While the City Sleeps (1956)

A serial killer has been killing beautiful women in New York, and the new owner of a media company offers a high ranking job to the 1st administrator who can get the earliest scoops on the case.

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writers:

Casey Robinson (screenplay), Charles Einstein (novel)

Stars:

Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dana Andrews	...	Edward Mobley
Rhonda Fleming	...	Dorothy Kyne
George Sanders	...	Mark Loving
Howard Duff	...	Lt. Burt Kaufman
Thomas Mitchell	...	Jon Day Griffith
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
Sandra White	...	Judith Felton (as Sandy White)
Larry J. Blake	...	Tim - Police Desk Sergeant (as Larry Blake)

Storyline

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. Reporter Edward Mobley is in that circumstances faced with almost impossible missions: to catch the killer, to prevent the media empire from falling into the wrong hands and to save his romantic relationship from break-up.

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Plot Keywords:

homosexual subtext | mama's boy | comic book influence | murder | wire service | 

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Taglines:

The story of these big-time newspaper people is more sensational than any crime they cover. It will keep you on the edge of your seat... and your nerves.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 May 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

News Is Made at Night

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bert E. Friedlob Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The sequence depicting the New York subway was actually filmed in the Pacific Electric Belmont trolley tunnel under downtown Los Angeles. Interurban streetcars doubled for the larger New York subway trains.

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Goofs

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".

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Featured in Histoire(s) du cinéma: Toutes les histoires (1989)

User Reviews

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).