While the City Sleeps

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While the City Sleeps

1956,

1h 40m,

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

91%

22 Reviews

Tomatometer

66%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

A serial killer is on the loose in New York City. Dubbed The Lipstick Killer, he has also strangely become the center of a power struggle between three division chiefs in a media empire. The directive from their inexperienced boss, Walter Kyne (Vincent Price), is simple: Whoever catches the killer gets promoted to executive editor. But newspaper editor John Day Griffith (Thomas Mitchell) has one distinct advantage in the form of crack reporter Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews).

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Oct 15, 2014

The story is a cynical twist on Lang's famous M.

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Miranda Kiek

Independent (UK)

Oct 15, 2014

2/5

Although you could run a horse and carriage through the plot, the dialogue isn't bad.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

Plot intricacies are deftly interwoven, with director Fritz Lang doing a topflight job of balancing the ingredients without dragging the pace.

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Joshua Polanski

Midwest Film Journal

Mar 10, 2025

The newsroom and the relationships between the newspaper men and women are the beating heart of While the City Sleeps.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Nov 1, 2023

3/5

Fritz Lang’s framing of people in places of power also emphasizes the dizzying speed with which they rise, fall or simply burrow deeper into the building’s basement bar. Too bad the initial pulsing, personal urgency leeches as the narrative loses itself.

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André Bazin

L'Obs (France)

Dec 9, 2021

Even when he is reduced to working with scant means or idiotic stories, Lang can create something of substance.

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Albus W

Mar 16, 2019

The plot is somewhat silly and the casting of certain actors (particularly Vincent Price) does not fit the role(s), but your attention stays on the action in front of you. Sally Forrest is a stand out as she holds her own against the more brassy, better known Ida Lupino. Howard Duff is the quiet thoughtful policeman everyone wants in their neighborhood. The "game" they play over who will become executive assistant adds nothing to the movie. Overall, it's an interesting watch.

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Hermione S

Dec 10, 2017

A crackling good murder mystery/suspense wrapped up a cut-throat media empire fight to gain the top job with plenty of guys and dames drinking, smoking and cavorting. There is a big flaw with the initial murder that you have to overlook, otherwise the whole premise makes no sense. Well worth a watch.

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Draco S

Jan 26, 2017

Don't know this director Lang, but reading his praises in the other reviews, if this is his finest, I don't want to see any others! Formulaic, stilted acting, unbelievable plot

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George S

Jul 31, 2015

Noir drama with a psycho murderer.

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Fritz Lang

Director

Dana Andrews

Edward Mobley

Ida Lupino

Mildred Donner

Rhonda Fleming

Dorothy Kyne

Sally Forrest

Nancy Liggett

Thomas Mitchell

Jon Day Griffith

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Synopsis

A serial killer is on the loose in New York City. Dubbed The Lipstick Killer, he has also strangely become the center of a power struggle between three division chiefs in a media empire. The directive from their inexperienced boss, Walter Kyne (Vincent Price), is simple: Whoever catches the killer gets promoted to executive editor. But newspaper editor John Day Griffith (Thomas Mitchell) has one distinct advantage in the form of crack reporter Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews).

Director: Fritz Lang
Producer: Bert E. Friedlob
Screenwriter: Charles Einstein, Casey Robinson
Distributor: Continental Home Vídeo [br], RKO Radio Pictures, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: RKO Pictures
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 30, 1956, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2012
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Mono

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