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Jul 07, 2015Derringer rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Yes. Time (and decades of TV Cop shows) has somewhat dulled the brilliant cutting-edge uniqueness of this once trend-setting Crime-Drama. Released in 1948 - The Naked City is presented in a semi-documentary format. Its story spans a 6 day investigation into the death, by drowning, of an attractive young fashion model named Jean Dexter. With there being no apparent signs of a struggle, Miss Dexter's death is at first taken to be a mere suicide since she was found drowned in her own bathtub. But after careful, step-by-step, investigation by Detective Dan Muldoon, it is soon revealed that this is clearly a case of murder of the most foul. Suspicion falls heavily on various shifty characters who all prove to have some sort of connection with a string of recent apartment burglaries. The Naked City's superb climax relentlessly builds to a heart-pounding, adrenaline-charged manhunt through the crowded streets and alleyways of NYC. Cinematographer, William Daniels, and, editor, Paul Weatherwax, both won Oscars for their excellent work on this first-rate film.