While the City Sleeps | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Fritz Lang |
Produced by | Bert E. Friedlob |
Screenplay by | Casey Robinson |
Based on | the novel The Bloody Spur by Charles Einstein |
Starring |
Dana Andrews Rhonda Fleming George Sanders John Drew Barrymore Ida Lupino |
Music by | Herschel Burke Gilbert |
Cinematography | Ernest Laszlo |
Edited by | Gene Fowler Jr. |
Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date
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Running time
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95 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
While the City Sleeps is a 1956 film noir directed by Fritz Lang. Written by Casey Robinson, the newspaper drama was based on The Bloody Spur by Charles Einstein, which depicts the story of "Lipstick Killer" William Heirens. The film features Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, John Drew Barrymore and Ida Lupino.
A power struggle ensues after the death of media magnate Amos Kyne (Robert Warwick), who turned his corporation over to his sole heir, foppish son Walter (Vincent Price). Rather than run the company himself, Walter decides to let the heads of its three divisions fight it out. Their assignment is to score an exclusive story on a serial killer terrorizing women in New York City the Kyne organization's newspaper dubs "The Lipstick Killer". Whoever identifies him before the police will be rewarded the title of Executive Director.
One of the three, newspaper editor Jon Day Griffith (Thomas Mitchell), has an ally in high-profile Kyne reporter and television personality Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews). While wire-service chief Mark Loving (George Sanders) recruits star writer Mildred Donner (Ida Lupino) as eyes and ears, a third contender, Harry Kritzer (James Craig), carries on a secret affair with Walter Kyne's wife Dorothy (Rhonda Fleming).