Night and the City
1950
****
Director: Jules Dassin
Cast: Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Herbert Lom, Francis L. Sullivan, Aubrey Dexter, Maureen Delany, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Mike Mazurki, Ada Reeve, Charles Farrell, Ken Richmond
Harry Fabian, a small-time American hustler, plans to make a fortune by organising a wrestling match in post-war London. As Harry deceives and manipulates everyone around him to achieve his goals, the chickens will eventually come home to roost. Jules Dassin was blacklisted in Hollywood while he was shooting this classic film noir in London. It tells an entertainingly cynical story that features very few sympathetic characters. The script is based on Gerald Kersh's 1938 novel, which was remade in 1992 with Robert De Niro in the lead role.
