In 1950, just prior to being blacklisted, director Jules Dassin was sent to make a film in London, England – being warned by producer Darryl F. Zanuck that it would most likely be the last movie he would make. What came of this venture was the classic film-noir Night and the City.
Dassin transports us immediately into the London criminal underworld, as we find our lead, Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark), a small time con-man with a dream of making it big and living a life of ease, on the run from a thug to whom he owes money. He makes his way to the abode of girlfriend Mary Bristol (Gene Tierney), a sweet and kind young lady who can only be described as the antithesis of the typical film noir femme fatale. Realizing that Fabian owes money, she heads up to the next floor to borrow it from the eccentric Adam Dunn (Hugh Marlowe) – who is clearly infatuated with the young beauty. She is given the cash, helping her beau out of the bind.
It is not long before we watch Fabian run his scams, helping private nightclub owner Philip Nosseross (Francis L. Sullivan) attract patrons to his joint. There is something extremely entertaining about watching the scams the drifter pulls – first with some Chicago travellers and then with wrestling icon Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko – a real-life pro wrestler who was a two time World Heavyweight champ). It is this second cozenage that gives Fabian a brainstorm – as he believes that he will be able to become a successful wrestling promoter. Gregorius is upset with his son Kristo (Herbert Lom), who controls all of the wrestling in London, for selling out and transforming the iconic Greco-Roman sport into a gimmicky exhibition – and this is where Fabian steps in to work his magic.
Fabian attempts to convince numerous shady acquaintances to lend him the money for the venture, though his poor reputation precedes him. He finally returns to Nosseross hoping that he will help, but he is laughed out of his office by the businessman and his wife Helen (Googie Withers) – with the couple being so confident that he will not raise the funds that they claim that they will give him two hundred pounds if he raises the first two on his own.
In true film-noir fashion, Helen tracks down Fabian to lend him the money – though she forces him to get the requisite paperwork so that they can open their own nightclub, allowing her to leave her much older husband. He creates fake paperwork for the dame and uses the money to create his first wrestling event. Many shady dealings occur along the way, yet Fabian is able to manage them all, that is, until a wrestler from Kristo’s event, The Strangler (Mike Mazurki), gets under the skin of Gregorius and they begin to grapple. It is a long fight that ends with the legendary wrestler coming out victorious, though he dies from the stress of the fight soon after. It is this that leads Kristo to place a one thousand pound hit on Fabian, forcing him to run for his life (much like the first time we see the man at the very beginning of the picture).
There are several excellent scenes as the man is being chased, one where he is in a construction site trying to dodge knife-wielding assassins (the use of shadow, light and dizzying angles makes for some superb shots) and the final few moments when he meets with Mary, hoping that she will turn him in so that he can finally do some good with his life.
This movie, like many other film-noirs, does an excellent job of showing the shifting allegiances of the human psyche. Most of the main characters are shady individuals who will quickly change sides and stab someone in the back to get or stay ahead.
The acting is also superb. Richard Widmark is solid as the low-life grifter. Tierney is excellent as the angelic (both in her beauty and her attitude) young lady. Dassin explained in an interview that Tierney was cast due to the fact that Zanuck was worried about her, as she was dealing with personal problems that he thought made her suicidal and he hoped that the role would help her work through things. Though perhaps the more intricate details of her emotional upheaval have been lost to time, it is lucky that Tierney worked on this film as her performance is superlative. Googie Withers is perfect as the crafty femme fatale. Finally, real-life wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko is completely authentic in the part. His death scene is unbelievably moving (in the same interview referenced above – which can be found on the Criterion DVD, Dassin told of how Widmark watched the scene directly behind him, digging his nails into his shoulder – supposedly the actor believed the wrestler was actually dying).
Night and the City is a brilliant noir crime saga that shows the dark side of the human condition. Dassin’s lustrous filming of London mixed with a strong story and powerful acting creates a tale where no one really wins. So don’t wrestle with whether or not to see this classic film-noir, for it is well worth pinning onto your movie watching list.