The Criterion Collection

Newspaper columnist turned producer and screenwriter Mark Hellinger wanted New York City to be the main character of a crime film he was working on, ultimately called The Naked City, after the landmark book by tabloid newspaper photographer Weegee. He was assisted in his vision by cinematographer William Daniels, writers Albert Maltz and Malvin Wald, and, of course, director Jules Dassin. What they ended up giving us, wrote Luc Sante in his essay for our DVD release, was “the teeming, unscripted life of the city,” shot on location, an unusual move at the time: “You see kids jumping into the river from the docks and playing games on the walkway of the Williamsburg Bridge, horses pulling milk wagons and peddlers’ carts, El trains rattling overhead in lower Manhattan, pretzel vendors displaying their wares on sticks, laborers going about their trades.” Here’s a glimpse at how they did it.