The Captive City (1952 film)
| The Captive City | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Wise |
| Produced by | Theron Warth |
| Screenplay by |
Alvin M. Josephy Karl Kamb |
| Story by | Alvin M. Josephy |
| Starring |
John Forsythe Joan Camden |
| Music by | Jerome Moross |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes |
| Edited by | Robert Swink |
Production company |
Aspen Productions |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Captive City is a 1952 American film noir, directed by Robert Wise.[1] The screenplay is based on real life experiences of Time magazine reporter Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., who co-wrote the script.[2]
Plot
As newspaper editor Jim Austin prepares his testimony before the Committee, the story flashes back to the events which led to his testifying.
Austin is driven to investigate corruption after Clyde Nelson, a local private detective, working on an apparently harmless divorce case, discovers the existence of a big-time gambling syndicate operating with the consent of the city fathers, the local police, and the respectable elements of the community. Nelson is killed in a hit-and-run which appears to be an accident. Austin thinks otherwise because he is harassed by police when he looks into the PI's death.
Cast
- John Forsythe as Jim Austin
- Joan Camden as Marge Austin
- Harold J. Kennedy as Don Carey
- Marjorie Crossland as Mrs. Sirak
- Victor Sutherland as Murray Sirak
- Ray Teal as Chief Gillette
- Martin Milner as Phil Harding
- Geraldine Hall as Mrs. Nelson
- Hal K. Dawson as Clyde Nelson
- Ian Wolfe as Rev. Nash
Background
The screenplay of The Captive City was inspired by the Kefauver Committee's hearings.[3] The television broadcast of the hearings attracted huge public interest and educated a broad audience about the issues of municipal corruption and organized crime. The tremendous success of the broadcast led to the production of a whole cycle of "exposé" crime films dealing with the dismantling of complex criminal organizations by law enforcement.[4][5] The Captive City had the blessing of senator Kefauver himself: Robert Wise took a print of the film to Washington D. C. to show to senator Kefauver, who not only endorsed it but even appears in the prologue and epilogue, cautioning audiences about the evils of organized crime.[6] Other notable examples of exposé films include Hoodlum Empire (1952) and The Turning Point (1952).
References
- ↑ The Captive City at the Internet Movie Database.
- ↑ The Captive City at AllMovie
- ↑ Spicer, Andrew (2010). Historical Dictionary of Film Noir. Scarecrow Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-8108-7378-0.
- ↑ Spicer, Andrew (2010). Historical Dictionary of Film Noir. Scarecrow Press. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-0-8108-7378-0.
- ↑ Dickos, Andrew (2002). Street with No Name: A History of the Classic American Film Noir. The University Press of Kentucky. pp. 203–206. ISBN 978-0813122434.
- ↑ "The Captive City film article". at tcm.com. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
External links
- The Captive City at the Internet Movie Database
- The Captive City at AllMovie
- The Captive City at the TCM Movie Database
- The Captive City at the American Film Institute Catalog
- The Captive City film scene on YouTube
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