MovieChat Forums > While the City Sleeps (1956) Discussion > I did not understand the promotion -- SP...

I did not understand the promotion -- SPOILER ALERT!!!

posted 10 years ago by dlevy1201
4 replies | jump to latest

SPOILER ALERT!!!
Before the final round of promotions, which we learned about from Nancy Liggett reading the Florida newspaper, there was the first promotion when Harry Kritzer was made the Executive Director that confuses me.

It occurred during the scene when Walter Kyne, Mark Loving and Jon Day Griffith are standing around Mr. Griffith's desk talking about the scoop. Walter Kyne asks why there weren't any pictures to the scoop and Mr. Griffith points to Harry Kritzer, accompanied by Mrs. Kyne, as he returns to the office, suggesting he, Mr. Kyne, can ask Mr. Kritzer himself for an explanation. However, before Mr. Kritzer explains he insists that Walter Kyne take a private meeting with them immediately. Later we hear that Harry Kritzer is the new Executive Director. What transpired during that meeting? What was said that convinced Walter Kyne to promote Kritzer above the other two candidates? It was probably something that Mildred Donner told them during her interview with Mrs. Charles Smith in Harry Kritzer's apartment but I can not figure out what it was. Any ideas?????

[–] precode 10 years ago

Kritzer essentially blackmailed Kyne into giving him the promotion--if he hadn't, Kritzer would have gone public about his affair with Kyne's wife, which would have humiliated Kyne and cost him (and by extension, Kyne Enterprises) what credibility they had left.

[–] swlabr 9 years ago

What? I thought Dana Andrews got the promotion. I've seen this at least 3 times.

[–] Satantangoandcash 9 years ago

At the very end Andrews was promoted to chief editor of the newspaper. Kritzer was orignally given the big job, but later we learn that Kyne sent him on a two year trip around the world and hired MItchell, who was previously the chief editor. We never learn why the blackmailing is no longer an issue with Kyne, but we do learn that he is now involved with Ida Lupino's character Mildred, so somehow the wife is now out of the picture. My guess is that he threatened to fire Kritzer and divorce his wife if she created a scandal, and took on Mildred as his mistress to spite her.

[–] mikethemartian (6064) 5 years ago

I assume it was Mildred who came up with the blackmailing idea because up to that point Dorothy and Harry were hiding their affair and I don’t remember them ever even toying with the idea.