When media mogul Amos Kyne (Robert Warwick) dies, his business, which includes a major newspaper, a television station, and a wire news service, is turned over to his sole heir, his foppish, ne'er do well son (Vincent Price). The younger Kyne has no knowledge of how to run the company his father built, preferring to spend his time spending the money that it generates, and he decides to let the heads of the three divisions -- newspaper editor John Day Griffith (Thomas Mitchell), wire service chief Mark Loving (George Sanders ...
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When media mogul Amos Kyne (Robert Warwick) dies, his business, which includes a major newspaper, a television station, and a wire news service, is turned over to his sole heir, his foppish, ne'er do well son (Vincent Price). The younger Kyne has no knowledge of how to run the company his father built, preferring to spend his time spending the money that it generates, and he decides to let the heads of the three divisions -- newspaper editor John Day Griffith (Thomas Mitchell), wire service chief Mark Loving (George Sanders), and photo chief Harry Kritzer (James Craig) -- fight it out among themselves, winner-take-all. Each one has a key alley: Griffith, in Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews), a top reporter who is lately appearing on television as well; Loving, in resourceful but sluttish columnist Mildred Donner (Ida Lupino), who has her own way of digging up secrets; and Kritzer, who doesn't think he needs to dig up secrets because he's sitting on the biggest one of all, his "friendship" with Kyne's ex-model wife, Dorothy (Rhonda Fleming). Mobley becomes a focal point because the story-of-the-moment concerns the "Lipstick Killer," a serial murderer, burglar, and sex fiend who has been terrorizing the city -- break that case first and the job is won, and Mobley's specialty is crime reporting. The Lipstick Killer, a disturbed teenager named Robert Manners (John Drew Barrymore), continues to elude the police, and Loving's stumbling attempts to get information out first don't aid in the manhunt. Meanwhile, Mobley, using his own deductive powers and some basic psychology, manages to get under the killer's skin from afar on television and in print; however, unbeknownst to the reporter, the murderer is feeling more pressure to commit his crimes, and taking a very personal interest in targeting Mobley and his fiancée, Nancy Liggett (Sally Forrest). The two interwoven stories all get pulled together in a chase through the streets and into the city's subway tunnels, with Mobley, Nancy, Police Lieutenant Kaufman (Howard Duff), and the killer all crossing paths. Bruce Eder, Rovi
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Add this copy of While the City Sleeps to cart. $14.55, new condition, Sold by Cinema Classics rated 1.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.
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Dana Andrews, Ida Lupino, Rhonda Fleming, Sally Forrest, George Sanders, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price. New in new packaging. Run time: 100 mins. Originally released: 1956.
Add this copy of While the City Sleeps to cart. $16.28, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2011.
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Dana Andrews; Ida Lupino; Rhonda Fleming; Sally Forrest; George Sanders; Thomas Mitchell; Vincent Price. New. Run time: 100 mins. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of While the City Sleeps [Remaster] to cart. $19.33, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by RKO.
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James Craig, Sally Forrest, Jr., John Barrymore, Vincent Price, Thomas Mitchell, Howard Duff, George Sanders, Rhonda Fleming,... New. 1956 Run time: 99. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Add this copy of While the City Sleeps [Remaster] to cart. $21.03, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2011 by RKO.
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James Craig, Sally Forrest, Jr., John Barrymore, Vincent Price, Thomas Mitchell, Howard Duff, George Sanders, Rhonda Fleming,... New. 1956 Run time: 99. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Add this copy of While the City Sleeps to cart. $25.15, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2018.
Add this copy of While the City Sleeps (1956) [Blu-Ray] to cart. $28.96, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by WARNER ARCHIVES.
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Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Sally Forrest, John Drew Barrymore... New. Run time: 99. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Add this copy of While the City Sleeps (1956) [Blu-Ray] to cart. $33.43, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by WARNER ARCHIVES.
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Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Sally Forrest, John Drew Barrymore... New. Run time: 99. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Delivery Confirmation included for all orders in the US.
Fritz Lang (1890 -- 1976) was a celebrated film director who fled Nazi Germany for a long career in the United States. I have become interested in his work as an admirer of film noir.
"
While the City Sleeps" (1956) is one of Lang's later efforts. The film is loosely based upon a book "The Bloody Spur" by Charles Einstein about a Chicago serial killer. The film features a large and extraordinary cast which includes Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, and Ida Lupino. It is set in New York City.
The film intertwines two stories. The first to be introduced is that of the serial killer dubed the "Lipstick Murderer" who kills a woman in her apartment in the movie's opening scene. The second story involves the efforts of a fictitous news media chain, Kyne, Inc to catch the killer and in the process to scoop other media sources and increase its profits. When the elderly Kyne dies, his son, with no prior experience in the businsee, creates the position of Executive Director. He tells his three highest ranking subordinates that the position will be awarded to the one who brings in the Lipstick Murderer. Although not a candidate for the job, a popular tv host with the company, Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews) becomes involved in the search for the killer, and his help is courted by each of the three contenders.
The film offers a portrayal of the Lipstick Murderer and his motivations, the focus is more on the Kyne Company and on the cutthroat competition for the new Executive Director position. The contenders for the position will stop at nothing to elbow out their colleagues and to shut out other news sources from the scoop. In particular, sex becomes heavily involved. A welter of extra-marital affairs are going on between the top executives of the company and staff writers and secretaries. The candidates and the women make heavy use of sex and blackmail, at risk to some of the women involved, to catch the Lipstick Murderer and to secure the prize.
The process is not edifying. The film is more of a critique of the news media business and of the materialism and competitiveness of American culture than it is a story of the attempt to bring a serial killer to justice. I found it difficult to keep all the characters and their machinations straight, but the overall theme comes through.
I saw a good commentary on "While the City Sleeps" by the "Czar of Noir", Eddie Muller who finds that the film lacks most of the characteristics of film noir, including the shadowy cinematography and the internal focus on the main character, which in this case would be the Lipstick Murderer. Muller finds much of value in the film, regardless of whether it is an example of film noir.
I thought this a good, if confusing, film. It will be of most interest to viewers with an interest in historical movies, in crime, and in the penumbras of film noir.
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