The Sleeping City

Infobox Film | name = The Sleeping City


caption =
director = George Sherman
producer = Leonard Goldstein
writer = Jo Eisinger
starring =Richard Conte
Coleen Gray
Richard Taber
music = Frank Skinner
cinematography = William Miller
editing =
distributor = Universal International Pictures
released = September 20, 1950 (U.S. release)
runtime = 85 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0042976

"The Sleeping City" is a 1950 film noir, shot in semidocumentary style, starring Richard Conte. Set in and shot at New York's Bellevue Hospital, it was directed by George Sherman.

The film is notable for its dark and evocative photography, above-par performances by featured players and taut script by Jo Eisinger, best known for her script of "Night and the City". It was one of the few motion pictures of the era to be shot entirely on location.

"The Sleeping City" is viewed by critics as one of the best examples of the use of betrayal -- in this instance, several layers of betrayal -- as a noir plot device. However, as is typical in this genre, the film is simply plotted and economical in its characterizations.

The movie begins with an unusual prologue, featuring Conte, to assure the audience that the story is "completely fictional" and did not take place at Bellevue or New York City. The prologue was inserted at the insistence of New York mayor William O'Dwyer, who had objected to the script as besmirching the reputation of the city-run hospital.

Plot

An intern is shot mysteriously on an East River pier adjoining Bellevue Hospital. The chief investigating detective views this as a difficult case, so with the cooperation of the Commissioner of Hospitals he assigns a detective who had been a medical corpsman, Fred Rowan of the Confidential Squad, to go undercover as intern "Fred Gilbert."

Rowan becomes involved with the attractive nurse Ann Sebastian (Coleen Gray), and also becomes friendly with the popular elevator operator, Pop Ware (Richard Taber).

Ware, who works part-time taking bets, seems initially to be a benign character. But it becomes apparent that Ware has been loaning money to the interns, including the slain intern and another intern, Rowan's roommate Steve Anderson (Alex Nicol), who is depressed and commits suicide.

Rowan deliberately loses money betting with Ware, and Ware says that Rowan can pay off his bet by stealing "white stuf" -- narcotics. Rowan plays along, encouraged by Ann Sebastian. He stops providing drugs to Ware. Ware tries to kill Rowan, and is shot in a shootout on the roof of the hospital.

Investigators find that the nurse was worked as a courier for Ware. The movie ends with Rowan, turning aside pleas from Ann, placing her under arrest.

Cast