MovieChat Forums > The Naked City (1948) Discussion > Who was in the closet?

Who was in the closet?

posted 8 years ago by texastreasure517
2 replies | jump to latest

I'll try to ask this question without revealing any spoilers.

When Jimmy Halloran gets the towel thrown over his face, in the background there's what looks like a closet. At the moment Jimmy is caught off-guard, it looks like the closet doors are trying to be forced open as if someone is in the closet trying to get out. You can hear the doors rattling and see the gaps in the doors from the pressure, but then they stop. Nothing is ever said or revealed about the nature of the disturbance ever again, that I can tell.

Did anyone else catch that? I just can't figure that one out! Thanks!

[–] einsteinfile 8 years ago

I just now checked that scene out as "The Naked City" is one of my favorite films and I'd never noticed this bit before. The action you're talking about takes place at 1:21:38 in the film. Halloran is pushed against the wooden closet, the lower part of it. It seems that action causes the closet door to slightly open. At first glance, it seems as if the door opens and a hand from inside quickly pulls the door closed. However,in slow motion, you can see that neckties, which are hanging on the rack on the inside of the closet door, are briefly whooshed out during the scuffle. The door closes, probably caused by the action on the floor. I have that exact same style of closet, it was in the basement when we bought this house. Same era too, as the previous owner wrote dated notes scribbled on the inside of it ... later 1940s! A real flimsy closet, fitted with a simple lock. I put shelves in it and, now, very convenient to store paper supplies and tools.

[–] old3eyes (293) 6 years ago

Thanx for the explanation. Just watching it on Amazon.