A DOUBLE BILL OF FILM NOIR CLASSICS!
Writer, director, producer and actor Jules Dassin was one of Hollywood’s most remarkable talents. Between 1947 and 1955 he directed a string of stylish, gritty, and hard-hitting Film Noir classics including Thieves Highway and Night And The City. Blacklisted in the communist witch hunts of the House Un-American Activities, he would continue that run with Rififi, directed in France. Each film is a diamond hard classic, weathering the test of time with sharp edges intact.
Tales from The Urban Jungle brings together the two films which started that extraordinary streak of hits. In Brute Force, Burt Lancaster is Joe Collins, one of a number of convicts squeezed into cell R17 and intent on breaking out. Desperate to return to his cancer-ridden wife (Ann Blyth), and to escape the clutches of sadistic warden Captain Munsey (an unforgettable performance from Hume Cronyn) who enjoys a reign of terror over the inmates.
Meanwhile, in The Naked City, a blonde ex-model is murdered in her bathtub and detectives Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) and Halloran (Don Taylor) are assigned to the case. Their investigation leads them all over New York City, from Park Avenue to the Lower East Side, reaching its thrilling climax atop the Williamsburg Bridge. Inspired by the work of infamous tabloid photographer Weegee, The Naked City was the first major Hollywood production to be shot entirely on the streets of New York, making use of more than a hundred authentic locations. Both films feature stark cinematography and taut writing to land an incredible one-two punch that remains impactful to this day.
Sourced from new 4K restorations, and complemented by a wealth of bonus features, this Special Edition Blu-Ray™ set is both the perfect entry point for newcomers to the work of a great director, and a must have for die-hard fans of Film Noir and Jules Dassin.
Special Features
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of new 4K restorations of both films
Original uncompressed mono 1.0 audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for both films
Illustrated booklet featuring writing on the films by Alastair Philips, Barry Salt, Sergio Angelini, Andrew Graves, Richard Brooks and Frank Krutnik
Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sister Hyde
DISC ONE – BRUTE FORCE
Brand new commentary by historian and critic Josh Nelson
Nothing’s Okay, a brand new visual essay by film historians David Cairns & Fiona Watson
Josh Olson: Brute Force, a personal appreciation by the Academy Award winning screenwriter of A History of Violence
Burt Lancaster: The Film Noir Years, an in-depth look at Burt Lancaster’s early career by Kate Buford, author of Burt Lancaster: An American Life
Theatrical Trailers
Image Gallery
DISC TWO – THE NAKED CITY
Naked City Radio, a unique new audio commentary by historian and critic David Cairns featuring actors Steven McNicoll and Francesca Dymond
The Pulse of the City, a brand new visual essay by historian and critic Eloise Ross
New York and The Naked City, a personalised history of NYC on the big screen by critic Amy Taubin
The Hollywood Ten, a 1950 documentary short on the ten filmmakers blacklisted from Hollywood for their refusal to name names before the House Un-American Activities Committee, including The Naked City’s screenwriter Albert Maltz
Gallery of production stills by photojournalist Weegee
Theatrical Trailer
