Night and the City – 1950 | 101 mins | Crime | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Evocative post-warfilm noir set and filmed entirely in London that tells the tale of an unscrupuloushustler with lofty aspirations to be a wrestling promoter. Director JulesDassin fled the McCarthy witch-hunt to Britain, where he made this stronglyatmospheric thriller that presented London’s mist-shrouded alleyways inneo-expressionist terms as grotesque and terrifying. Loosely-based on GeraldKersh’s 1938 novel and sharply written by Jo Eisinger, the story is uncompromisingand the suspense is sustained throughout towards a tense and tragic conclusion.The majority of the characterisations are stylised and exaggerated, especially importedAmerican star Richard Widmark’s desperate portrayal of a slippery weasel lamentingon what might have been. Of the British supporting cast, Francis L Sullivan’sobese and overweight nightclub king is unusual rather than convincing. Thewrestling scene between Stanislaus Zbyszko, a former heavyweight wrestlingchampion, and Mike Mazurki is one of the most heart-pounding and brutal matchesever filmed. The completed production was a critical and commercial failure,but has subsequently been recognised as a landmark film noir.

Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark), is a small timeAmerican nightclub tout steering punters to sleazy dive The Silver Fox with thepromise of witnessing some racy shows – but Harry‘s disapproving girlfriend Mary(Gene Tierney) keeps on at him to get a decent job. Harry has the underworld inhis blood and delusions of grandeur, and is obsessed with developing aget-rich-quick scheme. Whilst hustling for business in a wrestling arena heoverhears famed wrestler Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko) criticizing the fake wrestling matches his son Kristo(Herbert Lom) offers to the public.

Fabian believes he can promote the long-neglectedGreco-Roman wrestling and bring it back to the popularity using Gregorius as amajor attraction, but nobody will initially help fund his ambitions. Harryeventually finds a partner in Silver Fox nightclub owner Philip Nosseross(Francis L. Sullivan), a man who lusts after Harry’s girlfriend and knowing theinherent danger of treading on Kristo’s toes – wishes to be a very silentpartner.  Nosseross double-crosses Harryby demanding he uses traditional wrestlers like The Strangler (Mike Mazurki)and Nikolas (Ken Richmond), a move that will disappoint Gregorius and angerKriasto.

Nosseross tells Harry: “You’ve got it all, but you’re a dead man Harry Fabian, a dead man.” WhenGregorius dies following a wrestling brawl with The Strangler, Harry finds himselfthe object of a murderous manhunt with £1,000 on offer to whoever delivers himto Kristo.