Filmic Friday 248: Night And The City (1950)

In Which Noir is En Vogue

Fun Fact: The director, Jules Dassin, is also the man who created Rififi,
one of the most beloved Noir films of all time.

I'm a huge nerd. You may have noticed this about me. I am a huge silly nerd who loves huge silly things like movies and comics and books and wrestling. So of course I'm going to love a movie based on a book about a guy getting involved in wrestling.

The story of Night and the City follows the life of Harry Fabian, an American living in London. He has big dreams but he's also never met a get-rich-quick scheme he didn't fall for, and that's dangerous in the seedy underbelly of London's nightlife. Working as a club tout (basically a con man who drums up business for a particular club, in his case, the American club his girlfriend sings at), Harry dreams of being somebody in the world.

Preferably somebody who doesn't have to live life on the run.

Harry's girlfriend, Mary, is an honest, hardworking woman who has dreams of her own but has put them all on hold waiting for Harry to get himself together. She genuinely wants him to be happy, but where he sees untold riches in a suspiciously low-priced share of a greyhound track, she sees the truth - he's been taken for a ride yet again.

And Harry knows it. He knows she's the brains of the outfit and he can't stand it.
He feels like an utter disappointment. He just wants to be the one who holds her up,
not the other way around.

Meanwhile, Mary has become friends with the attractive artist next door, Adam. Adam lends Mary money when Harry drains her dry, but he genuinely seems to want Harry to succeed, too. Adam should know what it's like to be a creative mind that's been stifled - he's a working artist waiting for his big break, and that's an especially difficult thing for a sculptor. Paintings are easy to sell to people - they're portable and they don't shatter into a million pieces when dropped. A sculpture is a genuine luxury, fragile and expensive. Still, Adam is doing well enough for himself that he can help his friends and he can afford to burn dinner.

"Harry's an artist who hasn't yet found his art. That's bound to frustrate a man."

The club where both Mary and Harry work is owned by Mr. Nosseross (whose name is so much fun to say) and his shrewd and disloyal wife Helen, who is also Harry's ex. They are fairly dismissive towards Harry's dreams and schemes, mostly because they've heard it all before, but also because Mr. Nosseross senses something is not quite on the up-and-up between Helen and Harry.

And when you see Nosseross, you'll suddenly know what Maury Chaykin
was going for in his portrayal of Nero Wolfe in 2001/2002 on A&E.

One day, while touting for Nosseross's club, Harry comes into contact with Gregorious, a retired Greco-Roman Style Professional Wrestler, who is hurling insults at the in-ring antics of the most famous Pro Wrestler in London, the Strangler. What awes me is that Gregorious is being played by one of the all-time greats in professional wrestling: Stanislas Zbyszko! Now, if Zbyszko sounds familiar and you're in your 30s or older, you probably remember Larry Zbyszko, who was this man's pretend son. Stanislas is a magnificent actor in this movie, and you can absolutely buy that he's a strong man who's lead a hard life and is disappointed that his son, Mr. Kristo, is a slick promoter who will not give his other son, Nikolas, a shot in his promotion.

Everything Zbyszko does is believable in this film, and he very nearly made me cry at times.
Also, it's hard to believe it, but apparently he really loved experimental cinema and would often
go to movies with Jules Dassin, the director. He also formed a close relationship with Widmark,
the star (Harry!), which makes me unbelievably happy! What a cast!

Helen sneakily helps Harry secure funding to create Fabian Promotions, where he plans to run a show with Gregorious' son Nikolas, but since part of his funding is with Nosseross, who is very unhappy with his wife running around with his tout, he has to go and secure the services of the Strangler. All of this serves to infuriate Mr. Kristo, and I'm leaving quite a lot of the story out because you have to watch this movie!

But Nosseross and Kristo won't be the only ones furious with Harry by the end of this...

Something horrible ends up happening which seals Harry's fate. In the span of an afternoon, Harry goes from having it all to being on the run.

Because Kristo ends up putting a £1000 bounty on his head.

The last act follows Harry in a much more frightening version of his introduction. We meet Harry running through London, and Harry ends up running for his life through London at the end of the film. All of Harry's one-time friends in the London Underbelly see him as a payday, now. There's nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.

My god, the ending is bleak and heartbreaking (especially if you watch the American version). You know how it will end pretty quickly, but you don't want it to. You don't want things to go the way they do, but, as is true with most Noir films, the end is an inevitability.

If you are looking for a good movie that isn't spoiled by sappy sentimentality, then absolutely pick up Night and the City. Heck, if you just want a taste of what 1950s Pro Wrestling may have been like, check it out! If I remember correctly, the actor playing The Strangler was also a Pro before he went to acting! We watched the Criterion Collection release, and I strongly suggest getting hold of that one for a wonderful viewing experience. It was in our local library system, so if you're on a budget, fret not, and check your library!

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