The Naked City

Life is full of baffling surprises and one came this morning when I opened the New York Times (no, not that one) but a small obituary to Malvin Wald, the screenwriter of the gritty 1948 police drama "The Naked City." Well, I just completed the film (in four sittings) last night and this morning I should read about the death of its pioneering writer. Malvin Wald won an Oscar for screen-writing this film and is credited for creating the "police procedural" genre that has led to many successful shows and films including Law and Order and even the super-famous CSI series.

The Naked City is a New York film about a hard-working aging police detective and it was the first of its kind in those days. It lays out an elaborate and painstaking process of police investigation in the murder of a young woman desperately trying to seek a place in the upper crust of New York society even if that meant parting ways with morality and the law.

The film starts with -- "There are 8 million people in The Naked City..." and ends with the famous rejoinder -- "There are 8 million stories in The Naked City..."

When would that statement ring truer than today when we suddenly have realized how naive we are in and around The Real, Really Naked City.

The Apartment

This movie is about CC Baxter ( Jack Lemmon ) who loans his conveniently located Manhattan apartment to some of his managers for their extra marital shenanigans in hope of winning their favor and rising in the company. His hopes and his job are endangered when he gets into trouble.
This is a very well crafted movie by the brilliant Billy Wilder ( Sabrina, Some Like it Hot, Front Page, etc. ) It is funny, and though needing some serious editing at times, is quite engaging.

Jack Lemmon ( who recently expired ), is very apposite as C.C. Baxter -- a simple man who wants to do the right thing but can not resist the lure of a corporate rise. On a more generic level -- the movie poses a question as to what a man would be ready to do for his career. We are all making compromises and accommodations for our career all the time but it is never certain when to stop or how much is enough.

Shirley MacLaine is good in an overly simplistic and stereotypical role. However, it must be noted that the role is such on purpose. In fact, all female characters play a role too naive for today's sensibilities. However, I wouldn't be surprised to find parallels in today's culture.

Watching Ms. MacLaine will actually remind you where the likes of Melanie Griffith and more recently Renee Zelleweger come from.

This movie is a must.