Entertaining crime-drama featuring some great NYC locales and the performance from Barry Fitzgerald was fun. Not a great film noir so can't say it's a classic in my book, but still a well done film from the 1940s. **3.75/5**
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The Naked City
1948 EN 96 min
Overview
After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.
Stream
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Release date
04/03/1948
Votes
285
Popularity
2.8
Barry Fitzgerald
Lt. Dan Muldoon
Howard Duff
Frank Niles
Dorothy Hart
Ruth Morrison
Don Taylor
Jimmy Halloran
Frank Conroy
Captain Donahue
Ted de Corsia
Willy Garzah
House Jameson
Dr. Lawrence Stoneman
Anne Sargent
Mrs. Halloran
Adelaide Klein
Mrs. Batory
No photo
Grover Burgess
Mr. Batory
Tom Pedi
Detective Perelli
Enid Markey
Mrs. Hylton
No photo
Mark Hellinger
Narrator (voice)
Jean Adair
Little Old Lady (Uncredited)
No photo
Celia Adler
Dress Shop Proprietor (Uncredited)
No photo
Janie Alexander
Girl (Uncredited)
No photo
Joyce Allen
Shopgirl (Uncredited)
Beverly Bayne
Mrs. Stoneman (Uncredited)
No photo
Ralph Brooks
Detective (Uncredited)
No photo
Harris Brown
Harvey (Uncredited)
Ralph Bunker
Hoffman (Uncredited)
Walter Burke
Pater Backalis (Uncredited)
No photo
Alexander Campbell
Policeman (Uncredited)
No photo
Retta Coleman
Crippled Girl (Uncredited)
G. Pat Collins
Charles Meade (Uncredited)
Curt Conway
Det. Nick (Uncredited)
Russ Conway
Ambulance Doctor (Uncredited)
Grace Coppin
Miss Livingston (Uncredited)
William Cottrell
Bisbee (Uncredited)
No photo
Harold Crane
Man (Uncredited)
No photo
Sarah Cunningham
Nurse (Uncredited)
No photo
Johnny Dale
Mr. Stillman (Uncredited)
No photo
Denise Doyle
Girl (Uncredited)
No photo
Arthur 'Weegee' Fellig
Photographer (Uncredited)
Paul Ford
Henry Fowler (Uncredited)
No photo
Andre D. Foster
Jeweler (Uncredited)
Kathleen Freeman
Stout Young Woman on an Elevated Train (Uncredited)
No photo
Pearl Gaines
Mrs. Hylton's Maid (Uncredited)
No photo
Earle Gilbert
Banker (Uncredited)
Bruce Gordon
Cop at Williamsburg Bridge (uncredited)
No photo
William E. Green
Man (uncredited)
Raymond Greenleaf
City Editor (uncredited)
James Gregory
Patrolman Albert Hicks (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton
Cop (uncredited)
Robert H. Harris
Druggist (uncredited)
Percy Helton
Street Cleaner (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman
Wrestler (uncredited)
No photo
Cavada Humphrey
Mother (uncredited)
Edwin Jerome
Publisher (uncredited)
Nicholas Joy
Mr. McCormick (uncredited)
No photo
Joe Kerr
Ned Harvey (uncredited)
No photo
Judson Laire
Publisher (uncredited)
No photo
Perc Launders
Police Photographer (uncredited)
No photo
Marion Leeds
Nurse (uncredited)
George Lynn
Detective Fredericks (uncredited)
John Marley
Managing Editor (uncredited)
No photo
John McQuade
Detective Dace Constantino (uncredited)
Carl Milletaire
Young Man Who Confesses to Dexter Murder (uncredited)
No photo
Virginia Mullen
Martha Swenson (uncredited)
Arthur O'Connell
Sgt. Shaeffer (uncredited)
David Opatoshu
Sgt. Dave Miller (uncredited)
Lee Shumway
Patrolman (uncredited)
No photo
Hester Sondergaard
Miss Owens (uncredited)
John Randolph
Ed Garzah (uncredited)
No photo
William Cottrell
Bisbee (uncredited)
Molly Picon
Soda-Selling Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Original Soundtrack
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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…
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There's quite an affecting documentary feel to this film as "Lt. Muldoon" (Barry Fitzgerald) investigates the drowning of model "Jean" in what should have been the safety of her New York apartment. This cop is no slouch and is quickly dragging his newbie sidekick "Jimmy" (Don Taylor) all over the place in search of clues. Suspicion initially falls on the woman's close friend "Niles" (Howard Duff) but the police are pretty convinced that her maid, and also possibly her best pal "Ruth" (Dorothy Hart), may know more than they're letting on too. When they discover a bottle of sedatives, that some …
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