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While the City Sleeps (1956)

★ 6.9Approved100 minDirector: Fritz Lang

1956 film by Fritz Lang

While the City Sleeps is a 1956 American film noir directed by Fritz Lang and starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, John Drew Barrymore and Ida Lupino. Written by Casey Robinson, the newspaper drama was based on The Bloody Spur by Charles Einstein, which was inspired by the case of Chicago serial killer William Heirens (a.k.a. the "Lipstick Killer"). (The film even alludes to the crimes of Heirens in the script's dialogue, suggesting that the film's antagonist, also known as the "Lipstick Killer", is a copycat killer.) Five decades after the film's release, critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "Fritz Lang ('M') directs his most under-appreciated great film, more a social commentary than a straight crime drama."

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is While the City Sleeps about?
While the City Sleeps (1956) — Bedridden Amos Kyne is the owner and manager of Kyne Enterprises. Upon Amos' death, his son, the ineffectual and disliked Walter Kyne, takes control of the business. Not wanting to do any of the work but retain the glory, Walter creates a new position, "executive director", who e
Is While the City Sleeps based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is While the City Sleeps scary?
Content rating: Approved. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.
What is While the City Sleeps (1956) about? Plot, synopsis and ending explained — Screencodex