Tonight's Saturday Night Cinema feature is a lively, harsh little gem from my favorite genre, film noir. While the City Sleeps is a 1956 newspaper drama directed by Fritz Lang. "Lang's vision of the world is profoundly expressed by his visual forms" -- Andrew Sarris, The American Cinema (1968)

While the City Sleeps (1956) is a whole look at the modern media. It concerns a media empire, combining newspapers, wire services, photography and television. All of these come under sharp and often negative scrutiny in this film. The sheer fact that so many different media are all combined in one company frightens Lang, who sees totalitarian potentials here.

"One of Fritz Lang's last and best American film noir, the plot is complex and involving, and the visual style clear and extremely effective," Emanuel Levy.

Delicious cast includes "Dana Andrews, as the handsome, realistic and cynical Pulitzer Prize man; Sally Forrest, as his girl; George Sanders, as the polished but conniving syndicate chief; Vincent Price, as the publisher; Rhonda Fleming, as his two-timing spouse; Thomas Mitchell, as the managing editor; John Barrymore Jr., the "mama's boy" who likes to kill blondes as much as he adores comic books, and Ida Lupino, as the amorous sob sister."

The NY Times review in May of 1956:

"While the City Sleeps," which was exposed at the Criterion yesterday, as another shiny, sometimes over-dramatic illustration of the movie-makers' love of the newspaper "game."

Since it is full of sound and fury, murder, sacred and profane love and a fair quota of intramural intrigue, a viewer is left wondering if the tycoons of the giant Kyne publishing combine ever bother to cover such mundane stories as the weather. But while this journalistic jamboree is more flamboyant than probable, a tight and sophisticated script by Casey Robinson and a clutch of professional performances make "While the City Sleeps" a diverting and workmanlike fiction.

The title of this excursion to the scenes of crime and communications is a misnomer. No one dozes at The New York Sentinel or its news services. A young and obviously disturbed killer dispatches a comely lass. The publisher, who wants the story played big, suddenly goes to his reward and his playboy son takes over by dangling the offer of a top job to four of his executives. The idea is that it will go to the gent who helps to crack the case.

The flower of romance also flourishes in the busy city room. The paper's Pulitzer Prize star reporter goes for the syndicate chief's secretary. That suave operator is hand-in-glove with a designing sob sister. And, the young publisher's beauteous and leggy wife is cozy with the syndicate's photo service chieftain.

Newspaper Story
WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS; screen play by Casey Robinson; based on the novel "The Bloody Spur" by Charles Emstein; directed by Fritz Lang; produced by Bert Fricdlob and presented by R. K. O. At the Criterion.
Ed Mobley . . . . . Dana Andrews
Mildred Donner . . . . . Ida Lupino
Dorothy Kyne . . . . . Rhonda Fleming
Mark Loving . . . . . George Sanders
Walter Kyne . . . . . Vincent Price
Jon Day Griffith . . . . . Thomas Mitchell
Nancy Liggett . . . . . Sally Forrest
Lieutenant Kaufman . . . . . Howard Duff
Harry Kritzer . . . . . James Craig
Manners . . . . . John Barrymore Jr.
Amos Kyne . . . . . Robert Warwick
Meade . . . . . Ralph Peters
George Pilski . . . . . Vladimir Sokoloff
Mrs. Manners . . . . . Mae Marsh
Judith Fenton . . . . . Sandy White

The relentless Islamic war on on-Muslims. Sheikh Zahidar Rahman (and the building's developer Kalm Ansari, Munna, Haroon)  were storing bombs on the ground floor of an apartment building (same Islamic pattern as Hamas storing rocket launchers in homes in Gaza.) The explosion was so powerful, it tore through the top floor. Pity the bomb didn't go off in Rahman, Ansari, Munna, Haroon faces.

Sheikh arrested in Indian bomb explosion investigation

An explosion in Metiabruz in the Kolkata Port area last Sunday left two people dead and six injured.

A police investigation has since led to the arrest of Shiekh Zahidur Rahman, who is accused of storing bombs on the ground floor of the building.

Police have also accused the building's developer Munna and two of his aides, Kalim Ansari and Haroon, of being involved in the storing of the bombs, for terrorist purposes.

The explosion, which appears to have gone off accidentally, ripped through the building, destroying six walls and even tearing cracks in the top floor. The deceased have been named as Razia Begum, 32, and Sameer Khan, 20.

