Cry of the City

Siodmak frequently used the noir genre almost as a means of moral-philosophizing, and this is perhaps nowhere better illustrated than in this gritty crime drama about two childhood best friends who take divergent paths: one becomes a cop (Victor Mature); the other, a cop killer (Richard Conte). The killer must grapple with confessing to a murder he did not commit in order to save his girlfriend from being framed for the crime. Shot mostly on location in New York City, the film features a thrilling score by Alfred Newman and is based on a masterful script by uncredited screenwriter Ben Hecht. 35mm print courtesy of the George Eastman Museum, lent by an anonymous collector.