Naked City (1948) (Blu-ray + DVD)

THERE ARE EIGHT MILLION STORIES IN THE NAKED CITY. THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

Jules Dassin followed up his explosive prison picture Brute Force with another slice of hard-boiled crime fiction. Within a decade he d make Thieves Highway, Night and the City and Rififi, thus confirming Dassin s position as one of the all-time-great film noir directors.

New York, the middle of summer. A blonde ex-model is murdered in her bathtub and detectives Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) and Halloran (Don Taylor) are assigned to the case. Their investigation will lead them through the entire city, from Park Avenue to the Lower East Side, culminating in a thrilling climax atop the Williamsburg Bridge.

Inspired by the work of the infamous tabloid photographer Weegee, The Naked City was the first major Hollywood production to be shot entirely on the streets of New York, making use of more than a hundred authentic locations. Both its editing and its cinematographer would earn Academy Awards, while the film itself would be recognised by the Library of Congress as one of American cinema s most significant motion pictures.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

• New high definition digital transfer of the film
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation
• Original mono 1.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
• Audio commentary by screenwriter Malvin Wald
• Jules Dassin at LACMA a 40-minute interview with Bruce Goldstein in which the director discusses his career
• The Hollywood Ten a 1950 documentary short on the ten filmmakers blacklisted from Hollywood for their refusal to name names before the House of Un-American Activities, including The Naked City s screenwriter, Albert Maltz
• Gallery of production stills by infamous photojournalist Weegee
• Theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring the original poster and newly commissioned artwork by Vladimir Zimakov
• Collector s booklet containing new writing on the film by Alastair Philips, Barry Salt and Sergio Angelini, illustrated with original production stills