In a separate incident The Bangalore Central Crime Branch police arrested a suspected Indian Mujahideen operative on Wednesday. Kamal Hassan, from Kolkata, is suspected of being involved in the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast of 2010.

The latest nazi-like propaganda campaign against the Jewish people has been thwarted by decent and freedom loving people. The same brownshirts that tried to provoke the tiny Jewish state into defending herself with their jihad "flotilla" intended to take their Jew hatred to the skies in a Jihad "flytilla." This racist genocidal global jihad movement has been given a free pass for far too long (which is why we are witnessing whole countries falling into the clutches of Islamic supremacists.)

The only thing more delicious than the airlines cancellation was Israel PM Netanyahu's thank you letter to the jihadists:

The letter "thanks" activists for "choosing" to make Israel the object of their "humanitarian concerns." "We know there were many other worthy choices," it says, and goes on to list a number of other such "choices": Syria, Iran and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. "You could have chosen to protest the Syrian regime's daily savagery against its own people, which has claimed thousands of lives," the letter says.

"You could have chosen to protest the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on dissent and support of terrorism throughout the world." "You could have chosen to protest Hamas rule in Gaza, where terror organizations commit a double war crime by firing rockets at civilians and hiding behind civilians", says the letter.

The letter states that activists chose "to protest against Israel, the Middle East's sole democracy, where women are equal, the press criticizes the government, human rights organizations can operate freely, religious freedom is protected for all and minorities do not live in fear."

Airlines cancel Israel flights for over 60 percent of pro-Palestinian fly-in protesters Haaretz

Activists threatening to sue airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France and Easyjet, for 'bowing to Israeli pressure'

PM's Office releases sarcastic 'thank you' letter to be given to activists on arrival.

More than 60 percent of the 1,500 pro-Palestinian activists due to arrive in Israel on Sunday to take part in a fly-in protest have received notifications from airlines that their flights were canceled, the spokesman for the "Welcome to Palestine" protest told Haaretz on Saturday.

The activists were planning to arrive in Israel to participate in a protest against West Bank settlement construction that was scheduled to take place on Sunday. Last July, a similar “fly-in” took place, with more than 300 international activists arriving in Israel. Of those activists, 120 were detained.

Among the airlines that notified the activists of flight cancelations were Lufthansa, Air France and Easyjet, Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, a Bethlehem-based spokesman for the protest said, adding that the activists are threatening to take legal action against the airlines. 

"Israel passed lists of hundreds of activists to companies, along with a letter in which it claimed that they were coming to carry out a provocation and disturb the peace, and this is just not true. It is very unfortunate that these companies bowed to Israeli pressure," said Qumsiyeh, who added that he has no doubt that some of the activists and Palestinian organizations - including his own - will pursue legal action against the companies.

According to the spokesman, hundreds of activists will manage to board flights to  Israel's Ben-Gurion airport, and declare their intention to travel on to the West Bank upon their arrival. 

Dozens of Israeli activisits are due to await the arrival of the fly-in protesters at the airport. In a notice published on Saturday, Israeli activists said they will await for the fly-in protesters with "welcome signs" and "open arms."

Traitors should be charged with treason and thrown in jail or thrown ouyt of the country.

Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists were prevented from boarding Israel-bound flights on Friday, due to the fact that their names appeared on the blacklist distributed by the Israeli government to a number of European airlines.

Police are planning to intercept participants in the "Welcome to Palestine" actions at the airport and prevent their entry into the country. Hundreds of police officers are expected to be stationed at the airport ahead of their arrival, most of them unarmed and clothed in civilian dress.

Israel is Palestine. Period.  They will never have it. Never.

'Thank you for choosing Israel'

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office published on Saturday the text of a sarcastic letter that will be handed out to the pro-Palestinian activists upon their arrival. The letter "thanks" activists for "choosing" to make Israel the object of their "humanitarian concerns."

"We know there were many other worthy choices," it says, and goes on to list a number of other such "choices": Syria, Iran and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

"You could have chosen to protest the Syrian regime's daily savagery against its own people, which has claimed thousands of lives," the letter says.

"You could have chosen to protest the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on dissent and support of terrorism throughout the world."

"You could have chosen to protest Hamas rule in Gaza, where terror organizations commit a double war crime by firing rockets at civilians and hiding behind civilians", says the letter.

