While the City Sleeps
“Suspense as startling as a strangled scream!”
Synopsis
Newspaper men compete against each other to find a serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer".
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Patton Oswalt on WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS
Type: Featurette • Published 2026-04-27
Top Cast
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Dana Andrews
Edward Mobley
Rhonda Fleming
Dorothy Kyne
George Sanders
Mark Loving
Howard Duff
Lt. Burt Kaufman
Thomas Mitchell
John Day Griffith
Vincent Price
Walter Kyne
Sally Forrest
Nancy Liggett
John Drew Barrymore
Robert Manners
James Craig
"Honest" Harry Kritzer
Ida Lupino
Mildred Donner
Robert Warwick
Amos Kyne
Mae Marsh
Mrs. Manners
Ralph Peters
Gerald Meade
Sandy White
Judith Felton
Larry J. Blake
Tim
Celia Lovsky
Miss Dodd
Ed Hinton
Mike O'Leary
Pitt Herbert
Carlo
Release History & Theatrical Window
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Festival / Special Debut
May 16, 1956
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 20, 2010
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Fritz Lang
- Screenplay & Story
- Casey Robinson
- Original Score
- Herschel Burke Gilbert
- Original Title
- While the City Sleeps
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Production Studios
- Bert E. Friedlob Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Fritz Lang
Casey Robinson, Charles Einstein
Herschel Burke Gilbert
Ernest Laszlo
Gene Fowler Jr.
Bert E. Friedlob
Department Leadership Roster
Fritz Lang
Director
Bert E. Friedlob
Producer
Herschel Burke Gilbert
Original Music Composer
Ernest Laszlo
Director of Photography
Casey Robinson
Screenplay
Gene Fowler Jr.
Editor
Norma Koch
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for While the City Sleeps.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring While the City Sleeps.
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Frequently Asked Questions About While the City Sleeps
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is While the City Sleeps about?
Newspaper men compete against each other to find a serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer".
Who directed While the City Sleeps?
While the City Sleeps was directed by Fritz Lang.
Who stars in While the City Sleeps?
The principal cast of While the City Sleeps includes Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell.
When was While the City Sleeps released and how long is it?
While the City Sleeps was released in 1956 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.
Who composed the musical score for While the City Sleeps?
The original motion picture soundtrack for While the City Sleeps was composed by Herschel Burke Gilbert.
Is While the City Sleeps based on a book or true story?
While the City Sleeps is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Charles Einstein".
What is the age rating and content advisory for While the City Sleeps?
While the City Sleeps holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).