Thanks to his classical masterpiece M, made in 1931, German director Fritz Lang was often referenced as one of the first filmmakers to use the now‑very‑popular motif of serial killers. A quarter of a century later, during his final years in Hollywood, Lang also used that motif, but in a somewhat unusual genre context. While the City Sleeps, his 1956 film, deals with the phenomenon of a psychopathic serial killer as nothing more than background for a straightforward journalism drama.
The film begins one night in New York, when a young woman falls prey to a young serial killer (played by John Drew Barrymore). This story is picked up by the New York Sentinel newspaper, news service, photo service, and television station – all belonging to old tycoon Amos Kyne (played by Robert Warwick). The same night Kyne dies and leaves this media empire to his spoiled and incompetent son Walter (played by Vincent Price). Walter Kyne is aware of his unpopularity among his father’s trusted associates and wants to establish his authority by creating a feud among the top executives. He offers the top corporate position to the executive whose organisation scoops the news about the identity of the serial killer first. That creates inter‑departmental rivalry with back‑stabbing and all kinds of manipulation. Seasoned reporter Edward Mobley (played by Dana Andrews) is disgusted with all that, but he also takes part in efforts to catch the killer. His idea is to publicly offend the killer and thus provoke his violent reaction, this time against his own fiancée Nancy (played by Sally Forrest), who would then be used as bait.
While the City Sleeps had its share of more‑than‑capable actors, a quite respected and talented director at its helm, and a quite intriguing set of subjects – corporate intrigues, the role of the media in modern society, sexual frustrations, homicidal urges, and other forms of human depravity. Yet the end result is quite disappointing; Lang obviously lacks a coherent vision and the movie meanders from one subplot to another, never dealing with each of them sufficiently. The general impression of the film relies heavily on good casting, especially Dana Andrews as a cynical, often boozing but clever and honest professional. His performance is especially touching in view of the actor’s well‑publicised real‑life problems with alcohol. Other actors shine in supporting roles – Ida Lupino is quite convincing as a female sexual predator, as is Thomas Mitchell who plays an old, yet still ambitious news editor. Vincent Price, on the other hand, plays a corporate villain, quite uncharacteristic for his usual villainous roles, although that character doesn’t appear enough to leave a lasting impression. While the City Sleeps gives an interesting insight into the ways 1950s Hollywood dealt with some popular subjects of today, but the general value of this film is far below the standards expected from someone like Fritz Lang.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on March 25th 2000)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/36786-while-the-city-sleeps Critic: AA
