the plot: Small-time hustler Harry Fabian (Widmark) can't catch a break. He's been navigating the shadowy corners of the post-WWII London underworld in search of a "life of ease and plenty" for him and his main squeeze Mary (Tierney), when he spots Gregorius the Great (Stanislaus Zbyszko), a former Greco-Roman wrestling champion, at a low-rent pro-wrestling match one night. Kristo (Lom), Gregorius' son and one of the most dangerous gangsters in London, is promoting the match, but his classically trained father despises the faux-sportsmanship of this new style of wrestling. Fabian sweeps in and ingratiates himself with Gregorius and, with a little money Fabian cons out of his boss' wife (Withers), the two set up a rival wrestling venue. Just when Fabian is poised for success, Gregorius is killed and Fabian's plans quickly unravel.

why it's good: After zombie flicks, film noir is my second favorite genre, and for the uninitiated, Night and the City is a perfect introduction to the dark, cynical crime films that flourished in the 1940s and '50s. Director Dassin and cinematographer Max Greene eschew a brightly lit, tourist-friendly London in favor of a shadowy, claustrophobic maze of bombed-out buildings and seedy bars. Within that labyrinth, Widmark, a staple of noir films, gives an outstanding performance as a man perpetually on the run, always a half step away from his own undoing. It's clear after the first 10 minutes that Fabian is doomed, but the real draw of the story is watching Fabian outwit, however briefly, Kristo and his criminal cohorts before the noose tightens. The film is a smart, fast-paced thriller with a dirty, paranoid atmosphere that both noir aficionados and neophytes will love.

why you should own it: The Criterion Collection recently released Night and the City, which had been lost for a number of years, with a plethora of extras. Included on the DVD is an interview with Dassin, commentary by film noir scholar Glenn Erickson, and a comparison of the two musical scores used in the British and American releases of the film.