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Night and the City

Night and the City

Drama · Crime · 1950

Londoner Harry Fabian is a second-rate con man looking for an angle. After years of putting up with Harry's schemes, his girlfriend, Mary, becomes fed up when he taps her for yet another loan.

Movie details

Night and the City

“The inside story of London after dark.”

1950 Drama · Crime 1h 35m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.5 / 10

Community rating

Londoner Harry Fabian is a second-rate con man looking for an angle. After years of putting up with Harry's schemes, his girlfriend, Mary, becomes fed up when he taps her for yet another loan.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Night and the City?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Jules Dassin

Written by

Jo Eisinger · Austin Dempster · William E. Watts

Richard Widmark

Richard Widmark

Harry Fabian

Francis L. Sullivan

Francis L. Sullivan

Philip Nosseross

Gene Tierney

Gene Tierney

Mary Bristol

Googie Withers

Googie Withers

Helen Nosseross

Stanislaus Zbyszko

Stanislaus Zbyszko

Gregorius

Herbert Lom

Herbert Lom

Kristo

Hugh Marlowe

Hugh Marlowe

Adam Dunn

Court is in session

Put Night and the City on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.