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The Naked City

Released Mar 4, 1948 1h 36m Crime Drama List
87% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran (Don Taylor) and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) attempt to piece together her murder. A friend of the victim mentions "Mr. Henderson," and the police also find the actions of Frank Niles (Howard Duff) peculiar. As Muldoon and Halloran start to fill in the details of the victim's past, they find that she had a lively social life, filled with many suitors, and the mystery becomes even more complex.

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The Naked City

Critics Reviews

View All (30) Critics Reviews
Brandon Judell indieWire This horrendously acted, written, and directed crime caper tries to discover who chloroformed a beautiful blonde model and then drowned her in her own bathtub. Jun 15, 2021 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Throughout, despite its omniscient, stark melodrama, there has been no sight lost of an element of humor. Jul 3, 2008 Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times A definite parochial fascination is liberally assured all the way and the seams in a none-too-good whodunnit are rather cleverly concealed. Rated: 3/5 Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review The Naked City marks the first filmic attempt to describe such a setting as if it were a living being […] The city demands both love and hate; it reveals all the beauty and terror that humanity is capable of within a few hundred square miles. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 8, 2024 Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film The narration sets us up as New York City being stripped bare, no more glamour or glitz, but a city with its own dark scenes Mar 7, 2023 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... a pioneering police procedural that captures the mundane details of canvassing for clues and chasing down leads with loose performances. Nov 6, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lane B If it weren't for the mediocrity of the acting and dialogue, and the awful narration this could have been a classic film noir masterpiece. If you are at all interested in excellent cinephotography ignore all that and see this film. The cinephotographer William Daniels won an Academy Award for his work and anyone with an eye for photography can see why. Shot on the streets of New York, Daniels delivers one masterful street scene after the other that rivals the best street photography of that era: Helen Levit, William Klein, Robert Frank and Cartier Bresson. Each shot on the street is set up like a revelation of New York street life from foreground to deep background. Night photography is mysterious and detailed, broad daylight is exquisite – everywhere you look there is life and action. I will be showing this film to my college students from this day forward. Don't miss it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/22/24 Full Review acsdoug D The story is really not too bad of a police procedural. I just thought the excessive and often lame narration detracted too much from the story. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Jay H This movie is ruined by very obvious and very annoying narration. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 04/29/24 Full Review Steve D Good idea, lame execution. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review rhinohouse Brilliant shots of postwar New York City mixed with a great cast and classic Film Noir script. Can't go wrong with this well restored masterpiece. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/20/23 Full Review Saint M A film that walks a fine line between brilliant and boring, yet never falls to one side or the other. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Naked City

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Cast & Crew

A Double Life 78% 64% A Double Life Criss Cross 86% 79% Criss Cross Brighton Rock 95% 85% Brighton Rock He Walked by Night 82% 62% He Walked by Night The Killers 100% 89% The Killers Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran (Don Taylor) and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) attempt to piece together her murder. A friend of the victim mentions "Mr. Henderson," and the police also find the actions of Frank Niles (Howard Duff) peculiar. As Muldoon and Halloran start to fill in the details of the victim's past, they find that she had a lively social life, filled with many suitors, and the mystery becomes even more complex.
Director
Jules Dassin
Producer
Mark Hellinger
Screenwriter
Albert Maltz, Malvin Wald, Malvin Wald
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc., Universal Pictures, The Roan Group
Production Co
Universal International Pictures, Hellinger Productions
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 4, 1948, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 27, 2017
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Mono
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