The letter states that activists chose "to protest against Israel, the Middle East's sole democracy, where women are equal, the press criticizes the government, human rights organizations can operate freely, religious freedom is protected for all and minorities do not live in fear."

The text concludes by suggesting that the activists "solve first the real problems of the region, and then come back and share with us your experience," before wishing them "a nice flight."

Prosecutors say four Muslims were plotting to "kill a large number of people" at the Jyllands-Posten daily's offices in Copenhagen. They pleaded not guilty ... because according to Islamic law, they aren't guilty, doncha know?

ATTACK PLOT: FOUR MEN SUSPECTED OF PLANNING A MASSACRE AT A DANISH NEWSPAPER THAT PUBLISHED CONTROVERSIAL CARTOONS OF MOHAMMED ARRIVE AT THE COURTHOUSE. PICTURE: AFP AFP

Four plead not guilty to plot to massacre Danish newspaper staff over Mohammad cartoons NY Post

COPENHAGEN -- Four men pleaded not guilty Friday as they went on trial in Denmark over a suspected plot to massacre the staff of a newspaper that first published controversial cartoons of the Prophet [sic]  Mohammad.

Sahbi Ben Mohamed Zalouti, Munir Awad and Omar Abdalla Aboelazm -- all Swedish citizens of Tunisian, Lebanese and Moroccan origin, respectively -- along with a Tunisian national living in Sweden, Mounir Ben Mohamed Dhahri, face charges of "attempted terrorism."

Prosecutors say the four were plotting to "kill a large number of people" at the Jyllands-Posten daily's offices in Copenhagen when they were arrested Dec. 29, 2010.

Jyllands-Posten published a dozen cartoons in 2005 of the Prophet Muhammad that triggered violent and sometimes deadly protests around the world.

A machine gun with a silencer, a revolver, 108 bullets, rolls of duct tape and $20,000 were among the items found in the men's possession when they were arrested.

Danish police, who collaborated with their Swedish counterparts and wiretapped the men, swooped in just after hearing them say they were "going to" the newspaper office.

One of the two prosecutors, Henrik Plaehn, told the Glostrup district court that a ceremony celebrating Denmark's Sporting Newcomer of the Year at the newspaper was likely the target of the suspected plot. In addition to a number of sports celebrities, Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik was present at the ceremony.

Plaehn also argued that there was evidence the plot had links to Pakistan but said he would provide more details later in the trial, which is set to last until June. At least one of the men is known to have international ties. Awad was arrested twice before while abroad -- once in Somalia and once in Pakistan -- over suspected terrorist links, Sweden's foreign ministry said last year.

Zalouti also previously was arrested in Pakistan for entering the country illegally.

On Friday, the four accused all pleaded not guilty to the terrorism charge, but Dhahri did plead guilty to arms possession.

The prosecution did not yet say what penalty it will seek beyond a request that the four be expelled from Denmark and never allowed to return, after serving their sentences. According to public broadcaster DR, however, they all risked "a historically severe punishment," with up to 14 years behind bars.

Imposing Islam on the public square, the taxi edition. We have seen these attempts to impose sharia on taxi passengers in the US as far back as 2006.

A Muslim taxi driver has been sacked after refusing to let a family take an unopened bottle of wine into his car because it went against his religion.... cue the bomb threats.

Photo:rights were kicked out of a cab by a Muslim driver because they had alcohol with them

MUSLIM CABBIE KICKS OUT FAMILY FOR CARRYING WINE Express.com (hat tip David W)

A MUSLIM taxi driver has been sacked after refusing to let a family take an unopened bottle of wine into his car because it went against his religion. Adrian Cartwright, 46, booked the cab to take his wife and young daughter on a five-minute journey to an Indian restaurant for an early evening meal.

But he was left fuming when the private hire driver booted them out of the taxi after he spotted they had an unopened bottle of white wine. Mr Cartwright later wrote about the incident in detail on Facebook – prompting the driver’s Asian-run taxi firm to sack him.

He said: “We all got inside the car and the driver said: ‘Is that alcohol?’ When I said ‘yes’ he replied: ‘I am sorry but I can’t allow it in my cab – it’s against my religion’.

“I knew it wasn’t worth arguing so we had to get out.”

He added: “The meal I had that evening was a Halal meal, whose methods I don’t agree with, but tolerate out of respect.

“I expect anyone offering a public service to do the same, and will be contacting the licensing department to suggest that the driver is politely asked to do so, or hand his badge back.”