Watch While the City Sleeps

While the City Sleeps (1956) is a noir thriller directed by the legendary Fritz Lang. The movie portrays the cut-throat world of journalism, power struggle and murder in New York City. The story opens with the death of a wealthy media mogul named Amos Kyne, who leaves his empire to his son Walter Kyne (Vincent Price). However, only a day after his father's death, Walter finds himself in the midst of a power struggle for the Kyne empire when the company's Board of Directors puts him on notice that he has 24 hours to appoint a new boss or they will do it for him.

Meanwhile, a serial killer is terrorizing the city, dubbed as "the lipstick killer" because he leaves his macabre signature with red lipstick on his female victims. The police under pressure from the public and media to capture the killer, offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Sensing an opportunity to secure the top job, Walter Kyne proposes a competition for the Kyne reporters in which whoever discovers the identity of the killer first will get promoted to the position of Executive Director.

The competition attracts a group of seasoned reporters, including top investigative journalist Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews), who is determined to win the promotion and impress his love interest, the beautiful, but callous publisher's daughter Dorothy Kyne (Rhonda Fleming). Mobley teams up with his colleagues, the charming wordsmith/gossip columnist Mark Loving (George Sanders) and the conscientious Harry Kritzer (James Craig) to cover the story and uncover the identity of the killer.

While the reporters set out to expose the killer, their personal lives also begin to unravel. Mobley's love for Dorothy Kyne becomes complicated when he discovers she's also his old flame from college, and his rival for the promotion, Mildred Donner (Ida Lupino), blackmails him into giving her the scoop. Loving finds himself in a love triangle with his sweetheart, Nancy Liggett (Sally Forest), and Kritzer, whose wife (Linda Darnell) is having an affair with a rival reporter, Jack Fisher (John Barrymore Jr.), starts to unravel under the pressure of the competition.

As the competition heats up, the reporters come close to identifying the killer. However, things take a wrong turn in unexpected ways, leading to a thrilling climax.

While the City Sleeps is, above all, a critique of the sensationalism and power struggles in the media world. It shows how corporate interests and ambition can distort the ethics of journalism, and how this distortion can lead to disastrous consequences. This theme resonates in our current times and underscores the importance of ethical journalism.

The film's black and white cinematography is beautifully crafted by Ernest Laszlo, who contrasts the darkly lit interiors of the press room and the luxurious nightclubs with the nimbler shots of the cityscape at night. The atmospheric soundtrack, composed by German music pioneer Bertolt Brecht, emphasizes the darkness and the obsessive nature of the characters.

The cast of the movie is exceptional, with each actor delivering nuanced performances that make their characters unforgettable. Dana Andrews delivers a solid performance as Mobley, a tough but principled investigative journalist, whose emotional struggles make him a relatable character. Rhonda Fleming, as Dorothy Kyne, is striking as the ruthless executive determined to get what she wants at any cost. George Sanders, in one of his last roles, is memorable as the cynical, rakish columnist Mark Loving, offering a sharp contrast to the more serious-minded Mobley.

In conclusion, While the City Sleeps is a masterful noir thriller that offers a gripping and cynical look at the corporate world of journalism. It's a movie that still holds relevance today, as the media world continues to struggle with issues of ethics, sensationalism, and power.

While the City Sleeps is a 1956 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9.