Film-Noir
Unsuspecting Mr. Dietrichson becomes increasingly accident prone after his icily calculating wife encourages him to sign a double indemnity policy proposed by a smooth-talking insurance agent. Against a backdrop of distinctly California settings, the partners in crime plan the perfect murder to collect the insurance. Perfect until a claims manager gets a familiar feeling of foul play and pursues the matter relentlessly.
In the late 19th century, Paula Alquist is studying music in Italy, but ends up abandoning her classes because she’s fallen in love with the gallant Gregory Anton. The couple marries and moves to England to live in a home inherited by Paula from her aunt, herself a famous singer, who was mysteriously murdered in the house ten years before. Though Paula is certain that she sees the house’s gaslights dim every evening and that there are strange noises coming from the attic, Gregory convinces Paula that she’s imagining things. Meanwhile, a Scotland Yard inspector, Brian Cameron, becomes sympathetic to Paula’s plight.
A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he’s investigating.
Detective Philip Marlowe is hired by hulking Moose Malloy to locate his old girlfriend that he lost track of while serving time in prison. With each lead he follows, Marlowe encounters lies, larceny, perjury, theft and a beautiful femme fatale. Based on Raymond Chandler’s novel “Farewell My Lovely”, which was also the film’s title in the United Kingdom.
During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, surgeon Dr. Franticek Svoboda, a Czech patriot, assassinates the brutal “Hangman of Europe”, Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich, and is wounded in the process. In his attempt to escape, he is helped by history professor Stephen Novotny and his daughter Mascha.
During the campaign for reelection, the crooked politician Paul Madvig decides to clean up his past, refusing the support of the gangster Nick Varna and associating to the respectable reformist politician Ralph Henry. When Ralph’s son, Taylor Henry, a gambler and the lover of Paul’s sister Opal, is murdered, Paul’s right arm, Ed Beaumont, finds his body on the street. Nick uses the financial situation of The Observer to force the publisher Clyde Matthews to use the newspaper to raise the suspicion that Paul Madvig might have killed Taylor.
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
In New York, the boys Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly are best friends and small time thieves. After a robbery, Rocky is arrested and sent to a reformatory school, where he begins his criminal career. Jerry escapes and later becomes a priest. After three years in prison, Rocky is released and demands the return of $100,000 deposited with his Solicitor – prior to his jail term.
Actor Lester Blaine has all but landed the lead in Myra Hudson’s new play when Myra vetoes him because, to her, he doesn’t look like a “romantic leading man.” On a train from New York to San Francisco, Blaine sets out to prove Myra wrong…by romancing her. Is he sincere, or does he have a dark ulterior motive?
Leona Stevenson is confined to bed and uses her telephone to keep in contact with the outside world. One day she overhears a murder plot on the telephone and is desperate to find out who is the intended victim.
The Naked City portrays the police investigation that follows the murder of a young model. A veteran cop is placed in charge of the case and he sets about, with the help of other beat cops and detectives, finding the girl’s killer.