Night and the City (1950)

75% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
87% of users liked it
(3,043 ratings)

Jules Dassin's Night and the City opens with cheap grifter Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) running for his life through the streets of London. Harry wants to be big-time, and he does not care how he raises cash for his schemes. Like a junkie, he uses and steals from his girlfriend Mary (Gene… More Jules Dassin's Night and the City opens with cheap grifter Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) running for his life through the streets of London. Harry wants to be big-time, and he does not care how he raises cash for his schemes. Like a junkie, he uses and steals from his girlfriend Mary (Gene Tierney), a singer at the Silver Fox, a seedy nightclub owned by the physically grotesque Phil Nosseross Francis L. Sullivan. Harry, who also works for Phil steering unsuspecting customers to the club, comes up with a plan to wrest control of professional wrestling from promoter and underworld kingpin Kristo (Herbert Lom) by manipulating Kristo through his father, retired wrestling great Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko). For financial backing, Harry turns to Phil and Phil's wife Helen Googie Withers, both of whom give him the money, but only to further their own ends. When Gregorius is accidentally killed by his protege's upcoming opponent, Strangler (Mike Mazurki), and Phil realizes that Helen is leaving him for Harry, the scheme quickly unravels. Truly a glimpse of hell, Night and the City's distorted visuals and dark symbolism depict an underworld from which there is no escape and in which redemption comes at a very high price. ~ Steve Press, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Jules Dassin
Written By: Jo Eisinger
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 1, 1950 Wide
On DVD: Feb 1, 2005
Studio: Criterion Collection

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Jules Dassin, in his direction, manages extraordinarily interesting backgrounds, realistically filmed to create a feeling both of suspense and mounting menace.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
A pointless, trashy yarn.
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
A moody piece of Wellesian chiaroscuro (shot by Max Greene, né Mutz Greenbaum) and an occasionally discomfiting underworld plunge.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Before he met Melina Mercouri and became an Artist, Jules Dassin made a number of worthwhile thrillers as a Hollywood contract director.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A dark, brooding noir, with Widmark riveting as a hustling promoter who sinks into the quagmire of his own ambitions.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
one of the quintessential film noir, not only because its inky chiaroscuro visuals, but because of its gripping downward spiral of a narrative
Tom Milne, Time Out
Inclined to go over the top, it all too clearly contains the seeds of Dassin's later -- and disastrous -- pretensions.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
One of the true-blue noir classics. RIchard Widmark is a certifiable force of nature.
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com
the rare masterpiece that earns the appellation not by announcing its grand intentions but by following them through with sublime confidence and precision
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Night and the City's desolate vision of city life is enough to make any aspiring crook head straight for the 'burbs.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
The archetypal film noir.
, Film4
A quality cast give vivid performances in a stylish and sharply written thriller with some striking visual flourishes.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
An offbeat film noir, set in foggy post-WWII London...

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

As my dear old grandmother used to say, before she gave up prostitution to become a carnival barker, "I am loving me some Richard Widmark!"
Cassandra M

Imagine Charles Dickens had to make a bit of extra money by writing B-movies in Hollywood and you might get close to imagining this haunting, wonderful film. It fuses the best traditions of film noir with a very British atmosphere: a cast of character actors playing vividly drawn and… More
Imagine Charles Dickens had to make a bit of extra money by writing B-movies in Hollywood and you might get close to imagining this haunting, wonderful film. It fuses the best traditions of film noir with a very British atmosphere: a cast of character actors playing vividly drawn and desperate people. There's a mournful tone to the whole film, like a boat's siren drifting across a foggy Thames. All the characters seem to be reaching for their hearts desire, wanting to believe in a dream of a better tomorrow, in something that's real and true for them. But they rip into each other trying to get there. That gives the film a poignant, tragic trajectory. A compelling central performance by Richard Widmark as Harry Fabian, a man with flair and drive and an infectious hope, but a man who lacks something like the moral fibre to be honest. A man always looking for a shortcut. A nearly-great man, an almost classically tragic figure. Googie Withers is a revelation as Helen, a woman who seems cynical but has hopes and dreams just like Fabian (just like all our characters). So much I haven't even mentioned, the sweaty muscular wrestling scenes are are action scenes of the best kind, in that they drive and skew the plot as well as holding our attention. So many good performances. And a film that speaks to our hopes and our flaws and the tragic spaces between the two. Any Londoner or person who loves the atmosphere of that city should check it out too, some lovely old footage of Trafalgar Square and Picadilly.
AJ V

One of my absolute favourite film noirs. I love Widmark in this movie, I think this is his best performance ever. The story is realistic, exciting, and dramatic. I love this movie, it's one of my favourites.
jay n

Richard Widmark offers up his usual superlative performance, Gene Tierney is underused but all in all a fine gritty noir.
Ken S

A perfect film noir using every film convention to their utmost potency. Distilled Noir 100% Columbian Noir This shit will make you crazzzy.
Tim S

Richard Widmark is genius!
Aaron N

Phil Nosseross, Silver Fox Club: You don't know what you're getting into. Helen Nosseross: I know what I'm getting out of. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, but this classic Noir, did not grasp me the way the other recent Noirs that I have seen did. Here we… More
Phil Nosseross, Silver Fox Club: You don't know what you're getting into. Helen Nosseross: I know what I'm getting out of. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood, but this classic Noir, did not grasp me the way the other recent Noirs that I have seen did. Here we have basically a con man work his way into a wrestling promotion career. Gene Tierney is also around and good looking as the women involed. To me the plot just wasn't to engaging I guess. The dialogue hits the right notes for the most part, with a few unintentionally funny scenes, but still not enough. Although, the film was shot on location in London, and the director of photography puts that aspect to great use, as this is a very good looking movie. Googin the Forger: If you ain't got socks you can't pull 'em up, can you?
Michael G

NOT the 92 version, the 1950 version. One of the watermarks of film noir.
Eduardo T

Belongs on the list of the greatest film noirs of all time. This is a very well produced film. I was blow away by how good this was. The best part has to be the acting. Why can't they act like they did back then now-a-days? This also had great character development. I got to know… More
Belongs on the list of the greatest film noirs of all time. This is a very well produced film. I was blow away by how good this was. The best part has to be the acting. Why can't they act like they did back then now-a-days? This also had great character development. I got to know what drove the characters and what they where like. This film got straight to the point and didn't waist any time with unnecessary scenes. I found it interesting that the main character was a hustler throughout the film and in the end he still was a hustler only to have hurt himself. People never change. I guess that's the moral of the story if I'm not mistaken. The writing was also really good. I had a hard time keeping up but for the most part I understood it. That wrestling scene was very well directed. It was a cool scene nevertheless. If you like classic film noir then you can't miss this one.
cody f

Best Film ever made about the London Wrestling scene.