much he and the family were being used in the climax.

    Most of all there's Berry Kroeger who plays one of his usual slime ball characters as a criminal attorney who indulges in a bit of criminality himself most discreetly behind the scenes. Kroeger split parts like that with George MacReady back in the day and is always fascinating to watch.

    Most of all there is Richard Conte who should have merited Oscar consideration in one of his best screen performances.
    helpful•15
    1
    • bkoganbing
    • Nov 10, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 11, 1948 (Sweden)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • The Chair for Martin Rome
    • Filming locations
      • New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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