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While the City Sleeps (1928 film)

While the City Sleeps
While the City Sleeps.jpg
1928 lobby poster
Directed by Jack Conway
Written by A.P. Younger
Starring Lon Chaney
Anita Page
Carroll Nye
Wheeler Oakman
Mae Busch
Cinematography Henry Sharp
Edited by Sam Zimbalist
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
Release date
  • September 15, 1928 (1928-09-15)
Running time
70 minutes (original cut), 66 minutes (missing portions from reels 6 and 7)
Country US
Language Silent film
English intertitles

While the City Sleeps, is a 1928 silent film, about a tough New York City police detective, played by Lon Chaney, out to get a murdering gangster. The film was directed by Jack Conway, and co-stars Anita Page, Carroll Nye, Wheeler Oakman and Mae Busch.

The film focuses on the 'Plain Clothes Men', a group of detectives dressed up as average citizens to catch criminals without being noticed. They are especially hated by the underworld due to their constant meeting, during which suspects are analyzed and interrogated extensively. Among the staff is Dan Coghlan (Lon Chaney), a police officer with flat feet and a tough disposition, who is unsatisfied with the lack of adventure. As he is about to quit his job, he is noticed about a croaked jeweler. When arriving there, he finds Skeeter Carlson (Wheeler Oakman), a crook who never gets busted for a crime due to a lack of evidence.

Dan decides to follow him, and after talking to Skeeter's low-life girlfriend Bessie (Mae Busch) without gaining any information, he prevents Skeeter from seducing Myrtle Sullivan (Anita Page), an innocent flapper who finds excitement in hanging out with crooks. Dan has lately assigned himself as Myrtle's care-taker, and he disapproves of her boyfriend Marty (Carroll Nye), a dapper gangster without a job. When Skeeter is out of town for two days, Dan graps this opportunity to manipulate Bessie. After convincing her that Skeeter will soon dump her for Myrtle, Bessie admits that he croaked the jeweler.

Without wasting any time, Dan sets out to bust Skeeter and his men, only to find out that one of them is Marty. Shortly after, Bessie's body is found, and Dan is convinced that Skeeter is responsible for her death, considering that she was going to testify against him. The case against Skeeter is dismissed by the court, and he immediately reveals his plans on murdering Marty. Dan overhears this conversation, and hurries to Marty for protection, only to catch him in the midst of a robbery. Even though he is able to turn him in, Dan orders the police to leave Marty alone and helps him to take his first, tentative steps on the straight path.


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