A young woman is found dead in her Manhattan apartment. Two detectives follow the case out into the city.
1948 · Film noir · Police procedural · Black and white
Synopsis
When model Jean Dexter is found murdered, veteran detective Dan Muldoon and his younger partner Jimmy Halloran begin with the people who knew her. Their interviews yield a trail of false statements and small clues. As the case takes them across New York, they piece together a picture of Jean’s life and the people who had reason to keep it hidden.
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Meet the cast
Crew
Director · Jules Dassin
Producer and narrator · Mark Hellinger
Screenplay · Albert Maltz and Malvin Wald
Story · Malvin Wald
Cinematography · William H. Daniels
Editing · Paul Weatherwax
Music · Miklós Rózsa and Frank Skinner
Art direction · John F. DeCuir
Distributor · Universal-International
Production and film notes
Producer Mark Hellinger speaks the opening credits over views of New York. Jules Dassin filmed on location, and everyday city life continues around the investigation. Watch how the detectives’ interviews take them through apartments, shops and streets, giving each small lead a place in the wider city. AFI Catalog · The Criterion Collection
William Daniels won the Oscar for black-and-white cinematography and Paul Weatherwax won for film editing. Malvin Wald was nominated for his original story. Academy Awards
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Private Hell 36 (1954) · Howard Duff returns as a detective in a noir about what happens when a case puts a partnership under pressure.
Kansas City Confidential (1952) · A robbery leaves an innocent man trying to piece together what happened.