Naked City: Season 2

As previous reviewers have noted, this is a remarkable drama series from an earlier, more idealistic time. It's a pity we don't have a bit more of such earnestness & idealism today, because I'm not sure that the edgy, dark "realism" of some contemporary entertainment will age as well as this show has, for all that it's clearly rooted in its time. But what a time! TV was still open to literate, questioning, even experimental drama; and even with the network restrictions then, it pushed for truly adult entertainment. Indeed, it's quite possible that those network restrictions made the writers more creative & inventive.Each episode is almost a small movie, with a distinctive look & vivid characters. Strict realism is often eschewed for intense characterization, sometimes a little larger than life, in order to illuminate one facet of the human soul. We get symbolic drama, absurdist farce, whimsy, elegy, regret ... all depending on the story being told.Just to pick a few of the episodes:"Today the Man Who Kills the Ants is Coming" shows us a decent, hardworking man, driven by gnawing demons both within & without, crumbling before our eyes. It's an early depiction of the toll exacted by life, when even doing your best isn't enough. John Larch gives a performance that's almost too painful to watch in its naked honesty."The Multiplicity of Herbert Konish" is more in the whimsical vein, although with a serious point. Here we have a man living several lives at once, because he sees no reason why he shouldn't try & experience life on as many levels as possible. A paean to non-conformity, Herbert Konish puzzles & bemuses the police attempting to track him down, because he isn't actually committing any crimes. He isn't in it for the money or any scams, he simply wants to sample as many possibilities as he can."Idylls of a Running Back" is probably one of the earliest depictions of the deluded celebrity stalker, with Sandy Dennis chilling as a young woman living in her own fantasy world. It's telling that even when the truth is revealed, the life of the innocent football star she claimed as her lover is still tainted, and it's clear that things will never be the same for him again. Aldo Ray is excellent as the man who's physically capable of overcoming any obstacle, but helpless in the face of this very different threat."Daughter Am I in My Father's House" is a truly fascinating, sexually twisted tale of an overprotective father, whose attempts to maintain his daughter's honor are gradually revealed as his own warped drive for control, for sexual release through violence, and an almost incestuous compulsion."And by the Sweat of Thy Brow" is practically a fairytale with a twist. Richard Jordan portrays a scarred young man who lives by night, almost in another world. Barbara Barrie is the somewhat too prim & self-denying young woman whose life he saves. It's rather like Beauty & the Beast, except that the story goes even deeper, revealing Barbara Barrie's own inner scars, even as Richard Jordan is eased into the daylight by a sympathetic but firm Detective Flint.And let me comment here on the overall fine performances of the cast regulars, who serve as our guides into this complex & compelling New York. Even when they seem to take a back seat to the week's guest stars, they all have revealing lines & quirks which flesh them out fully over the course of the series' run. And the commercials are an extra treat, a real time capsule!All in all, an exemplar of superior television, most highly recommended!

This one-of-a-kind series from the 60s would not enthrall viewers who thrive on wild car chases and other such action. "Naked City" is a crime drama that focuses not so much on crime, but on the minds and backgrounds of the criminals and of those cops just trying to do their jobs. This simple premise sounds pretty dull when compared to today's crime dramas that hold nothing back and uses techniques that are far more sophisticated than of yore. I happen to be a fan of classic television "noir" and what makes "Naked City" a particular favorite of mine is its gritty realism addressing the issues of people trying to survive in the urban jungle of New York City. Like "East Side West Side" starring George C. Scott, another intelligent and innovative drama series of that era, "Naked City" is filmed in the shadowy glow of black and white and right on location. There are few glamorous Park Avenue backdrops here; instead, there are slum neighborhoods and public housing projects, airshafts and flowing garbage cans and back streets, testimony to what it's really like to live un-rich in New York City, as true then as it is today. Most important, the series boasts of an excellent cast of regulars and an array of costars that breathe life into the characters they portray; anyone interested or involved in drama/theater will get a real acting lesson here. Furthermore, if you watch this series and find it's not your cup of tea, the blood-bubbling jazz score that is "Naked City's" theme will have you coming back for more!I was especially fascinated witnessing early "just starting out" performances of some of today's most respected stars. Allegedly, many of these actors were at that time were making names for themselves on the Broadway stage. An episode entitled "And By the Sweat of Thy Brow" features one such actor, a very young Richard Jordan (Woody Allen's "Interiors" and "The Life of Molly Dodd" fame). Jordan portrays a lonely, homeless young man so ashamed of his badly-scarred face that he refuses to be seen in daylight until he forms a relationship with a woman who has a few issues of her own(the role played by the magnificent Barbara Barrie). In the episode "Daughter Am I In My Father's House," comedic actor Barbara Harris ("Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "A Thousand Clowns") gives a remarkably poignant performance as a timid teenage girl overwhelmed and exploited by her fanatical, power-obsessed father. Special kudos also go to actor John Larch ("Dirty Harry") starring in the episode "Today the Man Who Kills the Ants Is Coming" as a police officer in the throes of burnout that make him a danger to himself as well as others.This Set 2 of "Naked City" offers a fun feature on the drop-down menu: Complete run-throughs of the commericals that aired during episode broadcasts. Remember the Pepsi Generation? Raleigh Cigarettes? How about double your pleasure with Doublemint Gum? And we can't forget Dial Soap that leaves no icky film on the skin!My only complaint - no fault of the DVDs - is that "Naked City's" addictive jazz score disappeared as the series progress further into 1962 and was replaced with another theme score that has no where near the exciting punch of Nelson Riddle's original. Still, regardless of this deep disappointment, the excellent performances and production helped me to get over this glitch - somewhat.If you like TV film noir as much as I do, then do yourself a favor: Purchase this terrific Set 2 of "Naked City". Better yet, purchase the whole series! You'll have yourself a real treasure. Naked City - Set 2

It may take us some time to get round to watching this second season, because we are still working our way through 39 wonderful 25-minute episodes of Season One. But, after a quick look through, it appears to be just as good as the first one, with loads of out-and-about scenes showing acres of wonderful New York locations, many of which we had never seen before in our lives. Good acting too and and a great print; reasonable sound quality, but no subtitles. A bargain that we shall watch over and over again. Update: We've just watched the first of these, and it's even better than Season 1, with 50-min episodes this time round, which are like little movies (and a lot better than some of the one-hour films we buy.) Some great guest stars to look out for too; a very young Dustin Hoffman before he hit the big time, and a string of others, including Walter Matthau, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall and Peter Falk (later to play the unforgettable scruffy detective, Columbo, on TV). Having seen the lot now, they are very good, but about half way through we decided that the shorter Season 1 episodes were pacier, although not necessarily better.

a great dvd and it was delivered very quickly

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Great product.

great old series.