Colibel
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
Roman Sampson
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
Kirandeep Yoder
The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.
Phillipa
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
SamHardy
Not every great actor gets to be recognized for great work. Most of the good actors working today have names most of us will never know. But there was a time when TV was THE place to showcase you talents as an actor. The 1950's and 1960's provided tons of actors chances to show what they could do, and many went on to become well known names. But most of them , for reasons that were not their fault, practiced their art in relative obscurity. That's why I love watching shows like The Naked City. Yes Virginia, there was a golden time when great writing and really fine acting made TV such a pleasure to watch. Back then producers had much more time to develop characters and situations because an hour show like The Naked City had far fewer interruptions for commercials. An hour show really was pretty close to an hour. Every time I watch an episode of this fine program I am reminded of just how much change has not been kind to TV. Now a days it's really hard to find good writing and good acting on prime time TV. Constant interruptions for commercials and flashy graphics have distracted us from developing plot lines that people can relate to. The stories in The Naked City were about real people in situations that almost anyone could relate to. I Just finished watching a fine episode that featured Jack Warden and Carol O'Connor. O'Connor would go on to star in All In The Family but he was doing fine dramatic work in TV and movies long before that. And sadly, Jack Warden is still a name most people draw a blank on. I love those dramatic shows from the 50s and 60s. You just don't see those kind of lovingly crafted shows anymore. Too bad....
jolem53
I've watched a dozen or so episodes and I am very much impressed. The episodes I've seen are the hour-long ones, so they are from the second season or later. For starters, this is a real 'who's who' of guest stars. I just watched an episode from 1962 starring a young William Shatner playing a Burmese Buddhist. It seems every show I've seen has one or several big-name actors.Good acting, good writing. There is certainly a grittiness to this show. Ahead of its' time in some ways. I very much enjoy this title. I catch the shows on 'RTV,' which stands for Retro TV. Watched I Spy, Route 66, other old shows. Naked City however, is a real hoot. I have IMDb open as a watch the shows. Blows me away all the guest actors they have. Good stuff!
aimless-46
The 138 episodes (all in B&W) of the police drama "Naked City" were originally broadcast on ABC from 1958-1963. The series started in a 30-minute format (39 episodes), took a year long break and return in a 60-minute format. The series was filmed in the old Biograph Studios in the Bronx, famous as the studio where D.W. Griffith got his start. Image Entertainment's 3 DVD release "Naked City - Set 1" contains an assortment of twelve of the hour-long episodes from seasons 2 and 3. The titles, episode numbers, and original air-dates are detailed below.Although the title makes it sound like a racy exploitation series it is actually the total opposite. Many consider this gritty crime drama the best ever of its genre and the title reflects a focus on stripping away the glamor off NYC and exposing its ugly inside; at least to the extent that they could get away with on broadcast television during those years."Naked City" is a follow-up to the 1948 film noir feature of the same name. Both movie and television series utilized extensive location shooting and they definitely have a different feel than the Hollywood product of that era. Also unusual was featuring jazz music by Billy May and Nelson Riddle. The show never stopped changing its cast, it was a bit like "Police Story" in this regard as it made its guest stars (it drew a lot of big names from Broadway) the show's greatest asset. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.22 March 1961: (2-20) The Fault in Our Stars; 12 April 1961: (2-22) A Memory of Crying; 17 May 1961: (2-27) Make-Believe Man; 21 June 1961: (2-32) Take and Put; 18 October 1961 (3-4) The Fingers of Henri Tourelle; 15 Nov 1961: (3-7) Which Is Joseph Creely?; 6 Nov 1961: (3-10) Requiem for a Sunday Afternoon; 13 Dec 1961: (3-11) Ooftus Goofus; 3 Jan 1962: (3-13) The Face of the Enemy; 24 Jan 1962: (3-16) The Contract; 14 Feb 1962: (3-19) Let Me Die Before I Wake; 28 Feb 1962: (3-20) To Walk Like a Lion
ggrg408
I wholeheartedly agree with everything said about the show.It was absolutely one of the best ever, cop or no cop TV show. Even the title of each show was original and brilliant IMO. The show stands out even more after being subjected to all the drivel shown nowadays.Even though color hadn't come full circle at that time, I think the b/w format just added to the whole personality of the show and characters. I've got to add to my collection.Stirling Shilliphant was one of the geniuses behind the show's success no doubt.Someone mentioned that Leonard was the narrator but I think Paul Brees narrated most of the shows.His voice-over was a perfect fit too. In fact I can't think of anything that wasn't "perfect". The casting was terrific, the story lines, the on- location shots of Gotham,the title of each show...I could go on and on. The regular detectives actually looked and acted like real detectives compared to what they show today. It may be partly nostalgia but watching the video reminded me of why I liked it so much even back then.
