While the City Sleeps (1956)

Because all descriptions of this film first mention the Lipstick Killer, I went in thinking this was a classic film noir. Instead, it’s a behind the scenes look at power struggles within a news organization whose editors are competing to be the first to scoop the identity of the killer. It’s a cynical look at the news, where even the supposed hero of the story, TV anchorman Dana Andrews, is willing to cheat on his fiancé and use her as bait in order to break the story. Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell, George Sanders, and James Craig battle for power within the organization, all under the machinations of the new corporation owner Vincent Price.