The Naked City

1948

1h 36m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

270

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40 Images

Crime

Mystery

Thriller

After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.

Directors

Jules Dassin

Writers

Albert Maltz(screenplay by)

Malvin Wald(story by)

Malvin Wald(screenplay by)

Stars

Barry Fitzgerald

Howard Duff

Dorothy Hart

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Trailer
Watch The Naked City (1948) - Trailer

Top cast

Lt. Dan Muldoon

Frank Niles

Ruth Morrison

Jimmy Halloran

Captain Donahue

Willy Garzah

Dr. Lawrence Stoneman

Mrs. Halloran

Mrs. Batory

Mr. Batory

Detective Perelli

Mrs. Hylton

Narrator (voice)

Little Old Lady (Uncredited)

Celia Adler

Dress Shop Proprietor (Uncredited)

Janie Alexander

Girl (Uncredited)

Joyce Allen

Shopgirl (Uncredited)

Beverly Bayne

Mrs. Stoneman (Uncredited)

Directors

Jules Dassin

Writers

Albert Maltz(screenplay by)

Malvin Wald(story by)

Malvin Wald(screenplay by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

By being filmed on the streets of New York, _Naked City_ is a film that earnestly attempts to bring a sense of realism to the noir genre. This ambitious attempt, however, falls short of the mark, lacking the grit and charm that define true noir, and becomes painfully melodramatic. Its effort at authenticity is marred by its excessive voiceover, as Brian Cox's character in _Adaptation._ warned: "And God help you if you use voiceover in your work, my friends. God help you. That's flaccid, sloppy writing." The narration feels like a lazy shortcut that detracts from the visual storytelling instead of enhancing it. This one's all talk, no grit.

griggs7914 Nov, 2024