Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Frightened City Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 3, 2024

John Lemont's "The Frightened City" (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The only bonus feature on the release is an exclusive new program with critic Matthew Sweet. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Anyone who has seen the major film noirs that emerged between the 1940s and 1950s will instantly recognize that The Frightened City follows the steps of a few that are considered timeless classics because they did something groundbreaking at the time. However, unlike them, The Frightened City was completed more than a decade later, in the early 1960s, and on the other side of the Atlantic.

In London, the crooked accountant Waldo Zhernikov (Herbert Lom) convinces mob boss Harry Foulcher (Alfred Marks) to organize his competitors in a syndicate that would streamline their racketeering businesses and increase profits. Shortly after, Foulcher and the other mob bosses divide the city, shake hands, and begin selling protection to every small shop and restaurant. Almost immediately, as predicted by Zhernikov, profits skyrocket and make everyone happy. For his vision, each month Zhernikov retains a proper fee.

But it is not too long before Zhernikov reveals to Foulcher a new scheme that can make everyone a lot richer. While relying on inside information shared by a potential client, Zhernikov explains how Foulcher and his thugs can trick a big construction company into paying for protection too, but many times more than what the syndicate’s current clients do. Impressed by the possibilities in a city that is rapidly expanding, Foulcher agrees to sell the new scheme to the other mob bosses. All but one of them, who warns that big companies usually have powerful friends in the government that will help them fight back, agree to go forward with it. After the rebellious mob boss exits the syndicate, instantly becoming a serious liability, Zhernikov convinces Foulcher that the best recourse is to take him out. To do so, they trick his old pal Paddy Damion (Sean Connery), who has recently started working as an enforcer for Foulcher, to convince him to attend a meeting where they will discuss a mutually beneficial compromise.

Director John Lemont shares writing credits with Leigh Vance, who several years after their collaboration contributed to the classic TV series The Saint and The Avengers, but their story is difficult to describe as original. At the center of this story is a most predictable conflict of interests that quickly initiates equally predictable drama involving several shady characters, each with different ambitions and definitions of loyalty. Unaspiringly, a lot of money is behind the conflict as well. In other words, while the players are different, their plays and the resulting triumphs and failures are not.

What makes The Frightened City an interesting film is how it tells this story, which is by essentially mimicking what Jules Dassin’s The Naked City and Night and the City had done earlier. In fact, the latter, which Dassin shot in London and again with Lom, must have been the blueprint for The Frightened City because they are extremely similar time capsules. Lemont seems just a bit more comfortable than Dassin revealing the glamour-free side of London, where Damion and other thugs collect payments and later have a good time.

While Connery’s involvement with The Frightened City will almost certainly be what convinces many to see it, it is Lom who is its undisputed star. Indeed, Lom is terrific as the vicious master puppeteer and effortlessly overshadows the rest of the cast, which is quite good, too. Admittedly, Lom has plenty more time before the camera than his closest competitors, but he also gives The Frightened City something that no one else does, which is very authentic cynicism.

Unfortunately, some of the most polished parts are some of the weakest as well. It is because the lines the actors utter are hollow, even oddly awkward, too. This makes it very difficult for the audience to accept that the characters they play are as authentic as the visuals that the camera produces.

The Frightened City Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Frightened City arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

I have never before owned a copy of The Frightened City in my library, so I do not have an older release to reference in our review. However, this recent Blu-ray release introduces such a terrific restoration of the film that even I had one, it would have been pointless to comment on specific improvements because every single area of it is flawless. Yes, there are a few spots with very small density fluctuations, which are inherited, but even there I thought that the overall quality of the visuals was outstanding. The grayscale is lovely, too, which is why there isn't even a hint of crushing. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks immaculate as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Frightened City 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.

While lively, the music that can be heart throughout the film has an unmissable supporting role, so all dynamic contrasts emerge from the action, which is not intense. The dialog is very clear, clean, and stable. I did not encounter any age-related anomalies to report.

The Frightened City Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Matthew Sweet - in this new program, critic Matthew Sweet discusses The Frightened City. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

The Frightened City Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Virtually all film noirs that emerged before Jules Dassin's The Naked City were highly stylized films that did not prioritize realism. Some did value realism, but not enough to allow it to shape their appearance. The Naked City changed perceptions about realism, which is why it became an influential film. John Lemont directed The Frightened City more than a decade after The Naked City and Night and the City, another very similar Dassin film, on the other side of the Atlantic, and I think that it was meant to be like them. It unites Sean Connery and Herbert Lom, two excellent actors, so their fans should consider picking it up, though it must be said that both have appeared in vastly superior films. RECOMMENDED.