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"There are eight million stories in the Naked City", as the narrator immortally states at the close of this breathtakingly vivid film—and this is one of them. Master noir craftsman Jules Dassin and newspaperman-cum-producer Mark Hellinger’s dazzling police procedural, The Naked City, was shot entirely on location in New York. Influenced as much by Italian neorealism as it is by American crime fiction, this double Academy Award winner remains a benchmark for naturalism in noir, living and breathing in the promises and perils of the Big Apple, from its lowest depths to its highest skyscrapers.

Veteran detective Lt. Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) is working with a younger and unmotivated assistant, Detective James Halloran (Don Taylor), on the mysterious murder of a beautiful young, sexually promiscuous, morally dubious, model who was knocked unconscious and drowned in her Manhattan apartment bathtub, and her jewelry was also stolen. The two detectives go through the usual police procedures of tracking down clues and turn up no substantial leads. But Muldoon proves to be a crafty detective and with the help of others in the department narrows the search for the killer down to two suspects...

Director: Jules Dassin
Cast: Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor, Frank Conroy, Ted de Corsia
Country: USA
Genre: Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 01:38:44 | 44.6 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, writer Malvin Wald, who wrote the original story that inspired The Naked City and worked on the script for the film, discusses his contribution to it, Jules Dassin's directing style and precisely how various parts of the film were shot in New York City, the social overtones in the film as well as the blacklisting of its director and other cast and crew members, the unique structure of the story, etc. This audio commentary was also included on Criterion's DVD release of The Naked City.

• Jules Dassin at LACMA - presented here is footage from Jules Dassin's appearance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in April 2004. The director recalls how he was offered to shoot Rififi, his initial impressions of Auguste Le Breton's novel which inspired it, and his discussions with composer Georges Auric during and after the shooting process, and discusses his relationship with producers Mark Hellinger and Darryl F. Zanuck, the shooting of The Naked City in New York City, etc. The footage also appears on Criterion's DVD release. In English, not subtitled. (41 min, 1080i).

• James Sanders - in this archival interview, author James Sanders (Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies), who is the co-writer of Ric Barns' documentary series New York, discusses how Jules Dassin's film has preserved the authentic image of 1940s New York. The interview was conducted in 2006. In English, not subtitled. (27 min, 1080i).

• Dana Polan - in this archival interview, New York University film studies professor Dana Polan discusses the 'blandness and directness' of The Naked City, the 'little eccentricity' of its characters, and the social fabric of the city as depicted in the film. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080i).

• Stills Gallery - presented here is a collection of production stills, posters, and rare behind the scenes photos from the shooting of The Naked City. (6 min, 1080p).

DVD9 | NTSC 4:3 | 01:36:02 | 7.44 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Russian

Extras:
• Audio commentary by screenwriter Malvin Wald
• An analysis of the film’s New York locations by Celluloid Skyline author James Sanders (26:03)
• Interview with NYU film professor Dana Polan (28:08)
• Footage of Jules Dassin from his 2004 appearance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (40:38)
• Stills gallery