The Naked City

The Naked City (1948)

Timing: 1:36 (96 min)

7.213/10
240

7.319/10
1382

7.5/10
17000

All about film

Video 1

Photo 15

Actors and characters

Release date

1948-03-04

Country

United States

Production

Universal Pictures

Genre

Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Budget

$0

Revenue

$2 400 000

Website

Director

Jules Dassin

Actors

Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor, Frank Conroy, Ted de Corsia, House Jameson, Anne Sargent, Adelaide Klein, Grover Burgess
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Mark Hellinger

Operator

William H. Daniels

Composer

Miklós Rózsa

Artist

Audition

Editing

Paul Weatherwax
All team (17)

• In 2007, the Library of Congress included the film in the National Film Registry.
• The ideas of the film formed the basis for the television series “Naked City” (1958–1963).
• A total of 107 different locations were used for filming the movie.
• The film crew worked inside a van equipped with glass transparent on only one side, allowing them to film the city while remaining invisible to passersby.
• The film uses the voice of the film's producer, Mark Hellinger, for voice-over narration.
• A significant portion of the location shooting took place on the streets of New York, with passersby unaware of what was happening. Cinematographer William H. Daniels and his assistant Roy Trip (uncredited) filmed people on the streets with a hidden camera from a dilapidated and unremarkable van moving around the city. Sometimes a newspaper kiosk set was placed on the sidewalk with a camera inside for covert filming of the actors. Director Jules Dassin specifically paid a street juggler to distract passersby from the fake newspaper stand, and occasionally hired someone to climb a lamppost and deliver a patriotic speech, waving an American flag – also to divert attention.
• Producer Mark Hellinger (whose voice is heard in narration) died of a heart attack before the film was released. In light of his death, the management of “Universal Pictures” was already preparing to abandon the film (and the money spent on shooting it), fearing it would flop at the box office. However, the deceased's relatives reminded “Universal Pictures” of a clause in Hellinger’s contract that guaranteed the film’s release. The studio management relented, and to everyone’s surprise, the film was successful and even won two “Oscars” (for best cinematography and best editing).
• A significant portion of the location shooting was done on the streets of New York, with passersby unaware of what was happening. Cinematographer William H. Daniels and his assistant Roy Tripp (uncredited) filmed people on the streets with a hidden camera from a dilapidated and unremarkable van that moved around the city. Sometimes a newspaper stand set was placed on the sidewalk with a camera inside for covertly filming the actors. Director Jules Dassin specifically paid a street juggler to distract passersby from the fake newspaper stand, and occasionally hired someone to climb a lamppost and deliver a patriotic speech, waving an American flag – also to divert attention.