The Naked City (1948)

Starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor, Frank Conroy
Directed by Jules Dassin
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The murder of a young model in New York City is investigated by a veteran police lieutenant and his young detective partner who try to find clues in the giant populous city.

An excellent mystery, authentically filmed on location in New York, the film illustrates the grinding efforts of police to solve the crime and takes us step by step through their investigation.  Although the gritty crime procedurals of today likely owe their existence to this picture, producer Mark Hellinger keeps the mood from getting too heavy with his easygoing narration, a number of light-hearted scenes, and charming humor from star Barry Fitzgerald.

And Then There Were None (1945)

Starring Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward, Roland Young, June Duprez
Directed by Rene Clair
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Ten strangers are invited to an island for a weekend, only to discover their host is planning to murder each of them one by one.

Director Rene Clair delivers an entertaining murder mystery with a light touch, with no blood and the violence kept off camera, in this adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic whodunit, and one of my favorites of the genre.  The film's biggest assets are the witty screenplay by Dudley Nichols and the excellent cast, as Fitzgerald and Huston lead a talented ensemble who add splendid characterizations to the mixture.  If you haven't read Christie's novel, you may well be surprised by who survives to the climax.