This is “While the City Sleeps,” and although we did Lon Chaney’s “Mr. Wu” recently, I thought it was worth looking at “While the City Sleeps” because a rooftop shootout and another scene provide early glimpses of Los Angeles City Hall, even though the movie is set in New York.
Here’s Lon Chaney climbing up to the roof of a building with City Hall in the background. A production still on Page 10 of “Location Filming in Los Angeles” also shows the Hall of Records in the background, so we know this was filmed on the Main Street side of the building.
Here’s a detail of a vintage postcard showing a similar angle of the Main Street side of City Hall. I’m not John Bengtson, but it seems likely that the scene was shot from a rooftop somewhere in the lower part of this image.
This week’s mystery movie comes through the courtesy of a longtime reader.
And for Tuesday, we have a young, sharply dressed mystery gent who knows how to wear a hat.
Please congratulate Mary Mallory and Mike Hawks for identifying Monday’s mystery fellow.
And for Wednesday, a mystery woman.
Please congratulate Mary Mallory for identifying the mystery movie and cast.
If you would like a hint, email me.
And for Thursday, we have this mystery gal.
Please congratulate Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and cast) and Patrick (Monday’s mystery fellow, but wrong movie). All will become clear tomorrow.
And for Friday, we have a mystery woman and our (totally not) mystery leading man.
Please congratulate Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery woman), Patrick (mystery movie and cast), Floyd Thursby (Thursday’s mystery woman) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman).
ladailymirror.com 
Wheeler Oakman.
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Perhaps Ralph Morgan. I’ve always felt bad for Ralph Morgan, looking so much like his brother must have been tough.
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John Gilbert?
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Looks quite a lot like William Powell.
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Is that my boyfriend Lowell Sherman?
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Alas, no….
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Looks to me like Robert Strange early in his career. Just a guess
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Alas, no….
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Wheeler Oakman before he had one drink too many.
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John Halliday?
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While New York Sleeps?
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Carroll Nye today
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Tom Neal
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Tuesday’s guy looks like the always sharp dressing Bob Cummings.
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Tuesday….Charles Boyer
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If Monday’s gent is Osgood Perkins, I’ll guess the film is Scarface (a film that had all kinds of hats).
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Sorry, no, and no… Interesting guesses, though. 🙂
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anita Page.
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Eleanor Boardman
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Alas, no.
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Looks like Carroll Nye and Anita Page which should make this WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS 1928.
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Every time I look at Monday’s mystery fellow I keep hearing the line, “take him for a ride”. So, I think it’s Wheeler Oakman, but I don’t think the film is “Lights of New York” in which he delivered that immortal line.
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Mae Busch today.
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Mae Busch gave it away; “While the City Sleeps” from 1928.
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Mt recent two week stay in Oaxaca has not sharpened my mystery foto skills. This week looks like a pass to me.
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Ann Dvorak Thursday?
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Lon Chaney…….Movie???????
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The Thursday lady sure looks like Mae Busch.
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As Mary and I thought Mae Busch is the next to appear.
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Good old Lon again.
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That’s Polly Moran with the great Lon Chaney.
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lon chaney in while the city sleeps
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Polly Moran and Lon Chaney Sr. appear to be happy. Or are they just acting?
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Wheeler Oakman on Monday, Carroll Nye on Tuesday (starting to look like ‘While the City Sleeps’) Anita Page on Wednesday, ‘While the City Sleeps’, the ever-popular Mae Busch on Thursday, now definitely ‘While the City Sleeps’, and Lon Chaney and the salty Ms. Polly Moran on Friday.
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