Main Cast: Gig Young, Mala Powers, William Talman, Edward Arnold, Chill Wills
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
John Auer directed and Steve Fisher wrote this police procedural film in the vein of the popular Detective Story of two years earlier. The film juggles around four characters through a particularly bad night in a Chicago precinct -- Johnny Kelly (Gig Young), a stressed out cop ready to crack; Sally "Angel Face" Connors (Mala Powers), a cheap strumpet lounge singer; Hayes Stewart (William Talman), a former magician and present thug; Penrod Biddel (Edward Arnold), a smooth and corrupt district attorney; and Sgt. Joe (Chill Wills), an Everyman character, known as "The Voice of Chicago." The skimpy plot concerns Kelly, who is having an affair with Angel Face and is ready to quit his job and leave his wife Kathy (Paula Raymond) at the drop of a hat. In order to get quick money to escape Chicago and start life anew with Angel Face, Kelly accepts an assignment and a payment from Biddel to escort low-life Stewart across the state line. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
City That Never Sleeps is an uneven crime drama, one that contains some enough good elements that it's frustrating the film as a whole is not better. The chief culprit is, as so often, the screenplay, which starts out promisingly. Gig Young's character seems to be one that is fairly complex, a cop who is dissatisfied with his lot in life and could fall prey to temptation. Unfortunately, the character is not developed sufficiently beyond that, which is also the case with the Wally Cassell "mechanical man" character; he, too, shows promise that goes unfulfilled, although the sheer strangeness of his job does fascinate. The dialogue is also problematic, coming across too often as either artificial or bland, and the plot eventually becomes overly busy without achieving an appropriate depth. John H. Auer's direction is also uneven, but when he hits, he really hits hard; the scene involving the tear on Cassell's face is magical, and the climactic chase sequence is spectacular. Auer is enormously helped by John L. Russell's electric cinematography, an orgy of high contrasts and deep focuses that is stunning. Young is only so-so in the leading role, and Chill Wills is frequently annoying, but Cassell and William Talman are stand-outs. All in all, City That Never Sleeps is a hit-or-miss affair, but worth catching for its high points. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Marie Windsor - Lydia Biddel; Paula Raymond - Kathy Kelly; Otto Hulett - Sgt. John Kelly, Sr.; Wally Cassell - Gregg Warren; James Andelin - Lt. Parker; Tom Poston - Detective; Philip L. Boddy - Maitre d'Hotel; Helen Gibson - Woman; Ron Hagerthy - Stubby; Gil Herman - Patrolman; Clark Howat - Patrolman; Tom Irish - Bellboy; Walter Woolf King - Hotel Manager; Bunny Kocher - Agnes; Emmett Vogan - Doctor
Credit
James Sullivan - Art Director, Adele Palmer - Costume Designer, John H. Auer - Director, Fred Allen - Editor, R. Dale Butts - Composer (Music Score), Bob Mark - Makeup, John L. Russell - Cinematographer, John H. Auer - Producer, John McCarthy - Set Designer, Charles Thompson - Set Designer, Howard Lydecker - Special Effects, Theodore Lydecker - Special Effects, Steve Fisher - Screenwriter
Johnny Kelly (Gig Young) is a Chicago cop from a long line of police officers. He's grown tired of the job and his married life. He plans on leaving his wife for exotic dancer Sally "Angel Face" Connors (Mala Powers). When Penrod Biddel (Edward Arnold), a corrupt, powerful attorney, wants him for a job, Johnny is tempted. He needs money in order to get quick money to escape Chicago and start life anew with "Angel Face."
Kelly accepts an assignment to escort a low-life former magician (William Talman ) now criminal across the border to Indiana. Not all is what it seems and the more Kelly learns the more he's determined to do right.
Film critic Craig Butler wrote, "City That Never Sleeps is an uneven crime drama, one that contains some enough good elements that it's frustrating the film as a whole is not better. The chief culprit is, as so often, the screenplay, which starts out promisingly. Gig Young's character seems to be one that is fairly complex, a cop who is dissatisfied with his lot in life and could fall prey to temptation. Unfortunately, the character is not developed sufficiently beyond that, which is also the case with the Wally Cassell "mechanical man" character; he, too, shows promise that goes unfulfilled, although the sheer strangeness of his job does fascinate.[2]
The staff at Variety gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "Production and direction loses itself occasionally in stretching for mood and nuances, whereas a straightline cops-and-robbers action flavor would have been more appropriate. Same flaw is found in the Steve Fisher screen original...John L. Russell's photography makes okay use of Chicago streets and buildings for the low-key, night-life effect required to back the melodrama.[3]
