On N List of Movie Reviews

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Night and the City (1950)

Rate: 5
Viewed: 6/16

6/16: Undeservingly ranked among great films noirs, Night and the City is neither slick nor sharp enough to keep me interested.

If not for Richard Widmark, it's a safe bet that the movie would be forgotten nowadays. Richard Widmark steals the show, and he's the star. His performance as the sad, tragic criminal is flawless, almost receiving sympathy from me. Yet the way he turned into a snake, selling himself out to be killed for 1,000 pounds, says everything about his character.

Gene Tierney is wasted. So is Hugh Marlowe. It's a nice screen debut, which is the only one of his career, for Stanislaus Zbyszko the Polish professional wrestler. Francis Sullivan and Googie Withers are good by playing well-developed characters.

By the way, what the hell kind of name is "Googie"? It sounds like somebody who invented Google. How Jules Dassin directed this film isn't up to par. Sure, the cinematography hits the spot, but the story, especially the wrestling angle, doesn't match the quality that I look for. It's the lame grappling scene that ruins the film, ultimately putting me to sleep. Are they doing it for real, or is the whole thing supposed to be fake?

All in all, Richard Widmark is the only reason to check out Night and the City.

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