Cry of the City

Cry of the City

Synopsis

Cry of the City is a dark crime melodrama, filmed on location in New York City in voluptuous black and white by a director whose name is synonymous with the era of classic film noir. It was planned as a follow-up to Kiss of Death, a big hit for Twentieth Century Fox the previous year.

Martin Rome (Richard Conte) drives the law crazy – he is a beautiful loser, defying death, the great charismatic anti-hero of Siodmak's masterpiece of law and disorder. Adapted from a novel by Henry Edward Helseth, Cry of the City tells the tale of a charismatic New York criminal and his nemesis, the dogged cop and one-time friend who chases him down with a neurotic possessiveness as though in pursuit of his own evil twin.

Richard Conte's dazzling performance as Rome conveys a seductive ruthlessness opposite the brawny Victor Mature – a Fox favourite following his powerful performance in Kiss of Death – as Lieutenant Candella, the "good guy" in the film's running battle between good and evil. They are supported by a brilliant cast including Debra Paget, Shelley Winters, and the mesmerising, scene-stealing Hope Emerson in her most original and remarkable role as a thieving murderess.