NIGHT AND THE CITY

UK, 1950, 101 minutes. Black and white.
Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers, Hugh Marlowe, Francis L. Sullivan, Herbert Lom, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Mike Mazurki, Charles Farrell, Ada Reeve, Ken Richmond.
Directed by Jules Dassin.

Night and the City is an excellent gangster film, an American production but made in London. It was based on a novel by Gerald Kersh, adapted for the screen by Jo Eisinger.

The black and white photography is particularly atmospheric, so much occurring during the night. It is also a star vehicle for Richard Widmark, one of his best performances, in only his fourth or fifth film. He had made an impact as a pathological killer in A Kiss in the Dark and takes on some of these characteristics but gives them far more scope and depth. Gene Tierney has a rather supporting role. Googie Withers appears as the ruthless wife of the owner of a London nightclub, played by Francis L. Sullivan. The film also goes into the world of wrestling, with Herbert Lom as a promoter, Stanislaus Zbyszko as his father from Athens, a champion wrestler in the Greco- Roman style. However, promotion in London is for fixed wrestling and the entrepreneur has Mike Mazurki, as the Strangler, as his star turn. Ken Richmond appears as the Greek wrestler’s son. (In fact, Stanislaus Zbyszko was a champion wrestler inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mike Mazurki was a wrestler and football player and worked off-screen for the support of the wrestlers’ fraternity. Ken Richmond was a bronze-winning wrestler at the Helsinki Olympics and a gold medallist in the British Commonwealth Games of 1954.)

The film focuses almost entirely on Richard Widmark’s character, an American hustler in London called Harry Fabian. He has continued dreams, is in need of money, relies on the owners of clubs, but gets a chance through his quick-wittedness to confront the wrestling entrepreneurs in London. However, he outsmarts himself, a series of accidents ensure that his career will not have a successful end.

The film is intense, strong on dialogue, powerful in its interactions, excellent in its performances.

The film was remade forty years later with the location now in New York City and the stars Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange and Cliff Gorman.

The film was directed by Jules Dassin who had begun a successful career in Hollywood, had become famous for his film noir like Brute Force and his observations of police life in the American cities, The Naked City. However, after this film he was blacklisted and spent his time making films in Europe, especially Rififi, Topkapi, Never on Sunday, with his wife Melina Mercouri.


1. A classic gangster film? Americans in the UK? 1950s style?

2. The work of Jules Dassin, The Naked City, his blacklisting?

3. The strong cast, the American performers, the British performers and character actors?

4. London, the city itself, the studio work, the sense of realism?

5. The quality of the black and white photography, shadow and light, the nights, the overall views of the city, dawn and the ending? The musical score?

6. The introduction, the relevance of the action taking place in London, but any city, any night?

7. The introduction to Harry Fabian, Richard Widmark and the intensity of his characterisation, literally on the run, running throughout London, the attempts to hide, the pursuit, going to Mary, his relationship with her, getting money from her, lying to her? His plans, his deals? His wanting to be somebody? His reliance on Phil and Helen? At the club? His being used by them? His role as a hustler, in the bar, the information from the taxi driver, paid, about the Chicago businessmen and their contacts, his routine with the finding of the wallet, getting their trust, his talking in the friendly way, getting them to go to Phil and Helen’s club? His paying off the waiter? His going to the wrestling, being ousted, seeing Gregorius, hearing Kristo, the father rebuking his son for the commercial wrestling? The wrestling scenes? The Strangler? His asking for his money back, his scheme to ingratiate himself with Gregorius, his meeting him, talking, friendly, the drinks? His plan? Needing two hundred pounds? Helen refusing, Phil refusing? His going to the hustler with his range of beggars and preparing them to go on the streets, the Irish woman, the forger, stealing the money from Mary? Meeting Helen, her plan, giving him the two hundred, Phil and his supplementing it? The setup, the entrepreneur, the offices, working with Gregorius, with Nick? Kristo coming, the meeting with his father, his being humiliated by Harry? Phil and the plans, his wanting to invest in commercial wrestling, not Greco-Roman? Harry and his shrewdness in setting up the bout, taunting the Strangler, paying off his agent? The provocation at the gym? Gregorius and his agreement for Nick to fight the Strangler? The long sequence of the fight between Gregorius and the Strangler? Gregorius’s death? Phil and his withdrawing the money? Harry and his getting the forger to prepare the licence for Helen, her believing him? The argument, Nick injuring his wrist? The breaking of the contract? Kristo, the word around town, Harry on the run again, going to his friend with the beggars, his being betrayed for a thousand pounds, going to the Irish woman? Mary finding him, his urging her to claim the thousand pound reward from Kristo? On the run, chasing Mary, the Strangler and Harry’s death, his being thrown into the river? Mary and the memories, the photo, a good man in the past, but his wanting to be someone?

8. Phil, the club, the money, his relationship with Helen, the gifts and the fur, her spurning him? The refusal to give the two hundred pounds, the contacts with Kristo, meeting Harry and pulling out of the deal, Helen leaving, her coming back – his killing himself?

9. Helen, tough, the business world, the club, her relationship with Harry? Her dependence on Phil yet despising him? The fur coat, the peremptory kiss? Their arguments? Her plans for the club, giving Harry the two hundred pounds? Going away from Phil, the club, the girls? The policeman, the false document, her return?

10. Mary, good woman, singing at the club, her love for Phil, the memories, helping him with the money? Finding him at the end? Her grief? Adam as her friend, the cooking sequence, his warning her about Harry?

11. Kristo, severe, his henchman, running wrestling in London, the meetings with his father, his devotion to his father? His father’s turning against him? Kristo and his going to the club, the confrontation with Harry, Harry humiliating him? His contacts with Phil, with the underworld?

12. Gregorius, coming to London, disappointed with his son and the style of wrestling? With Nick? His responding to Harry, going into partnership? Being provoked, Nick, Gregorius and the fight with the Strangler, his collapse, Kristo and his concern, his father’s death?

13. The British characters around the city, the man organising the beggars, giving them all the props, sending them out on the streets? His friendship with Harry, not giving him the money? Betraying him at the end? The Irish lady and her kindness? The forger and his not giving the money, but making the licence for Helen? Mickey Beer, with Kristo, the agent for the Strangler, his readiness to change sides with the money? Molly the flower lady, outside the club – and the irony of Phil leaving the club to her?

14. The overall impact of this kind of gangster film? A picture of the past? The comparisons with more contemporary gangster films?