The Naked City (1948)

Thanks to its innovative documentary style and character-driven treatment, this otherwise conventional cop drama (murdered blonde in bathtub, homicide squad gets moving) was hugely influential. The movie is hard-hitting, gripping and a hymn to the excitement of New York City where it was shot entirely on location. Narrated by its producer (and former crime reporter) Mark Hellinger, whose last production it was before his early death, it stars an effective Barry Fitzgerald as the police lieutenant heading the murder investigation. There were Oscars for cinematography and editing, and the voiceover proclaiming "eight million stories in the naked city" passed into popular culture thanks to the long-running TV series inspired by the movie. The film confirmed the reputation of director Jules Dassin, but he was soon forced into European exile by the McCarthy communist witchhunt.