MovieChat Forums > The Naked City (1948) Discussion > Whoa! Huge omission from the slice-of-NY...

Whoa! Huge omission from the slice-of-NYC-life aspect

posted 17 years ago by theclockticks
26 replies | jump to latest

They threw in boxing, dang pro wrestling and jump rope - I've never seen nor heard a baseball reference in The Naked City.

This film came out in March 1948. The Giants had stunk for about 10 years before the film was released. The Dodgers were better than the Giants in that time, but they weren't the Yankees. However, from 1936-47 the Yankees were in the World Series 8 times. They won 7. And even though the Giants and Dodgers were not at the same level as the Yankees, you still had 3 teams in town. No other city, naked or partially clothed or wrapped in a blanket, has ever had 3 teams at once.

Everyone says this film does an incredible job at preserving images of NYC in the past. I've never lived there then or any other time, but I don't think I could argue with that EXCEPT when it comes to this one thing.

Yeah, the movie is only an hour and a half. But the story takes place over 6 days. If you were able to do a reverse Purple Rose of Cairo and hop into the movie yourself, there is no way in the world you would have missed baseball in some form or another.

I know that in the grand scheme of things this doesn't matter. But being a baseball fan - I mean, c'mon movie people.

[–] hodie 10 years ago

They also didn't show any cockroaches.

Tourists and the wealthy keep the performing arts alive in NYC.
That is true now and probably was then. Ballet and symphonic music never had a huge popular audience, and out-of-towners
keep Broadway afloat.

But, yeah, I would have expected a baseball reference in a city with three Major League teams (Giants,Dodgers,Yankees).
Every male I knew was baseball-crazy, and many of the females too.

Get me a bromide! And put some gin in it!

[–] Satan2016 10 years ago

A "weather balloon" crashed in Roswell while they were filming. Should have had paper boys yelling "Alien bodies found near Roswell, read all about it!"

[–] bradford-1 9 years ago

It couldn't have been the off season; I thought it was sometime in July or early August. It was obviously hot weather.
May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] DracTarashV 8 years ago

It's simple... the makers of this film had an aversion to baseball. I mean what other reason is there for this egregious omission? But nah, there's other "slice-of-NYC-life" things they didn't show in this film, so in the end it's unimportant.

You want something corny? You got it!

[–] sludgehound 8 years ago

Haven't seen film in ages but just a thought that maybe 'rules' were tighter then as to what could be used for realism?
Thinking of how on TV they used to use far out addresses in Manhattan (still do at times) like 750 West 50 that would be in the Hudson. And that oft-used Hudson College.
Just maybe some legal hawks sweated using any named brand like Yankees or such. Took awhile just to get lot of commercial brands to appear, same with the fake newspaper names used in place of real ones. Could be cheapie Hollywood low budget guys wouldn't pay up
for using branded items. They passed it off by saying they didn't want the audience to drift away by focusing on the new Chevy, Ford, store, booze bottle, clothes.
There were some cigs and booze thrown in but not always showing the brand. TV did push the cig brand right on/within some shows if was the sponsor but for a film probably too much cost involved to get the deal so just generics used.
Given the fierce baseball loyalties late 40s the theater might have had yells & boos if 'wrong team' given prominent play. just sayin'
Still a worthy film & series.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6058) 5 years ago

I thought they did include baseball? When they were searching everywhere for Willie didn't they stop and check with the ticket seller for the baseball game?