Night People (1954)

Night People was the directorial debut of screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, who also co-adapted the screenplay from a story by Jed Harris. The plot is about an American army private kidnapped by communists in West Berlin, and the efforts, principally of his father (Broderick Crawford) and a Military Police Colonel (Gregory Peck) to get him back. Like a lot of Johnson's work both as director and writer the story is heavy with the docu-drama vive, so the first half of the movie is rather slow and talky. The second half of the movie, which takes place principally over the course of one long night, is much more satisfying and anchored by a fine part for Gregory Peck, who would reteam with Johnson two years later for the much better remember The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. The latter film is a classic, but this first movie is principally interesting as an early cold war time capsule. **1/2