City That Never Sleeps Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

City That Never Sleeps Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 22, 2021

John H. Auer's "City That Never Sleeps" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new video interview with critic Kim Newman as well as new audio commentary recorded by critic Imogen Sara Smith. In English with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

A strange night, eh?

Chicago cop Johnny Kelly (Gig Young) has finally decided to walk away from his wife, Kathy (Paula Raymond). It has been a difficult decision, but Johnny is ready to start a new life with his mistress, Angel Face (Mala Powers), who makes ends meet as a stripper at The Silver Frolics. Tonight, Johnny may even walk away from the police force if he gathers the courage to do a dirty job for the crooked lawyer Penrod Biddel (Edward Arnold), who has promised to pay him a hefty sum of money. Can Johnny do the job? Yes, he can, and he should because it is his ticket out of the misery he has been enduring for years.

But while driving around the city with his new partner, Johnny begins doubting himself. The job is to nab well-known criminal Hayes Stewart (William Talman) during a setup and put him behind bars so that later on Biddel can get him out. Stewart, who used to work with Biddel but has gone rogue, will then own a favor that would make him a lot easier to control. Johnny can get Stewart; it would be a piece of cake. But what would happen if it is revealed that he has done it for Biddell and taken money from him? He would be long gone with Angel Face, but his brother Stubby (Ron Hagerthy), who has been hanging around with Stewart, and pop (Otto Hulett), who is a veteran police officer, will still be around. What would happen to their reputations? And how would their lives change? Can Johnny trade his family for money?

Shortly after Johnny visits The Silver Frolics and reveals to Angel Face that he is ready to follow up on his promise to go away with her, he changes his mind and rejects Biddel’s offer. But with the setup already in progress and Stewart on his way to get caught, there is practically nothing that Johnny can do to prevent a chain reaction of disastrous situations.

John H. Auer’s City That Never Sleeps is one of those hybrid film noirs that sees the reality of its characters from two completely different angles. Indeed, as Johnny and his partner begin patrolling the streets of Chicago and the former reveals that he is about to permanently redirect his life the film becomes very dark and cynical, almost like a promo piece for an anti-commercial campaign whose ultimate goal is to convince folks not to visit the city. At this point, the entire structure of the city seems rotten to its core. The obvious message behind Johnny’s deal with Biddel, for instance, is that in Chicago everything and everyone can be bought. The buyer simply has to name the right price. But then the drama evolves and suddenly the film discovers light in the sea of darkness. (Virtually the entire film takes place over the course of a single night, so the darkness is heavily emphasized for as long as needed). The shift is quite melodramatic and produces rather predictable character transformations that are attached to equally predictable moralistic messaging.

Before the end credits roll Johnny makes all the right decisions that are supposed to redeem him and make him appear respectable again, but the drama he has been involved with essentially legitimizes the old saying that in his city things get done either the right way or the Chicago way -- and usually the Chicago way.

Auer was assisted by cinematographer John L. Russell, who is best known for his superb work in Psycho. The outdoor footage is particularly impressive now because it reveals parts of the city that no longer exist.

City That Never Sleeps Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, City That Never Sleeps arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. Despite a few light scratches that pop up here and there, I like it a lot. For example, large portions of the film can be quite dark, but delineation and depth usually range from good to very good. Shadow definition is pleasing as well, so even on a larger screen the visuals can look pretty good. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. All in all, even though the film could look fresher, the current technical presentation is convincing. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

City That Never Sleeps Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dialog is clear and easy to follow. Dynamic balance is good, but I had the volume on my system turned up quite a bit and noticed some sporadic unevenness here and there. Also, in the upper register some extremely light hiss occasionally attempts to sneak in. There are no audio dropouts, pops, cracks, or distortions to report in our review.

City That Never Sleeps Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic Imogen Sara Smith discusses the exact period in which City That Never Sleeps was produced, its stylistic appearance and themes (as well as sense of realism), John H. Auer's cinematic style, etc.

• Interview with Kim Newman - in this exclusive new video interview, critic Kim Newman discusses the conception and style of City That Never Sleeps, the emergence of the documentary-noir films, John H. Auer's career, etc. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

City That Never Sleeps Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What Jules Dassin's The Naked City does for The Big Apple, John H. Auer's City That Never Sleeps accomplishes for The Windy City. There is more melodrama in the latter, but ultimately it is the same notable noirish eye-opener. Gig Young is very good as local cop Johnny Kelly who is trying to redirect his life on what turns out to be a very strange night, but the supporting cast is solid as well. City That Never Sleeps is included in Via Vision Entertainment's recent Essential Film Noir - Collection 2 four-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.