While the City Sleeps
Directed by Fritz Lang
Written by Casey Robinson from a novel by Charles Einstein
1956/USA
Bert E. Friedlob Productions
First viewing/Warner Archive DVD
[box] Ed Mobely: But I didn’t do anything!
Lt. Burt Kaufman: You think if you’re drunk, it doesn’t count, huh?[/box]
Fritz Lang employs quite a cast to take a look at the dirty underbelly of the news media.
Spoiled slacker Walter Kline (Vincent Price) has inherited his father’s media empire. He decides to create a new position to do all his work. To spice things up, he announces he will give the job to whomever can catch the Lipstick Killer who has been preying on young women in the city. Three top men – John Griffin (Thomas Mitchell), editor of the newspaper; Mark Loving (George Sanders), head of the wire service; and Harry Kritzer (James Craig) head of the photo service – are determined to stop at nothing to get the job.
Kritzer doesn’t think he has to work at it very hard though since he is having an affair with Kine’s wife (Rhonda Fleming). Loving plots strategy with gossip columnist Mildred Donner (Ida Lupino). The person with the actual inside scoop on the story is not interested in the job. TV commentator Ed Mobly (Dana Andrews) used to work the crime beat and is close friends with Lt. Burt Kauffman (Howard Duff), who is in charge of the investigation. He decides to use his influence to benefit Griffin. He’s even willing to use his fiancee as bait to trap the killer.
This movie reminded me a bit of The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) set in a newsroom instead of a Hollywood studio. There is the same soap opera flavor and ruthless ambition. Even the “hero” is highly flawed. Aside from the seriously pessimistic view of humanity, I have hard time seeing this glossy film as film noir. While the City Sleeps is far from the best thing I’ve seen from Lang but worth one watch.
Clip – cinematography by Ernest Lazlo
