The Naked City (1948)

Netflix Synopsis: When a model is found drowned in her bathtub, homicide detectives Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) and Jimmy Halloran (Don Taylor) are on the case. Their investigation, the inner workings of the police department and some of the “eight million stories in the Naked City” are explored. Filmed on location in New York City, this classic thriller won Oscars for cinematography and editing and was nominated for a Best Writing Oscar.

Review: If you are a fan of cop shows, especially those from the 60’s and 70’s and Law and Order, you can probably trace them back to this film. It’s a straight ahead movie about cops investigating a murder. The film starts out with a murder and then show homicide detectives going about the routine of solving the case. This is one of the first films I have seen from the ‘40’s that shows you all the parts of a homicide investigation, the lab guys going over the crime scene, the detectives interviewing witnesses and going out into the streets to follow leads.

The film claims to be entirely filmed in New York City, and from an interview in the extras on the disc, it was the first film filmed entirely there since the early days of film. It gives a great view of 1948 NYC, bustling Manhattan, crowded subways, middle class Queens, and the density of the Lower East Side.

The cast if made up of many character actors, no real stars, but a lot of faces you would probably be familiar with if you have seen a lot of movies from the ‘40’s and ’50’s. The direction is solid, as it must have been tough going in the actual streets and buildings of NYC with the equipment that was available at the time.

The film probably seemed more original in 1948, but it is still a solid story, and is a fine example of Hollywood finally moving out of the backlot and trying to give a more realistic look to its films.

Rating:

Submitted by: Joel 4/26/07